How AI answer engines name AI SEO

Data through October 27, 2026

Across 1,486 answers ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity and Google's AI surfaces gave to buyer questions about AI Visibility & GEO between May 10, 2026 and October 27, 2026, AI SEO was named in 30 (2.0%).

Last 28 days: named in 9 of 665 answers in its home categories (1.4%), up 0.2 points from the 28 days before.

By engine

Answers each engine gave to buyer questions about AI Visibility & GEO and Martech & Advertising, and how many of them named AI SEO.

EngineNamedAnswersRate
ChatGPT155922.5%
Claude85961.3%
Gemini115891.9%
Perplexity35960.5%
Google AI Mode01460.0%
Google AI Overviews0690.0%

By question type

The same answers, split by the shape of the buyer question.

Question typeNamedAnswersRate
Best-of73502.0%
Ranked list93013.0%
Head-to-head83642.2%
Is it worth it83682.2%
How to choose33470.9%
Problem first23650.5%
News04930.0%

Week by week

AI SEO was named in at least one answer in 10 of the 19 weeks on record; the latest was the week of October 26, 2026.

Each week's answers to buyer questions about AI Visibility & GEO and Martech & Advertising, Monday to Sunday, newest first, and how many of them named AI SEO. The questions asked can differ from one week to the next.

Week ofNamedAnswersRate
11960.5%
53481.4%
43721.1%
41912.1%
21961.0%
21681.2%
21121.8%
41602.5%
61803.3%
71724.1%
0420.0%
0420.0%
0540.0%
0460.0%
0310.0%
01160.0%
01110.0%
0480.0%
030.0%

Named first

When an answer named AI SEO alongside another brand in this record, it was named first in 6 of 31 (19.4%).

Named alongside

  • Perplexity: named together in 26 answers
  • Claude: named together in 17 answers
  • Semrush: named together in 7 answers
  • Peec AI: named together in 5 answers
  • AEOVisor: named together in 4 answers
  • Frase: named together in 4 answers
  • HubSpot: named together in 4 answers
  • AthenaHQ: named together in 3 answers

Sources the engines cited when they named AI SEO

Domains cited in answers that named AI SEO, by the number of those answers that cited them.

DomainAnswers
semrush.com7
techradar.com5
trysight.ai5
youtube.com5
aeovisor.com4
conductor.com4
frase.io4
medium.com4
opensight.dev4
backlinko.com3

AI SEO's own site (seo.ai) was cited in 2 of 37 (5.4%).

Across every answer run in the Machine Relations Index, not only the answers that named AI SEO, seo.ai was cited in 8 of 32,187 (0.02%), by 3 of the 6 engines it observes. The Index is still collecting evidence on seo.ai before it grades or ranks it.

Across every AI Visibility & GEO buyer question, not only the answers that named AI SEO, the Machine Relations Index ranks which sources AI engines cite for AI Visibility & GEO questions.

All categories

CategoryNamedAnswersRate
AI Visibility & GEO301,4862.0%
Martech & Advertising71,1020.6%

How this is measured

Names are matched case-sensitively from each brand's own homepage title, in answers stored by the Machine Relations Index. Only derived counts are published here; no answer text is.

A brand appears only once it has been named in at least 10 answers on 7 separate days.

A name match counts a mention. It does not count a recommendation, and it does not measure sentiment.

Categories are the Index's buyer-question categories.

Source: Machine Relations Index.

FAQ

Does ChatGPT recommend AI SEO?

ChatGPT named AI SEO in 15 of 592 answers (2.5%) to buyer questions about AI Visibility & GEO and Martech & Advertising between May 10, 2026 and October 27, 2026. This record counts a name, not a recommendation: it does not judge whether the answer endorsed AI SEO.

Which sources do AI engines cite when they mention AI SEO?

The domains cited most often in answers that named AI SEO were semrush.com (7 answers), techradar.com (5 answers) and trysight.ai (5 answers).

Which AI engine names AI SEO most often?

ChatGPT, at 2.5%: it named AI SEO in 15 of 592 answers to buyer questions about AI Visibility & GEO and Martech & Advertising.