What ChatGPT actually searches when you ask it to recommend an agency.
We asked ChatGPT 15 questions buyers ask when hiring an AEO or AI automation agency and logged every web search it ran. It ran 72 searches and read 802 pages, but cited only 72 of them. Pages ranked below the top 10 of its searches were almost never cited (1%), and over a third of its searches looked up a specific company's own website.
How we measured.
On 12 October 2026 we asked 15 fixed questions (for example "Best AEO agency for HVAC companies?" and "Which agency sets up AI phone receptionists for contractors?") in a logged-in ChatGPT account from the United States. For each answer we saved the web searches ChatGPT ran, every result it retrieved, and the pages it cited. This is one capture of 15 questions in one market, so treat the numbers as a snapshot, not a law. We repeat the same questions every week.
Five findings.
1. It reads far more than it cites
802 search results retrieved, 72 cited: about 9%. Being found by ChatGPT's search is the first step, not the result.
2. Ranking decides citation
Results in the top 10 positions of its searches were cited 27% of the time (65 of 239); the #1 result 45% (13 of 29). Below position 10: 1% (7 of 563). Classic search ranking is the gate.
3. It checks companies directly
36% of its searches were lookups of one named company's own site, such as an agency's pricing, case studies or services page. A clear page on your own site that states what you do, for whom, and what it costs gets read directly.
4. Reddit is read, not cited
reddit.com was retrieved 131 times and cited 0 times. Discussions shape the answer; company and comparison pages get the link.
5. Service pages beat dated articles
Pages without a visible publish date were cited 15% of the time (69 of 450), dated pages 1% (3 of 352). Most undated pages were company service pages, so this reflects page type more than the date itself.
What we searched for
Category searches 45%, company-site lookups 36%, price searches 11%, review or ranking searches 6%.
What it means for a business.
Rank in normal search for the phrases buyers and AI tools use. Keep one clear page per service that answers in its first lines what you do, for whom, where, and what it costs. Get listed accurately on the review and comparison pages ChatGPT reads in your market. Then measure the same questions every week.
Our own starting point.
On the same day, our own business was named in 0 of 30 answers (15 questions each in ChatGPT and Gemini), and none of our pages was retrieved. We publish that because we test our methods on ourselves first. We will update this page as the weekly numbers change. See how our AEO service works.
Good questions. Clear answers.
What does ChatGPT search when you ask it to recommend an agency?
In our test of 15 buyer questions it ran 72 web searches. 45% searched the category (for example "HVAC answer engine optimization agency"), 36% looked up a named company's own site, 11% searched prices and 6% searched reviews or rankings.
How many of the pages ChatGPT reads does it actually cite?
About 9%. It read 802 search results across the 15 answers and cited 72 of them.
Does search ranking still matter for ChatGPT?
In our data, yes. Results in the top 10 positions of ChatGPT's own searches were cited 27% of the time (65 of 239). Results below position 10 were cited 1% of the time (7 of 563).
Does ChatGPT cite Reddit?
In this test it read Reddit 131 times and cited it 0 times. Reddit shaped what it read, not what it linked.