OtterlyAI Unveils Groundbreaking Data: AI Search Engines Depend 95% on Third-Party Sources
Strategic Partnership with Noble Aims To Help Brands Act on these AI Search Insights
OtterlyAI recently released new research analyzing more than 1 million AI-generated citations across ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews, revealing that AI answers rely predominantly on third-party sources rather than brand-owned websites. In response, the company announced a strategic partnership with media outreach platform Noble to help brands act on these insights and systematically improve their AI search visibility.
The findings are published in OtterlyAI’s report, “The AI Citation Economy: What 1+ Million Data Points Reveal About AI Visibility.” The study examines citation patterns across leading generative platforms and identifies a structural shift in how brand authority is constructed in AI-generated responses.
As AI systems increasingly shape brand perception, the partnership between OtterlyAI and Noble introduces an operational framework designed to move marketing teams from monitoring to active influence.
“Our goal is to give customers more than visibility metrics. We want to help them act on what they see.” said Thomas Peham, CEO and Co-founder of OtterlyAI. “We want to help them act on what they see. Partnering with Noble brings us closer to a complete workflow, from understanding how AI search represents your brand to actively shaping that presence.””
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From AI Search Insights to Execution
OtterlyAI serves as the system of record for AI search visibility, enabling brands to monitor how they are mentioned and positioned as well as their websites cited across AI Search Platforms. The platform tracks AI responses for prompts, identifies citation sources, and measures share of voice across entities and domains.
The research underscores a key implication for marketing and SEO/GEO teams: visibility in AI answers is influenced heavily by authoritative third-party content ecosystems.
Noble specializes in securing high-impact editorial placements, strategic media coverage and third-party authority signals that influence how brands are represented across search and AI environments.
“AI platforms are redefining how authority is interpreted and summarized,” said Rahul Jain, CEO at Noble. “If AI systems draw heavily from third-party domains, brands need a disciplined strategy to earn visibility within those ecosystems. Our partnership with OtterlyAI connects citation intelligence with targeted execution, enabling teams to prioritize the right publications and close visibility gaps with measurable impact.”
Structured AI Visibility Workflow
Through the partnership, customers gain access to a structured workflow:
- Monitor AI citations and brand mentions across major ai search platforms with OtterlyAI
- Identify influential third-party domains shaping AI-generated answers with OtterlyAI
- Prioritize visibility gaps based on citation share and prompt coverage with OtterlyAI
- Execute targeted media outreach and content placements through Noble
- Measure changes in AI representation and citation presence over time
The technology partnership will roll out in phases. Initial offerings include streamlined referrals and product onboarding. Future integration will focus on connecting citation data directly with execution planning and reporting.
“The AI Citation Economy” analyzes more than 1 million citations generated between January and September 2025 across leading AI systems. The report categorizes citation types, evaluates domain distribution patterns and provides a framework for understanding AI-driven brand representation.
The research signals a shift from traditional SEO metrics toward AI-specific visibility indicators, including citation frequency, third-party authority signals and entity alignment.
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