# Study ties ChatGPT, Gemini brand mentions to domain citation

Published: 2026-09-28T19:18:30.121Z · Source: arXiv AI-search citations (https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.23162v1)
Source date: 2026-09-19
Flags: single-source — vendor client data, confirmation pending; catch-up (Sep 19)
Entities: chatgpt, gemini

An arXiv paper analyzing 34,960 unbranded prompt-engine observations across 75 anonymized client projects tracked by AI-visibility platform Aiso, covering 2,854 monitored prompts and repeated GPT and Gemini runs from June through September 2026, found brand mention rates of just 2.8% (GPT) and 3.8% (Gemini) when neither the brand nor its own domain appeared in the retrieval path the engine surfaced. Mentions rose to 49.0% and 58.4% with an own-domain citation but no branded fan-out, and to 91.4% and 100% when both own-domain exposure and a branded citation occurred together. Prior-run visibility also persisted independently: a previous non-mention combined with no current domain exposure produced next-run mention rates of 1.6% and 1.9%, versus 80.5% and 83.7% when a prior mention was paired with current exposure.

Why it matters: It quantifies, across 75 client accounts rather than a handful of prompts, that first getting cited compounds into future visibility — raising the stakes of the first citation an AEO campaign wins.

## What this answers

**Does being cited by name make a brand more likely to be mentioned by an AI engine again?**

Yes, per an analysis of AI-visibility monitoring data: prior-run mentions plus current own-domain exposure produced next-run mention rates of 80.5% (GPT) and 83.7% (Gemini), versus 1.6% and 1.9% when a brand had neither.

**How much does having your own domain cited raise your odds of being named in a ChatGPT or Gemini answer?**

Roughly 17x on GPT (2.8% to 49.0%) and 15x on Gemini (3.8% to 58.4%), rising to 91.4% and 100% when a branded citation also appears, per the same analysis.


Canonical: https://anythingengineoptimization.com/item/2026-09-28-study-ties-chatgpt-gemini-brand-mentions-to-domain-citation/
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