Brands that actively collect and respond to online reviews see a significant surge in AI citations, with 75.3% of AI answers citing brands that have a Trustpilot profile and respond to feedback, compared to only 1% for brands with no active profile.
Overview
The findings come from an analysis of over 800,000 AI responses across four major platforms: ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Google AI Mode. The study found that review and trust sites are now the second most cited source type, accounting for 14% of all citations in AI responses. Trustpilot emerged as the most frequently cited review platform, with almost all (99.5%) citations happening because its pages show up in search results organically.
What it does
Trustpilot's data is used by AI tools to build brand narratives by checking the TrustScore, summarizing key feedback themes, and paraphrasing reviews. To influence these narratives, businesses must focus on improving the customer experience by actively collecting regular feedback and responding to reviews. This gives AI systems the data for a complete and up-to-date picture of a brand.
Tradeoffs
The research found that a brand can increase its citation rate from 1% to 53.5% by establishing a Trustpilot presence, rising further to 75.3% when they collect over 80 reviews and respond regularly. This suggests that without clear trust signals, brands are almost invisible in AI answers. With 58% of consumers already using AI tools to find products and services, there will be a growing gap between brands that nurture trust signals and stay visible, and those that do not.
In practical terms, businesses can take the following steps to improve their AI citations:
- Establish a Trustpilot presence to increase citation rates
- Collect and respond to reviews regularly to build trust signals
- Focus on improving the customer experience to influence AI narratives
In conclusion, brands that build trust through reviews can increase their AI citations and earn a competitive advantage over 'invisible' brands. By actively collecting and responding to customer reviews, businesses can give AI systems the data they need to build a complete and up-to-date picture of their brand, ultimately driving more citations and improving their visibility in AI-powered buying journeys.