- Study reveals AI models favour community sources like Wikipedia and Reddit over traditional brand content
- Brands must update community profiles and engage in discussions to enhance AI visibility
- Industry dynamics show opportunities for niche players amid changing citation patterns and trust metrics
A new study by Semrush, comparing how ChatGPT and Google’s AI Mode cite information across five industries — finance, digital technology, business services, consumer electronics and fashion — found that AI models consistently favour community-driven sources such as Wikipedia and Reddit over official material.
Wikipedia was the top or second most cited source in four out of five sectors, while Reddit outperformed traditional financial experts 176% of the time in finance-related prompts. Microsoft, Apple and other household names found their blogs and product pages cited less frequently than community discussions or neutral encyclopaedia entries.
The findings also carry a message for news publishers. While the study did not look at journalism directly, the conclusion that AI models elevate community consensus over established expertise will give publishers pause. It raises the question of whether carefully reported, professional news risks being displaced in AI summaries by crowd-sourced content that feels more “objective” to the model.
AI companies of course claim this is not the case, but which sources they favour will be an ongoing conversation.
Semrush notes that only a fraction of the most-mentioned brands in AI responses are treated as trusted sources for factual citation, suggesting that what AI mentions and what it leans on as evidence are not the same. Google AI Mode still privileges some commercial sources, but ChatGPT leans heavily on community forums.
For publishers, the implications echo current fears about declining referral traffic: even if journalism continues to be quoted and discussed, there is no guarantee it will be cited as the factual backbone of AI answers. That distinction matters for visibility, authority and revenue.
The study recommends that brands adapt by maintaining precise, factual entries on community-driven sites, participating in relevant discussions and producing structured, authoritative content that AI models can recognise and trust. For newsrooms, the lesson may be similar — that alongside strong reporting, there is now a parallel need to understand how information circulates in AI environments and to ensure journalistic work is structured in ways machines can surface.
As AI reshapes search behaviour, publishers face a double challenge: protecting their content from being displaced by less rigorous sources, and learning the new rules of discoverability in a system that no longer resembles traditional SEO.
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://www.semrush.com/blog/ai-search-visibility-study-findings/ – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.semrush.com/blog/ai-search-visibility-study-findings/ – Semrush’s study analysed search prompts across five major industries—finance, digital technology, business services, consumer electronics, and fashion—using ChatGPT and Google AI Mode to compare AI search operations with traditional Google rankings. The findings revealed that AI search contradicts traditional SEO wisdom about authority, expertise, and source credibility. For instance, Reddit outranked financial experts 176% of the time when ChatGPT answered finance questions, despite YMYL guidelines prioritising authoritative sources. This study highlights the evolving dynamics of AI search and its impact on search visibility strategies.
- https://www.semrush.com/blog/ai-mode-comparison-study/ – Semrush’s study compared citation patterns across various large language models (LLMs) and Google search. The research found that user-generated content platforms, particularly Reddit, dominated citations in AI models like AI Mode, ChatGPT, and Perplexity. In AI Mode, Reddit, YouTube, and Facebook appeared in over 68% of results with additional links, surpassing traditional brand websites. This underscores the growing influence of community-driven content in AI search and the need for businesses to adapt their content strategies accordingly.
- https://www.semrush.com/blog/ai-overviews-study/ – Semrush analysed 200,000 AI-generated overviews to understand their impact on website visibility across key industries. The study revealed that 82% of desktop and 76% of mobile AI overviews occurred for keywords with less than 1,000 monthly searches, predominantly targeting informational intent. Notably, top 10 organic rankings did not guarantee inclusion in AI overviews, indicating that AI search dynamics differ from traditional SEO practices. This highlights the necessity for businesses to adapt their strategies to the evolving AI-driven search landscape.
- https://www.semrush.com/news/379285-new-semrush-study-reveals-chatgpt-search-trends-insights-from-80-million-clickstream-records/ – Semrush’s study analysed over 80 million lines of clickstream data from the second half of 2024 to uncover ChatGPT’s impact on website traffic and user behaviour. The research found a 300% surge in unique domains receiving traffic from ChatGPT between July and December 2024, with traffic spikes occurring even before the official launch of SearchGPT. Additionally, approximately 70% of ChatGPT queries fell into a new ‘unknown’ intent category, highlighting users’ creative and problem-solving use of the platform. This underscores the transformative effect of AI on search trends and digital marketing strategies.
- https://www.semrush.com/blog/ai-visibility/ – Semrush’s article discusses strategies to enhance brand presence in AI-driven search platforms. Key recommendations include monitoring brand mentions across the web, creating content that demonstrates real experience and expertise, adding well-sourced quotes and statistics, using structured data to help AI tools understand content, and ensuring content freshness. These strategies aim to improve visibility in AI search results, reflecting the growing importance of AI in shaping online brand perception and search outcomes.
- https://www.semrush.com/blog/ai-search-report/ – Semrush’s report examines the impact of ChatGPT on online search, revealing that traditional search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo experienced traffic declines between 2022 and 2023, while AI-focused search engines like Brave Search and TikTok saw significant year-on-year gains. The report also highlights that over half of business and technology leaders hope generative AI can boost productivity, with 68% reporting increased ROI from AI in content marketing and SEO. This underscores the shifting dynamics in search behaviour and the growing role of AI in digital marketing.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
9
Notes:
The narrative presents recent findings from Semrush’s AI Visibility Index, published in August 2025. The study analyses AI search visibility across various industries and platforms, indicating a high freshness score. No evidence suggests that this content has been previously published or recycled. The report is based on original research, providing new insights into AI search dynamics. No discrepancies in figures, dates, or quotes were identified.
Quotes check
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative does not include direct quotes, relying instead on summarised findings from Semrush’s study. This approach suggests originality and exclusivity in the content.
Source reliability
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative originates from Semrush, a reputable organisation known for its expertise in digital marketing and SEO analytics. Semrush’s AI Visibility Index is a credible source, enhancing the reliability of the information presented.
Plausability check
Score:
10
Notes:
The claims made in the narrative are consistent with current trends in AI search and digital marketing. The study’s findings align with other industry analyses, supporting the plausibility of the reported shifts in AI search visibility. The language and tone are appropriate for the subject matter, and the content is free from excessive or off-topic details.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative presents original, recent findings from a reputable source, Semrush, with no evidence of recycled content or discrepancies. The information is plausible and aligns with current industry trends, supporting a high confidence in its accuracy.
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