[IN THE NEWS]
AI Study
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MAY 12, 2026 — Trustpilot collaborated with Seer Interactive on new research to look at how review sites influence brand presence in AI search and can result in a significant jump in AI citations. The study results were also covered in a press release from Trustpilot.
What We Found
Seer found that brands without a Trustpilot review profile have a median AI citation rate of 1%, while brands with a robust profile saw a citation rate of 75%. Even brands with a basic profile saw a significant jump, and were 53% more likely to be cited by AI platforms.
The Bigger Picture
As search traffic declines, AI citations are becoming an increasingly important tactic for brands. Our research shows that brands can easily increase their likelihood of appearing in AI citations by having active profiles on trusted third-party review sites like Trustpilot, BBB, G2, Capterra, and Yelp. We found the same results across every vertical we analyzed.
Our Take: What This Means for Marketers
AI platforms are seeking third-party validation from review sites when citing brands. If you aren't paying attention to your reviews and brand narrative in AI, that's a missed opportunity that requires relatively little effort on your part.
Our results also show that AI platforms amplify whatever narratives they find in reviews — if you have just one negative review, AI can latch onto and amplify that sentiment. (Seer actually experienced this firsthand, and even wrote a blog about the steps we took to improve our brand's narrative in AI.)
More from our study: "The data from this study points to one consistent conclusion: in AI search, review presence isn't a nice-to-have, it's part of the foundation AI uses to validate brands at the moment consumers are deciding whether to trust them...The barrier to entry is low, and the gap between having a profile and not having one is significant enough that it's worth treating as a priority."
Resources
Check out the Trustpilot press release: Brands That Build Trust Through Reviews Increase AI Citations from 1% to 75%, Earn Competitive Advantage Over 'Invisible' Brands
View Trustpilot's downloadable white paper: What Is AI Saying About Your Brand?
Read the full study from Seer: Study of 800K Responses: How Review Profiles Shape Brand Presence in AI Search