French brand visibility varies by AI platform

A study on 25 French queries tested across four AI platforms—ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Google AI Mode—revealed significant differences in how a brand was mentioned or cited. Each query was repeated three times, resulting in 295 valid responses out of 300 planned observations.

Differences in AI platform results

The brand was cited as a source in 0 out of 75 responses with ChatGPT, 1 out of 74 with Claude, 5 out of 74 with Perplexity, and 29 out of 72 with Google AI Mode. These results highlight how the same brand can be nearly invisible on some platforms and prominently cited on others.

Average visibility can be misleading

Combining the results across all platforms gives an average of 11.86% citations, suggesting a low but distributed visibility. However, the reality is that the brand was almost absent on three platforms and clearly visible on the fourth, showing that averages can obscure important differences.

Understanding the distinction between mention and citation

A brand can be mentioned in a response without its website being cited as a source. Conversely, a page might be cited without the brand's name being repeated. These are distinct metrics: mentions indicate presence, citations indicate source attribution, and clicks measure traffic potential.

Measuring visibility requires precision

A credible measurement protocol must define the exact corpus of questions, note the platform, mode, language, geographic area, date, and number of repetitions. Results should be presented as n/N, where n is the number of observed cases and N is the total valid responses. This ensures transparency and accuracy in reporting.

Tailoring visibility goals to platform use

Companies should focus on platforms their audiences actually use and define what they expect from each. For brand discovery, mention rates matter. For recognition as a source, citation rates are key. For commercial goals, these metrics should align with website traffic and conversions. This approach ensures that visibility measurements are both relevant and actionable.