What Happened and Why It Matters

Search Engine Journal reported on a study that looked at where AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Perplexity get their information when users ask about specific products. The data showed that product pages accounted for nearly a quarter of all citations, while community sites like Reddit and YouTube together made up only about four percent. That finding turns a lot of common advice upside down for businesses trying to win visibility in AI-generated answers.

The study tracked over seven thousand citation appearances across four major AI models. It focused on what happens when a buyer has already moved past general research and is comparing named vendors. For Australian businesses that depend on search traffic, this shift in where AI looks for answers is not just interesting — it changes how you should invest your content budget.

What the Data Really Tells Us About AI SEO

The big takeaway is that AI models treat product pages, comparison articles, and listicles as primary sources during the evaluation stage. Blog posts and news articles also scored well, but the real surprise was the weak showing from community forums. Reddit, YouTube, and discussion threads combined for just over four percent of citations. That means spending time building a Reddit presence might help early awareness, but it does little when a buyer is ready to choose a supplier.

Another key insight is that comparison pages performed 33 percent better than expected given how few prompts were written for them. For businesses trying to rank on Google and in AI responses, this suggests that “X vs Y” pages are not just nice-to-have — they are a direct link to buyer intent. The data also showed that brand-owned pages, everything a marketing team controls, made up 88 percent of all citations during the comparison phase. That puts the power back in your hands, not in community posts.

What This Means for Australian SMBs

Small and mid-sized Australian businesses often feel pressure to be active everywhere: on social media, in forums, on YouTube. This study suggests that effort may be misplaced if your goal is to appear when a customer is comparing your product against a competitor. Instead, your own website — specifically your product pages and comparison pages — is where AI models go first. For Australian SMBs with limited budgets, that is a clear signal to focus on quality content you control rather than chasing community engagement.

This is especially relevant for businesses in competitive local markets, such as tradies, professional services, or specialty retailers. If an AI assistant is asked “best plumber in Sydney” or “bookkeeping software for Melbourne startups,” the model will cite product pages and comparison content far more often than a Reddit thread. Shifting your content strategy to match this pattern can give you an edge without needing a huge marketing budget.

What You Can Do Now

  • Audit your product pages. Make sure each one answers the specific questions a buyer asks at the end of the research process: price, features, compatibility, and what makes you different.
  • Create “X vs Y” comparison pages for your main competitors. Use clear tables and honest pros and cons — AI models love structured data that directly compares options.
  • Update your homepage so it clearly states what you do, who you serve, and your key differentiators. The study found homepages alone get nearly 8 percent of AI citations.
  • Stop treating Reddit and YouTube as your primary SEO channel for bottom-of-funnel content. Use them for brand awareness, but shift your main content budget to pages you own.
  • Test your pages in an AI chatbot yourself. Ask your own business name and a competitor name, then see what the AI cites. That will tell you exactly what gaps to fill.

At MS&VG, we help Australian SMBs navigate these changes with our AI-powered SEO service, which optimises product pages and comparison content so your business shows up in the right place at the right time — when buyers are ready to decide.