25/08/2026
A business can rank #1 on Google and still be nowhere in the answer AI gives someone searching for it.
We tested this ourselves. Asked ChatGPT who the best digital marketing agencies in India are.
Some brands that dominate Google's first page didn't show up at all.
61.7% of AI citations are what researchers call "ghost citations." The website gets used as a source, but the brand itself never gets named in the answer.
Most brands don't even know this is happening to them until they check.
Being cited and being recommended aren't the same thing. You can do all the right work and still lose the prospect to whoever AI decided to actually name.
Is your brand being mentioned, or just quietly cited in the background?
If a competitor keeps showing up in AI answers in your space and you don't, do you know why?
Full breakdown here, worth the 5 minutes: https://shorturl.at/Cq1W4
