New independent research
What AI says about your brand depends on what customers say about you
AI search is changing how people choose brands. Trustpilot and SEER Interactive analyzed 800,000+ AI responses to understand how reviews influence visibility in ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Google AI Mode.
See how customer reviews shape AI-generated answers — and what your business can do to improve visibility in AI search.
Key insights from the report
AI search engines do more than create answers. They evaluate sources, compare claims, and use third-party signals to decide which brands appear credible. This report shows where customer reviews fit into that process.
AI uses reviews for independent validation
Review and trust sites ranked as the second most-cited source category in the study, behind only the general web.
Review influence grows as conversion intent rises
As consumers move from awareness to intent, AI relies more heavily on review sources to help form recommendations.
A Trustpilot profile can change AI visibility quickly
Brands with no Trustpilot profile had a 1% citation rate. Brands with a claimed profile and a median of 13 reviews reached 54%.
AI reads review content, not just ratings
When AI cites Trustpilot, it often summarizes customer experience themes such as service quality, delivery, product quality, refunds, and trust concerns.
“Everyone is talking about AI, but few businesses have clear data on how AI systems actually evaluate brands. This research helps leaders move beyond speculation and understand how customer sentiment can shape the answers AI gives to future buyers.”
Ciaran Dynes, Chief Product Officer, Trustpilot
AI-driven discovery
Search is changing from finding links to forming answers
For the past 20 years, digital marketers have been focused on ranking well in search results - but now, AI search is changing that. Consumers use tools like ChatGPT and Gemini to discover brands. This means you are now competing to be included and recommended inside an AI-generated answer.
The question has changed:
It is no longer just, “Can people find us online?”
It is, “When AI is asked about us, what does it say?”
Why reviews matter
Review sites are one of AI's most trusted sources
When consumers ask AI whether a company is trustworthy, reliable, or worth buying from, AI looks for independent evidence. In the study, review and trust sites ranked as the #2 most-cited source category, behind only the general web. The result: reviews are no longer just for consumers, they are increasingly shaping what AI says about your brand.
Where AI looks for proof
Trustpilot ranked #1 across every AI platform studied
Not all review sites influence AI answers equally. Across ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, Gemini, and Perplexity, Trustpilot was the most-cited review platform in the study.
ChatGPT
Google AI Mode
Gemini
Perplexity
The Trustpilot effect
A review presence can create a measurable lift in AI visibility
One of the clearest findings from the study is that businesses do not need a massive review footprint to improve AI visibility.
Brands with no claimed Trustpilot profile were cited in AI responses just 1% of the time. Brands with a claimed profile and a median of 13 reviews were cited 54% of the time. Brands with active profiles and a median of 81 reviews were cited in 75% of responses.
1%
Citation rate for brands with no claimed Trustpilot profile.
54%
Citation rate after claiming a profile, based on profiles with a median of 13 reviews.
75%
Citation rate for active profiles with a median of 81 reviews.
The biggest gain happens early. Establishing a review presence gives AI systems an independent source to reference when they describe, compare, or recommend a brand.
See how AI uses reviews to evaluate brands
The full report breaks down how AI systems cite review platforms, how citation rates change across the buyer journey, and how Trustpilot profiles influence brand visibility.
Brand narrative
AI does not just cite reviews. It uses them to describe you.
The study found that AI systems use Trustpilot content in multiple ways. Sometimes they surface numeric trust signals, such as a TrustScore, star rating, and review count. Other times, they summarize recurring themes from the reviews themselves. That means reviews can influence not only whether your brand appears in an AI-generated answer, but also how your brand is described.
Customer service quality
The most common theme surfaced in Trustpilot-citing responses.
Shipping and delivery
A frequent signal when AI evaluates customer experience.
Product or service quality
A core part of how AI summarizes brand performance.
Scam or legitimacy concerns
A trust-related theme AI may surface when buyers ask risk-based questions.
Refund or return issues
A key signal when buyers are close to making a purchase decision.
Competitive visibility
AI can recommend your brand when buyers ask about your competitors
AI search is not limited to questions about your own brand. When buyers ask AI tools about your competitors, you could be mentioned. That’s the co-mention effect.
A co-mention happens when AI mentions your brand in response to a query about your competitor, “What are the best alternatives to Brand X?” or “Who competes with Brand Y?”
Don’t let AI guess who you are
AI search is changing how people evaluate brands. The companies that win will be the ones that treat customer sentiment
as a strategic data asset - not just a reputation metric.
Download the white paper to see what more than 800,000 AI responses reveal about reviews, trust, and brand visibility in AI search.
Speak to a Trustpilot expert