Sources

The following URLs identify the principal sources used. Platform and supplier statements establish documented behaviour or published offers, not independently verified optimisation effectiveness. Research preprints are labelled as such in the text; prices and packages should be reconfirmed before purchase.

Official platform documentation and updates

1. Google, AI features and your website — https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/ai-features. (developers.google.com)
2. Google, Optimising your website for generative AI features — https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/ai-optimization-guide. (developers.google.com)
3. Google, Search Generative AI performance announcement — https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2026/06/gen-ai-performance-reports. (developers.google.com)
4. Google, Generative AI performance report — https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/16984139. (support.google.com)
5. Google, Search generative AI control — https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/16908024?hl=en. (support.google.com)
6. Google, Search documentation updates — https://developers.google.com/search/updates. (developers.google.com)
7. Google Analytics, Traffic acquisition report — https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/12923437?hl=en. (support.google.com)
8. OpenAI, Searching the web with ChatGPT — https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9237897-searching-the-web-with-chatgpt. (help.openai.com)
9. OpenAI, Overview of OpenAI crawlers — https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/bots. (developers.openai.com)
10. OpenAI, Enterprise privacy — https://openai.com/enterprise-privacy/. (openai.com)
11. Perplexity, Crawler documentation — https://docs.perplexity.ai/docs/resources/perplexity-crawlers. (docs.perplexity.ai)
12. Microsoft, AI Performance documentation — https://www.bing.com/webmasters/help/ai-performance-9f8e7d6c. (bing.com)
13. Microsoft, AI Performance launch — https://blogs.bing.com/webmaster/2026/2/Introducing-AI-Performance-in-Bing-Webmaster-Tools-Public-Preview/. (blogs.bing.com)
14. Microsoft, Topics Portfolio beta — https://blogs.bing.com/webmaster/2026/10/introducing-topics-portfolio-beta-in-ai-performance/. (blogs.bing.com)
15. Google Search Central, Search Off the Record video/podcast — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_R04ySodhGE. (youtube.com)

Original research and methodology

16. SparkToro and Gumshoe, recommendation consistency research — https://sparktoro.com/blog/new-research-ais-are-highly-inconsistent-when-recommending-brands-or-products-marketers-should-take-care-when-tracking-ai-visibility/. (sparktoro.com)
17. Quantifying Uncertainty in AI Visibility, research preprint — https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.08924. (arxiv.org)
18. Optimizing Visibility in Generative Engines, critical research survey — https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.14035. (arxiv.org)
19. From Prompt to Purchase, observational research preprint — https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.10907. (arxiv.org)
20. Muck Rack, What Is AI Reading methodology — https://muckrack.com/blog/how-we-built-what-is-ai-reading. (muckrack.com)
21. Muck Rack, earned-media definitions — https://muckrack.com/blog/earned-media-in-the-age-of-ai. (muckrack.com)

Supplier documentation

22. Profound pricing — https://www.tryprofound.com/pricing. (tryprofound.com)
23. Scrunch pricing — https://scrunch.com/pricing/?rd=1. (scrunch.com)
24. Scrunch pricing FAQ; inconsistent with the retrieved pricing page — https://scrunch.com/faqs/what-is-the-pricing-for-scrunch-plans. (scrunch.com)
25. Peec AI pricing and plan scope — https://peec.ai/pricing. (peec.ai)
26. OtterlyAI pricing — https://otterly.ai/pricing/. (otterly.ai)
27. Semrush AI Visibility pricing — https://www.semrush.com/pricing/ai/. (semrush.com)
28. Ahrefs custom-prompt documentation and USD check pricing — https://help.ahrefs.com/en/articles/13192745-how-to-set-up-custom-prompts-to-track-brand-visibility-in-ai-assistants. (help.ahrefs.com)

Regulatory and organisational evidence

29. FTC, Advertising substantiation policy — https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/ftc-policy-statement-regarding-advertising-substantiation. (ftc.gov)
30. FTC, Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule FAQ — https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/consumer-reviews-testimonials-rule-questions-answers. (ftc.gov)
31. FTC, Endorsement Guides FAQ — https://consumer.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/ftcs-endorsement-guides-what-people-are-asking. (consumer.ftc.gov)
32. California Privacy Protection Agency FAQ — https://www.cppa.ca.gov/faq.html. (cppa.ca.gov)
33. Watershed, AEO/GEO and Web Lead recruitment listing; role-design evidence only — https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/Watershed/57929637-bbc4-474f-bfcb-a8b877c541e9. (jobs.ashbyhq.com)