AI visibility statistics (2026): what our own tests show
Every number here comes from Answersky's own tests. We asked AI assistants what buyers ask and counted the answers. We use no other company's figures.
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Step 1 of 2Key statistics
- In Answersky's Oct 12, 2026 test, ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity named a specific business in 81 of 81 "who should I hire" answers for accounting, law and dental practices.
- In Answersky's Oct 12, 2026 test, ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity named at least one business in 140 of 162 answers, including "how do I choose" questions.
- In Answersky's Oct 12, 2026 test, only 11% to 15% of the businesses named were named by more than one of ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity when asked the same questions.
- In Answersky's Oct 15, 2026 test, a leading AI assistant, with web search, named specific firms in all 56 answers to B2B buyer questions, about 14 per answer.
- In Answersky's Oct 15, 2026 test, only about 60% of the firms a leading AI assistant named for a B2B question appeared in both answers when the same question was asked twice.
- In Answersky's Oct 15, 2026 test, a leading AI assistant searched the web in 52 of 56 B2B answers and linked sources in all 52.
- In Answersky's Oct 15, 2026 test, list-style pages ("best", "top", "vs" or "alternatives" in the web address) were cited in 43 of 52 B2B answers that linked sources.
- In Answersky's Oct 12, 2026 test, a business's own website was cited in 82 of 108 ChatGPT and Perplexity answers.
How we measured
Industry study, Oct 12, 2026. ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity (APIs, web search on) answered our free check's 6 questions (3 "who should I hire", 3 "how do I choose") for accounting, law and dental practices in 3 US cities: 162 answers. A second AI model listed the businesses named. We hand-checked a sample. Cited sites: ChatGPT and Perplexity only. Full study.
B2B study, Oct 15, 2026. A leading AI assistant, with web search, answered 28 buyer questions across 7 groups of B2B firms, each asked twice: 56 answers. Firm counts are approximate. Full study.
Limits. Both studies asked for businesses by name where relevant. That likely raises how often they are named. Each is one run, not a ranking. Other assistants, days and apps can differ. We never publish the names.
Which sites does AI cite?
B2B study. In Answersky's Oct 15, 2026 test, the 52 answers with linked sources cited:
| Website type | Answers (of 52) |
|---|---|
| Other websites (articles, media, blogs) | 49 |
| …of which list-style pages | 43 |
| A named firm's own website (approx.) | 45 |
| Review or partner directories | 16 |
Industry study. In Answersky's Oct 12, 2026 test, 95 of 108 ChatGPT and Perplexity answers cited a site:
| Website type | Accounting (of 36) | Law (of 36) | Dental (of 36) | All (of 108) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The business's own website | 32 | 24 | 26 | 82 |
| Listing, review or booking sites | 25 | 29 | 26 | 80 |
| Professional bodies, boards or government | 11 | 13 | 19 | 43 |
A citation shows that a page was linked. It doesn't show that the page decided who was named.
What does this mean for a business?
- The list moves. In our B2B test, asking the same question twice changed the list (stat 5). One check is one sample.
- Your own site counts. Say plainly who you serve and what you do, with dated proof AI can quote.
- Be on the pages AI reads. Where you appear on the lists and directories in your field, keep the details accurate. This page is no reason to pay for a place on one.
Run the free AI visibility check to see whether AI names your business today.
How to cite this page
Cite as: Answersky (2026). AI visibility statistics (2026): what our own tests show. https://answersky.com/ai-visibility/statistics. Data collected Oct 12 and Oct 15, 2026.
Please quote each number with its test date.
About Answersky. Answersky (answersky.com) is AI visibility software for businesses. It checks whether AI assistants name your business when buyers ask for a recommendation and shows what to fix.
Last updated: . We add new tests here as we run them.
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