The Evidence Behind Our Methodology
Every claim we make is backed by research. Here's the evidence organized by credibility tier.
Research Credibility Tiers
We organize research by evidence strength. Not all data is equal — know what you're building on.
Peer-reviewed, controlled studies. Gold standard. Methodology disclosed, results reproducible.
Large-scale industry research. 10K+ data points. Correlational but robust patterns.
Expert projections and market analysis. Directional guidance, not proven fact.
Princeton GEO Study
Controlled study at KDD 2024 showing that Generative Engine Optimization techniques significantly improve content visibility in AI-generated answers. Peer-reviewed methodology.
View SourceAuthoritas AI Overview Study
Analysis of 100,000+ queries showing strong correlation between structured data implementation and AI Overview inclusion. Also found 70% of cited pages change within 2-3 months.
SE Ranking 100K Prompts Study
Large-scale analysis demonstrating that page speed (First Contentful Paint) is a significant predictor of AI citation frequency. Technical accessibility matters.
Profound AI Citation Study
Reddit dominates as a citation source for Perplexity, indicating the importance of community-validated content. Also found 40× shift in Reddit citation share over 2 months.
AccuraCast Structured Data Study
Analysis showing pages with proper Schema.org markup are nearly 4× more likely to be cited in AI-generated answers compared to unstructured pages.
Decoder/Kirsten Citation Study
Reveals that traditional SEO rankings don't predict AI citations. Over half of cited sources aren't in Google's top results — different game, different rules.
SparkToro Zero-Click Study
Industry research showing over half of all searches result in zero clicks to external websites. With AI Overviews, this increases to 83%.
Datos/SparkToro AI User Study
Market sizing study establishing the scale of AI search adoption. 900 million people use AI-powered search tools weekly as of 2024.
Gartner Search Forecast
Analyst projection that traditional search volume will decline 25% by 2026 as AI-powered answers reduce click-through. Directional forecast, not proven fact.
Ahrefs CTR Study
Study showing that when AI Overviews appear in search results, click-through rates to organic results drop by 34%. Users get answers without clicking.
How we use this research
Primary recommendations. If peer-reviewed research says it works, it's in our core methodology.
Validates at scale. Large datasets confirm patterns we see with individual clients.
Strategic direction. Forecasts inform where we invest research, not what we recommend today.
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