When someone asks ChatGPT, Perplexity or Gemini which business to hire, where does the answer come from? A study published by Searchmaxxed on November 3, 2026, analyzed 241 AI answers to agency-hiring questions and found that 87% of chatbot answers cited a directory or a “best agencies” list. Original research and independent analysis were rare.
This matters because the shortlist your potential customer sees is mostly written before they ever reach your website. If your business is not on the lists and directories the engines read, you are invisible to AI recommendations.
What the Study Measured
Searchmaxxed ran 42 searches across Australia, the US and the UK on November 2 and 3, 2026. Each search became a buyer question asked the same way in each engine: “Who is the best SEO agency for builders in Australia?” for example. They collected 241 chatbot answers from ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini, plus 54 Google results pages.
The numbers are striking. Perplexity cited a directory or list in 100% of its answers. Gemini did so in 84%. ChatGPT in 78%. Google’s AI Overviews were the exception: lists appeared in only 43%, while agencies’ own pages appeared in 95%.
Semrush’s agency directory and Clutch were the two most-cited websites, with 121 and 79 citations respectively. The ten most-cited sites accounted for about 25% of all 1,846 citations. The remaining 75% spread across 578 different websites, 309 of which were cited only once.
Why Lists and Directories Dominate AI Recommendations
AI engines do not conduct original research. They read what ranks, and what ranks for “best [service] in [city]” is usually a list or directory. Perplexity, in particular, ran its own “best” or “top” search before answering and then cited the results. ChatGPT did the same but with more variation.
The study also found something that challenges the common belief that Reddit is a top AI source. For these hiring questions, ChatGPT and Perplexity cited Reddit zero times. Gemini cited it in 24% of answers, and AI Overviews in 21%. General citation studies put Reddit near the top for ChatGPT, but when the question is “who should I hire,” the engines go to directories and lists instead.
What This Means for Your Business
If you want to be recommended by AI, you need to appear on the sources AI reads. The study makes the steps clear:
- Get on the directories and lists the engines cite for your search. Find the directories that show up when you ask ChatGPT or Perplexity about your service in your city. Then claim or create a profile on each one, with complete information and real reviews.
- Own one page for each service and market. The most-named agencies in the study had dedicated pages for each industry they served. A page that answers the buyer’s exact question is more likely to be quoted than a generic homepage.
- Rank in Google for the search itself. AI Overviews took 52% of their sources from agencies’ own pages. If your page ranks for the buying question, AI reads it.
- Treat your Google Business Profile as the city answer. On four of five city searches in the study, Google showed a map pack and no AI Overview. Your GBP decides who gets seen in local searches.
- Add video if your buyers use Google. AI Overviews cited YouTube in 62% of answers. If you have helpful video content, it can become a citation source.
ChatGPT vs Perplexity: Consistency Matters
The study revealed a big difference between engines. When the same questions were asked twice, Perplexity cited nearly the same websites both times, a 99% overlap. ChatGPT’s overlap was just 20% in Australia and 36% in the US and UK.
This changes how you win each one. With Perplexity, getting onto the few sources it trusts gets you cited every time. With ChatGPT, a single check tells you very little. You need to appear across many sources to be named consistently.
How to Check Your AI Visibility This Week
Ask ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini the three questions your best clients would ask before hiring you. Write down every source each answer cites. That list is your map of where the shortlist gets made.
If your business is not named, check whether your competitors are. Then look at the sources cited for the competitor who keeps showing up and compare those pages with yours. The gap between your pages and theirs is your AEO and GEO work plan.
For a structured approach, our visibility packages include AI citation tracking across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI Overviews, so you know exactly where you stand and what to fix.
Want a custom audit of where AI recommends your competitors instead of you? Reach out to VishBill and we will run the check for your market.
Frequently Asked Questions
What percentage of AI answers cite a directory or list?
In the Searchmaxxed study of 241 AI answers, 87% of chatbot answers cited a directory or a best-of list. Perplexity cited one in 100% of its answers, Gemini in 84%, and ChatGPT in 78%.
Does ChatGPT cite Reddit when recommending businesses?
For hiring questions, no. The study found ChatGPT cited Reddit zero times and Perplexity zero times. Gemini cited Reddit in 24% of answers, and Google AI Overviews in 21%. General citation studies show Reddit as a top source for ChatGPT, but for “who should I hire” questions, engines prefer directories and lists.
How do I get my business cited by AI search engines?
Appear on the directories and lists the engines read for your service and city, own a dedicated page for each service you want to be named for, rank in Google for the buying question, keep your Google Business Profile complete, and add video content if your buyers use Google.
Are AI search recommendations consistent across engines?
No. The study found Perplexity cited the same websites 99% of the time when asked the same question twice. ChatGPT’s overlap was only 20%. Different engines also rarely name the same businesses. Someone using only ChatGPT and someone using only Perplexity get different shortlists.
What is the difference between being cited and being named by AI?
Being cited means your website appears as a source in the answer. Being named means the engine specifically recommends your business. The study found agencies were cited 16 times but named only 3 times, so citation is not enough. Your page needs to clearly answer the buying question to be named.