AI models' citation practices and their impact on brands

AI models often cite content without naming the brand, a phenomenon called "ghost citations," where 62% of citations lack brand mentions. Analysis of four AI search engines reveals significant differences in how they attribute sources, with Gemini frequently naming brands but rarely citing them, while ChatGPT does the opposite. Strong consumer brands are mentioned more often than informational sources, and prompt phrasing significantly impacts whether a brand is named or simply cited.