Ever Used Dr Google? Get Ready for Dr Reddit.

Ever used Dr Google? Even when you knew better?

Well get ready for Dr RandomguyfromReddit.

I have health anxiety.

Sometimes it’s all consuming.

I am no stranger to talking to an AI chatbot about whether that random muscle twitch I just felt is the onset of my rapid and painful demise.

So imagine my surprise when I learned that Chat GPT draws 8% of its cited answers to personal health questions from Wikipedia and over 2% from Reddit.

Yes, Reddit.

A forum with users on a dermatology thread that actively discouraged people with concerns checking in with GPs and applying essential oils to suspicious moles.

If I’m asking Chat GPT about health stuff I’m almost 5 x more likely to get a cited answer via a random internet user than a formal medical institution.

Not good.

This little nugget comes from analysis of LLM traffic referral that looks at how different models give different answers - and where citations in those answers come from.

It’s all part of ‘Answer Engine Optimisation’ or ‘AEO’ which is the evolution of SEO and seeks to help you put your organisation in the minds-eye of the AI.

Other useful insights include:

* Google’s AI overviews draw information from new media platforms like YouTube but not so much old media brands like The Times or Daily Mail.

* 6% of Chat-GPT queries are looking for product recommendations - if you’re selling a product you want to be in the answer!

* Analysis of ChatGPT and a research specific platform like Perplexity revealed only an 11% overlap of citations - if you’re looking to turn up in AI overviews and answers then you’ll need product specific strategies

Data is via Josh Blyskal and Profound