Sources

Platform and regulatory documentation supports the factual statements above. Supplier pages establish what those suppliers publicly describe, not independent product performance. Research preprints are identified as such. URLs are provided for verification; live documentation and package terms may change.

1. AMEC — GEO Principles. Measurement and ethical guidance. https://amecorg.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/26-05-15-AMEC-GEO-Principles.pdf (amecorg.com)
2. NIST — Artificial Intelligence Risk Management Framework: Generative Artificial Intelligence Profile. Measurement and third-party governance guidance. https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/ai/NIST.AI.600-1.pdf (nvlpubs.nist.gov)
3. Google — Generative AI performance report, Search. Current reporting scope and availability. https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/16984139 (support.google.com)
4. Google — Search generative AI control. Inclusion settings. https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/16908024 (support.google.com)
5. Google — AI features and your website. Earlier documentation, including AI Overview triggering and reporting context. https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/ai-features (developers.google.com)
6. Google — Optimizing your website for generative AI features on Google Search. Technical and content guidance, updated 10 July 2026. https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/ai-optimization-guide (developers.google.com)
7. Google — Guidance on third-party SEO tools, services and advice. Limits on third-party performance claims. https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/third-party-seo (developers.google.com)
8. Microsoft Bing — New AI Visibility Insights in Bing Webmaster Tools. Preview capabilities announced 16 June 2026. https://blogs.bing.com/search/2026/6/New-AI-Visibility-Insights-in-Bing-Webmaster-Tools-Intents-Topics-Citation-Share-Compare/ (blogs.bing.com)
9. OpenAI — Terms of Use. Consumer-service terms effective 1 January 2026. https://openai.com/policies/terms-of-use/ (openai.com)
10. OpenAI — Searching the web with ChatGPT. Search context, memory and location. https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9237897-chatgpt-search (help.openai.com)
11. OpenAI — Overview of OpenAI Crawlers. Search and training controls. https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/bots (developers.openai.com)
12. OpenAI — Publishers and Developers FAQ. Discovery and referral tracking. https://help.openai.com/en/articles/12627856 (help.openai.com)
13. FTC — Policy Statement Regarding Advertising Substantiation. Objective advertising claims. https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/ftc-policy-statement-regarding-advertising-substantiation (ftc.gov)
14. FTC — Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule: Questions and Answers. Review-related conduct and disclosures. https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/consumer-reviews-testimonials-rule-questions-answers (ftc.gov)
15. FTC — Final Rule Banning Fake Reviews and Testimonials. Rule overview. https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/08/federal-trade-commission-announces-final-rule-banning-fake-reviews-testimonials (ftc.gov)
16. FTC — Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking. Endorsement and commercial-relationship guidance. https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/ftcs-endorsement-guides-what-people-are-asking (ftc.gov)
17. Ronald Sielinski — Quantifying Uncertainty in AI Visibility. March 2026 preprint. https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.08924 (arxiv.org)
18. Will Jack and colleagues — Paraphrase Brittleness in Production Retrieval-Augmented Commercial Recommendation. May 2026 preprint. https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.27440 (arxiv.org)
19. Keisuke Watanabe and Kazuki Nakayashiki — Disentangling Answer Engine Optimization from Platform Growth. June 2026 preprint. https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.04362 (arxiv.org)
20. Profound — Answer Engine Insights. Supplier-described collection and export capabilities. https://www.tryprofound.com/features/answer-engine-insights (tryprofound.com)
21. Scrunch — Data collection methods FAQ. Supplier-described collection routes. https://scrunch.com/faqs/what-methods-does-scrunch-use-to-collect-data-from-ai-platforms (scrunch.com)
22. Ahrefs — AI Visibility Metrics. Metric definitions dated 3 September 2026. https://help.ahrefs.com/en/articles/15501968-ai-visibility-metrics (help.ahrefs.com)
23. Semrush — Where does AI Visibility Toolkit data come from? Supplier-described datasets and metrics. https://www.semrush.com/kb/1607-semrush-ai-visibility-data (semrush.com)
24. OtterlyAI — Plans and pricing help page. Included capabilities and add-ons, dated 4 August 2026. https://help.otterly.ai/pricing-of-otterlyai (help.otterly.ai)
25. Siege Media — Senior SEO/GEO Analyst vacancy. Illustrative delivery-skill requirements, not engagement verification. https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/siegemedia/9809831c-d354-4fe6-9d47-2bcf6a42665d (jobs.ashbyhq.com)