Research & Data
AI answers decide the shortlist. The claims in them decide who wins.
When a buyer asks ChatGPT or Google AI Mode which tool to pick, the answer is a set of claims: "easiest to set up", "gets expensive past 50 seats", "best for small teams". Many of those claims were formed first in Reddit threads and LinkedIn posts. Here is the data on why they matter.
AI answers now shape the shortlist
Buyers ask AI assistants which vendor to pick. Each engine answers from its own sources, so the claims it makes about you can differ from one engine to the next.
Growth in AI-referred sessions, year over year, in the first five months of 2025
Source: Previsible data reported by Search Engine Land
Share of domains cited by ChatGPT that Perplexity also cites, so each engine can state different claims
Source: Profound, 680M citations
How often Google AI Overviews and AI Mode cite the same URLs for the same question
Source: Profound
Share of Google AI Overview citations that point to Reddit, the top-cited source there
Source: Semrush 2025
Where the claims come from
AI assistants lean on a small set of public sources. Reddit and LinkedIn are among the ones they cite most, which makes them the places where many claims about a category form.
Share of LLM citations that point to Reddit, more than any other domain
Source: Semrush, 150,000+ citations
LinkedIn is the most-cited domain for professional queries across major AI assistants
Source: Profound, March 2026
Google's reported deal for access to Reddit data
Source: Reuters 2024
OpenAI signed a partnership for access to Reddit content in ChatGPT
Source: OpenAI 2024
Which channels shape the claims in AI answers
Most marketing channels compete for attention. Only public sources an AI assistant can read shape the claims in its answers. Reddit and LinkedIn are where many of those claims are formed and tested first.
| Channel | Can it shape AI answer claims? | How long it lasts | Who judges it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reddit and forums | Yes. Frequently cited for comparisons, warnings and real use. | Fast. Top threads get replaced in 6 to 18 months. | Anonymous peers |
| Yes. Frequently cited for professional and B2B questions. | Medium. A voice holds if it keeps posting. | Named colleagues | |
| Review sites | Yes. Pros, cons and who a product is best for. | Medium. Recency matters. | Verified buyers |
| Publications and best-of lists | Yes. Rankings and quotes. | Slow for lists that get updated. Fast for news. | Editors |
| Your own site | Yes, for facts, pricing and definitions stated clearly. | Slow if you keep it current. | Buyers and models directly |
| Paid social and search ads | No. Ads are not a source AI answers cite. | While spend runs | The ad platform |
| No. Inboxes are not public, so AI can't read them. | One send | Subscribers |
When Reddit isn't the right place to start
AI doesn't cite Reddit for your category
Some categories draw their answers from reviews, publications or LinkedIn instead. The Claim Map shows which sources matter before you choose a channel.
No one on your team can post
Your own employees and advisors post from their own accounts. If no one can spend a couple of hours a week, start with your site and third-party sources.
You need traffic this week
Claims move over weeks and months. Paid channels are faster for immediate traffic, though they don't change what AI answers say.
For channel-specific work, see Reddit and LinkedIn. For the full offer, see services.
Deep Dive
The Index–Thread Model
Our research explains how claims form in threads before AI assistants repeat them. Reddit and LinkedIn are two of the places that happens. See how the model maps to Claim Engine.
Read the Full Research Paper →How a claim reaches an AI answer
SEO was about ranking on Google. AI assistants like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Claude write one answer instead, built from claims they found in sources they trust. Reddit threads and LinkedIn posts are two of the sources they cite most.
Thread
A claim is stated and tested on Reddit, LinkedIn or a review site
Source
AI assistants read and retrieve the thread
Buyer question
"Best CRM for startups?"
AI answer
The claim is repeated, paraphrased or dropped
Traditional SEO
- •Optimize for keywords
- •Build backlinks
- •Rank on page one
Owning the claims in AI answers
- •Know which claims AI makes about your category
- •Trace each claim to its likely sources
- •Measure how often AI adopts your framing
See what AI says about your category
Paste your positioning and a buyer question. The Compression Test shows which of your claims survive an AI summary, which get dropped, and which competitor sets each buying criterion.