How AI search works
Each platform retrieves and cites sources differently. Understanding how they work helps you optimize for the right signals.
| Platform | How it works | Source selection |
|---|---|---|
| Google AI Overviews | Summarizes top-ranking pages | Strong correlation with traditional rankings |
| ChatGPT | Searches web, cites sources | Wider range, not just top-ranked |
| Perplexity | Always cites sources with links | Authoritative, recent, well-structured |
| Gemini | Google's AI assistant | Google index + Knowledge Graph |
| Copilot | Bing-powered AI search | Bing index + authoritative sources |
| Claude | Brave Search when enabled | Training data + Brave search |