A new study tracking 768,000 citations across AI search engines shows that product-related content tops AI citations. It makes up 46% to 70% of all sources referenced.
This finding offers guidance on how marketers should approach content creation amid the growth of AI search.
The research, conducted over 12 weeks by XFunnel, looked at which types of content ChatGPT, Google (AI Overviews), and Perplexity most often cite when answering user questions.
Here’s what you need to know about the findings.
Product Content Visible Across Queries
The study shows AI platforms prefer product-focused content. Content with product specs, comparisons, “best of” lists, and vendor details consistently got the highest citation rates.
The study notes:
“This preference appears consistent with how AI engines handle factual or technical questions, using official pages that offer reliable specifications, FAQs, or how-to guides.”
Other content types struggled to get cited as often:
- News and research articles each got only 5-16% of citations.
- Affiliate content typically stayed below 10%.
- User reviews (including forums and Q&A sites) ranged between 3-10%.
- Blog content received just 3-6% of citations.
- PR materials barely appeared, typically less than 2% of citations.
Citation Patterns Vary By Funnel Stage
AI platforms cite different content types depending on where customers are in their buying journey:
- Top of funnel (unbranded): Product content led at 56%, with news and research each at 13-15%. This challenges the idea that early-stage content should focus mainly on education rather than products.
- Middle of funnel (branded): Product citations dropped slightly to 46%. User reviews and affiliate content each rose to about 14%. This shows how AI engines include more outside opinions for comparison searches.
- Bottom of funnel: Product content peaked at over 70% of citations for decision-stage queries. All other content types fell below 10%.
B2B vs. B2C Citation Differences
The study found big differences between business and consumer queries:
For B2B queries, product pages (especially from company websites) made up nearly 56% of citations. Affiliate content (13%) and user reviews (11%) followed.
For B2C queries, there was more variety. Product content dropped to about 35% of citations. Affiliate content (18%), user reviews (15%), and news (15%) all saw higher numbers.
What This Means For SEO
For SEO professionals and content creators, here’s what to take away from this study:
- Adding detailed product information improves citation chances even for awareness-stage content.
- Blogs, PR content, and educational materials are cited less often. You may need to change how you create these.
- Check your content mix to make sure you have enough product-focused material at all funnel stages.
- B2B marketers should prioritize solid product information on their own websites. B2C marketers need strategies that also encourage quality third-party reviews.
The study concludes:
“These observations suggest that large language models prioritize trustworthy, in-depth pages, especially for technical or final-stage information… factually robust, authoritative content remains at the heart of AI-generated citations.”
As AI transforms online searches, marketers who understand citation patterns can gain a competitive edge in visibility.
Featured Image: wenich_mit/Shutterstock
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