AI citation rates swing day to day, so naive before-and-after tests mislead. Here is a 6-step statistical framework for sample size, control groups and significance.
We assessed 23 UK AI SEO and GEO agencies against a 5-question RFP filter testing non-fakeable capabilities. Only 6 passed all five. The filter cuts a typical long-list by two-thirds.
We synthesised public ChatGPT prompt-leak reporting, peer-reviewed retrieval research and our 50-query AiBoost behaviour test into a single 14-factor map with confidence scores. 5 high-confidence, 6 medium, 3 low.
We mapped 12 ranking signals against classic SEO and generative engine optimisation. 5 transfer cleanly, 4 do not, and 3 flip. Anchored to Ahrefs 2025, Profound 2025, arXiv 2024 and AiBoost UK panels.
We A/B tested two identical UK pages, one with FAQPage and Article schema, one without, across 30 buyer-intent prompts on ChatGPT browsing mode. The schema variant was cited 2.35x more often. Full ablation data.
We tested 50 UK service firms across law, healthcare, accountancy, SaaS and construction against 60 prompts on ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini. SaaS led the league; construction posted zero citations. Full benchmark data.
AI Overview citations from top-10 ranking pages collapsed from 76 percent to 38 percent in 7 months (Ahrefs, March 2026). Microsoft just shipped citation share as a Bing Webmaster Tools metric. Here is the three-metric KPI framework that replaces rank position for AI traffic.
You have decided to work with an ai seo consultant. The contract is signed. Now the quality of what happens next depends largely on you. The briefing is.
The AI marketing market grew from $6.46 billion in 2018 to $57.99 billion in 2026 (All About AI, 2026). Within that market, a bewildering range of ai.
By the end of this guide, you will have a clear roadmap from where you are now to working as an ai seo expert. You will know which skills to build first.