The AI Citation Leaderboard: Who Owns the “Truth”?
When AI models look for factual, peer-reviewed, or community-validated information, they gravitate toward a small group of “super-authorities.” According to data shared by Visual Capitalist, the citation frequency of top domains is as follows:
| Rank | Domain | Citation Frequency | Primary Content Type |
| 1 | Reddit.com | 40.1% | Community Discussions & Personal Reviews |
| 2 | Wikipedia.org | 26.3% | Factual & Reference Data |
| 3 | YouTube.com | 23.5% | Visual Tutorials & Product Reviews |
| 4 | Google.com | 23.3% | Official Docs & Blog Content |
| 5 | Yelp.com | 21.0% | Local Business Data |
| 6 | Facebook.com | 20.0% | Social Engagement & Local Events |
| 7 | Amazon.com | 18.7% | Transactional & Product Data |
Why Reddit and Wikipedia Rule the AI World
The dominance of Reddit and Wikipedia reveals two distinct “needs” that AI models have:
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Factual Stability: Wikipedia provides a stable, neutral baseline for general knowledge.
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Human Authenticity: Reddit offers something that corporate blogs lack—lived experience. When users ask “What is the best laptop for a student?”, AI models prefer the messy, honest debates of Reddit over a polished sales page.
Platform Differences: Not All AIs Read the Same Sites
It is important to note that citation habits vary significantly between models:
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ChatGPT: Heavily prioritizes Wikipedia and established media (like Forbes or Reuters) for a professional and authoritative tone.
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Perplexity: Deeply integrated with Reddit and Quora, focusing on “real-time” and community-vetted answers.
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Google AI Overviews: A balanced hybrid, citing YouTube for tutorials and LinkedIn for professional expertise, alongside its own ecosystem.
The “Barnacle SEO” Strategy for 2026
If your website isn't Wikipedia, how do you get cited? The answer lies in Barnacle SEO: attaching your brand to the sites that AI already trusts.
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Community Seeding: Since Reddit is the #1 source, brands must have a presence in relevant subreddits. Don't spam; provide value that users (and eventually AI) will reference.
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Video as a Citability Tool: With YouTube being cited in over 23% of queries, creating video versions of your top-performing guides is no longer optional.
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Structured Data & Review Sites: For B2B or local businesses, being highly rated on G2, Clutch, or Yelp is the fastest way to appear in an AI recommendation list.
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E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trust): AI models are trained to look for signals of authority. Use clear “About Us” pages, author bios, and link to credible citations within your own content.
Pro Tip: Listicles and “Vs.” content (e.g., Product A vs. Product B) have a 25% higher citation rate than standard opinion pieces or blogs.
Conclusion: From Keywords to Citations
As we move further into 2026, the metric of success is shifting. It’s no longer just about where you rank on the page, but whether the AI mentions your brand by name. By aligning your content with the platforms AI models trust—like YouTube and Reddit—you can ensure your brand remains relevant in the age of generative search.
Would you like me to analyze your specific industry's top-cited sources to help refine your content calendar?
