Insights

Independent analysis and own measurements on AI search and AI visibility – English versions of selected insights. More in our German insights.

03 Nov 2026 · AI Search & VisibilityNew

Second choice for AI search: what DeepSeek's newly visible source ratings reveal about Instagram, YouTube and Reddit

For the first time, you can look up how an AI search engine weights sources: DeepSeek assigns every website an authority level. Our study of 6,060 websites shows: 41 of 67 platforms where brands publish are not rated “highly authoritative” – from Instagram and YouTube to Reddit. What counts for brands as a source: links and prominence, not traffic.

DeepSeekSource ratingsPlatforms

03 Nov 2026 · AI Search & Visibility

How reliable is your AI visibility score really? Ask for the margin of error

AI visibility ranking tools such as the LLM Visibility Index measure how often brands are mentioned in AI answers. Why a number without a margin of error says little – and how to recognise a sound measurement.

AI visibility toolsMeasurementGEO

03 Nov 2026 · Applied AI

92% use AI in content marketing: why the success rate is still falling to an all-time low

Orbit Media's annual blogging survey, tracked since 2014, shows an apparent contradiction: AI use in content marketing is practically universal, yet measured success is at its lowest level since the survey began. What lies behind it – and why the most effective strategies are the most neglected.

Content marketingAI useContent strategy

03 Nov 2026 · AI & Commerce

After the mention comes the choice: AI shopping agents barely weigh their options

Being mentioned in an AI answer does not mean being chosen. Two experiments with shopping agents show: usually one source wins, and the order of sources, one sentence of user context or a bestseller cue shift the choice. What this means for brands.

Agentic commerceAI agentsGEO

03 Nov 2026 · AI Agents & Automation

Let in, lock out or offer it yourself: how companies decide on access for AI agents

Amazon locks out third-party shopping agents, banks keep them away from customer accounts, property portals build their own apps for ChatGPT and Claude. Companies are deciding who may act on behalf of their customers. What lies behind it and which questions are open.

AI agentsAgentic commerceAI governance

03 Nov 2026 · AI Search & Visibility

98% vs. 33%: Google's AI Overviews on brand searches in the US and in Germany

Our own study of 40 brands in six countries: for “[brand] reviews”, Google showed an AI Overview 98% of the time in the US and the UK, and 33% in Germany. The gap also shows up in searches without brand names. And whether the brand itself is Google's first source depends strongly on the question.

AI OverviewsBrand searchCountry comparison