New ChatGPT Data Reveals the Top 20 Factors Behind AI Citations (And What Brands Should Do Next)

Every marketer is asking the same question right now:

“How do I get my website to show up in ChatGPT citations?”

Until recently, the answers were mostly guesses: “maybe schema”, “maybe LLMs.txt”, “maybe keywords”.

Now we finally have real data.

SE Ranking analysed 129,000 domains and 216,000+ pages across 20 niches to understand which websites ChatGPT likes to cite most often.blog.google Their conclusion is surprisingly reassuring for brands:

The same fundamentals that help you win in SEO also help you win in AI.

In this blog, we’ll break down:

• What the new ChatGPT citation study actually says

• The top signals that correlate with more citations

• What this means for brands that don’t have huge authority yet

• A practical playbook you can follow with Kodo-style execution

What Does the New ChatGPT Citation Study Actually Say?

SE Ranking’s research looked at how often domains were cited in ChatGPT’s answers, then checked which on-site and off-site signals were most strongly correlated.

Some highlights:

• Referring domains (unique websites linking to you) were the single strongest predictor of citations.

• Domain traffic and Domain Trust were next – big, trusted sites naturally get more citations.

• Content depth, structure, and freshness clearly matter. Longer, well-structured, recently updated content wins more often.

• Social and reputation signals (Quora, Reddit, review platforms) help AI decide whose content is “safe to trust.”

• Some hyped tactics — like LLMs.txt files and FAQ schema markup — showed little to no impact on citations.

So, no, there is no magic hidden tag you can drop into your HTML and suddenly become ChatGPT’s favourite child.

Instead, it’s a familiar story:

Authority + depth + structure + performance + social proof = more AI visibility.

The #1 Signal: Referring Domains (Backlinks Still Rule)

According to the study, the number of referring domains to your site is the clearest indicator of how often you’ll be cited.

• Sites with up to ~2,500 referring domains averaged around 1.6–1.8 citations

• Domains with 350,000+ referring domains averaged 8.4 citations

• There’s a “jump point” at ~32,000 referring domains where citations almost double

In simple terms:

ChatGPT behaves like a cautious researcher. If many good sites point to you, it feels safer referencing you.

For brands, this means:

• Link-building is not just “for Google” anymore

• Digital PR, guest posts, mentions, and collaborations now feed both search engines and AI engines

• Low-quality link schemes still won’t work; the focus is on diverse, legitimate websites

If you’re a smaller brand, don’t panic. You don’t need 32,000 referring domains tomorrow. But you do need a plan to earn real mentions consistently.

Signal #2: Domain Authority, Traffic & Homepage Visibility

The study also shows that overall domain visibility matters:

• Sites with high Domain Trust (DT > 90) get nearly 4x more citations than low-trust sites (DT < 43).

• Traffic only starts to matter in a big way once you cross ~190K monthly visitors – below that, differences are less dramatic.

• It’s not random pages; it’s your homepage traffic that correlates most strongly with being cited.

What does this tell us?

1. Your brand, not just your blog, needs to be strong.
   A high-authority root domain with a well-optimised homepage sends a clear “this is a serious site” signal to AI systems.

2. Google rankings and ChatGPT citations are cousins.
   There’s a clear correlation between good organic rankings and AI citations – not proof that ChatGPT copies Google, but proof that quality and authority signals overlap.

For Kodo-type clients, this is good news: all the ongoing SEO work you’re already doing (technical health, content, authority) is also moving the needle for AI visibility.

Signal #3: Content Depth, Structure & Freshness

The study also dives into how on-page content itself affects citations.

Longer, deeper content wins more

• Articles over 2,900 words earned around 5.1 citations

• Articles under 800 words averaged only 3.2 citations

Depth shows expertise, and answer engines want authoritative sources, not thin listicles.

Structure: headings, sections & Q&A

Pages that:

• Break content into 120–180 word sections between headings, and

• Use question-based H2s/H3s and FAQ sections

…receive significantly more citations than walls of text.

From an AEO lens, this makes total sense:

When your page looks like a list of questions and clear answers, ChatGPT can “lift” those answers easily into its own responses.

Freshness still matters

Content updated in the last 3 months almost doubles average citations compared to older pages.

So the play is clear:

• Don’t just publish and forget

• Build a quarterly refresh ritual for your best traffic and “AI candidate” pages

Signal #4: Social Proof – Quora, Reddit & Review Platforms

One of the more interesting findings:

Smaller sites can “punch above their weight” by being active in communities and review ecosystems.

The SE Ranking data shows:

• Domains with strong presence on Quora and Reddit have ~4x higher chances of being cited than those with minimal activity.

• Sites with profiles on review platforms like G2, Capterra, Trustpilot, Yelp, etc., are 3x more likely to be chosen as sources.

This is huge for younger brands:

If you don’t have 50K backlinks yet, you can still build brand trust footprints that AI models see across the open web:

• Thoughtful Q&A contributions on Quora

• Helpful, non-spammy posts and breakdowns on Reddit

• Consistent reviews and ratings on relevant platforms

In other words:

Don’t just exist on your own site. Exist in the conversations around your category.

Signal #5: Technical Performance & Core Web Vitals

AI engines don’t like slow, fragile pages any more than humans do.

The study shows that pages with better Core Web Vitals (FCP, LCP, INP, Speed Index) are 3x more likely to be cited than slow pages.

It’s not that ChatGPT “cares” about UX in a human sense. It’s more that:

• Fast pages are often better maintained

• They’re more likely to stay online and reliable

• They tend to correlate with strong SEO discipline

For Kodo clients, this simply reinforces a core rule:

Technical SEO and page speed are now part of your AI strategy, not just your Google strategy.

What About LLMs.txt and FAQ Schema – Are They Worth It?

Two of the most hyped tactics got a reality check.

LLMs.txt

The study found that LLMs.txt had negligible impact on ChatGPT citations. In fact, removing it slightly improved their predictive models.

Conclusion:

• It’s fine to use LLMs.txt for control and policy reasons

• But don’t expect it to boost visibility or citations

FAQ schema

Pages with FAQ schema actually showed no clear advantage over pages without it (and in some cases, slightly fewer citations).

Conclusion:

• Structured data is still useful for classic SEO

• But for ChatGPT specifically, content shape matters more than markup

Practical Playbook: How Can Brands Increase Their Chances of ChatGPT Citations?

Let’s translate all of this into a Kodo-style action list.

1. Double down on authority-building

• Build a long-term, ethical link-building program

• Combine guest content, digital PR, podcast appearances, co-created reports

• Track referring domains as a core KPI alongside traffic and leads

2. Create “AI-ready” pillar content

Pick priority topics and create:

• 2,000–3,000+ word deep dives with real data, visuals and examples

• H2s and H3s that are questions users actually ask

• Short, direct answers under each question (like mini FAQs inside the article)

This serves SEO, readers and answer engines in one shot.

3. Refresh your winners quarterly

• Identify your top traffic + conversion + expertise pages

• Update stats, add new sections, expand FAQs every 3 months

• Track which pages start appearing in AI answers over time

4. Build community & review footprints

• Answer niche-relevant questions on Quora

• Join relevant subreddits with genuine advice, not promo

• Claim your brand on review platforms where prospects research tools/services

Think of it as distributed authority – you’re telling the web (and AI) “we exist, we’re trusted, and people talk about us”.

5. Keep technical performance clean

• Aim for sub-second FCP/LCP where possible

• Fix Core Web Vitals issues as they appear

• Avoid heavy, bloated pages for your most strategic content

FAQs: ChatGPT Citations & Your Brand

1. Can I “force” ChatGPT to cite my website?

No. You can’t force citations, but you can increase probability by strengthening the same signals that ChatGPT appears to value: authority, depth, trust, and performance.

2. Do I need 30,000+ referring domains to get cited?

Not necessarily. That’s where citations accelerate, not where they start. Smaller sites can still earn citations if they publish high-quality, well-structured content and build strong community and review footprints.

3. Is this the end of classic SEO?

Not at all. If anything, this study confirms that good SEO is the foundation of good AI visibility. Backlinks, domain trust, traffic, and content quality all matter for both Google and ChatGPT.

4. Should I still bother with schema and LLMs.txt?

Schema is still valuable for traditional search features, but doesn’t guarantee AI citations. LLMs.txt is useful for controlling access, not boosting ranking. Focus first on authority, content and UX.

5. How can Kodo Kompany help brands with ChatGPT visibility?

Kodo can help you:

• Design an AI + SEO content roadmap

• Build pillar pages and Q&A clusters around your core topics

• Run digital PR & link-building that grows real authority

• Optimise technical performance and Core Web Vitals

• Track how often your brand appears in AI answers over time

ChatGPT visibility is not a hack. It’s a natural by-product of consistent, high-quality digital marketing — which is exactly the game Kodo already plays.