Who AI search actually surfaces
We sampled 150 buyer-intent queries across 30 verticals, three times each, and mapped every domain the retrieval layer returned. This is the candidate pool AI search engines draw from, broken down by who owns it. Pick your category to see the most-surfaced domains and the GEO play.
This index measures the retrieval candidate pool — the ranked domains repeated web-search retrieval returns for each query — which is what AI answer engines draw from when they ground a response. It is not a log of which sources a specific assistant cited in a generated answer, so read it as a strong leading indicator, not a citation count. Every number is computed from the raw 450-sample dataset; nothing is estimated.
A handful of third-party sources show up across many unrelated categories. These are the domains worth getting onto if you want broad AI-search reach.
| # | Domain | Type | Verticals | Mean pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | zapier.com | Editorial | 10/30 | 4.93 |
| 2 | techradar.com | Editorial | 9/30 | 4.65 |
| 3 | g2.com | Aggregator | 8/30 | 4.67 |
| 4 | nerdwallet.com | Aggregator | 6/30 | 3.05 |
| 5 | cnbc.com | Editorial | 6/30 | 4.33 |
| 6 | youtube.com | Editorial | 6/30 | 4.91 |
| 7 | cybernews.com | Editorial | 5/30 | 5.36 |
| 8 | hubspot.com | Brand | 5/30 | 4.71 |
| 9 | tomsguide.com | Editorial | 5/30 | 4.75 |
| 10 | uschamber.com | Editorial | 5/30 | 5.24 |
| 11 | research.com | Aggregator | 5/30 | 6.56 |
| 12 | security.org | Aggregator | 4/30 | 2.8 |
Want the full write-up, including the global brand/aggregator/editorial split and what it means for your GEO strategy? Read the AI Citation Index study.
Accounting Software
●Most surfaced: nerdwallet.com (aggregator, 4/5)
29 domains · brand-led →Business Bank Account
●Most surfaced: airwallex.com (brand-owned, 4/5)
27 domains · brand-led →Cloud Storage
●Most surfaced: techradar.com (editorial, 3/5)
34 domains · brand-led →Credit Card
●Most surfaced: wallethub.com (aggregator, 4/5)
22 domains · aggregator-led →CRM
●Most surfaced: hubspot.com (brand-owned, 3/5)
29 domains · brand-led →Cybersecurity
●Most surfaced: sentinelone.com (brand-owned, 3/5)
38 domains · brand-led →Ecommerce Platforms
●Most surfaced: shopify.com (brand-owned, 2/5)
40 domains · aggregator-led →Electric Cars
●Most surfaced: edmunds.com (aggregator, 5/5)
37 domains · aggregator-led →Email Marketing Software
●Most surfaced: emailtooltester.com (aggregator, 4/5)
24 domains · brand-led →Fitness App
●Most surfaced: fortune.com (editorial, 2/5)
29 domains · editorial-led →HR Software
●Most surfaced: gusto.com (brand-owned, 3/5)
40 domains · aggregator-led →Language Learning App
●Most surfaced: testprepinsight.com (aggregator, 4/5)
28 domains · aggregator-led →Life Insurance
●Most surfaced: nerdwallet.com (aggregator, 4/5)
30 domains · brand-led →Marketing Agency
●Most surfaced: webfx.com (brand-owned, 2/5)
49 domains · brand-led →Mattress
●Most surfaced: naplab.com (aggregator, 5/5)
26 domains · aggregator-led →Meal Kit Delivery
●Most surfaced: tasteofhome.com (editorial, 3/5)
19 domains · editorial-led →Online Course Platform
●Most surfaced: teachable.com (brand-owned, 3/5)
37 domains · brand-led →Password Manager
●Most surfaced: passwordmanager.com (aggregator, 5/5)
20 domains · editorial-led →Payroll Software
●Most surfaced: adp.com (brand-owned, 4/5)
28 domains · brand-led →Project Management
●Most surfaced: project-management.com (aggregator, 3/5)
30 domains · aggregator-led →Running Shoes
●Most surfaced: runrepeat.com (aggregator, 4/5)
27 domains · editorial-led →SaaS
●No single source dominates
41 domains · brand-led →Smart Home Security
●Most surfaced: safehome.org (aggregator, 5/5)
32 domains · aggregator-led →Tax Software
●Most surfaced: cnbc.com (editorial, 4/5)
21 domains · aggregator-led →Time Tracking Software
●Most surfaced: apploye.com (brand-owned, 3/5)
36 domains · brand-led →Video Conferencing
●Most surfaced: g2.com (aggregator, 4/5)
39 domains · editorial-led →VPN
●Most surfaced: thebestvpn.com (aggregator, 4/5)
27 domains · aggregator-led →Web Design Agency
●Most surfaced: clutch.co (aggregator, 3/5)
43 domains · brand-led →Web Hosting
●Most surfaced: techradar.com (editorial, 3/5)
30 domains · brand-led →Website Builder
●Most surfaced: tooltester.com (aggregator, 3/5)
37 domains · brand-led →See whether AI search surfaces your brand
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