Generative Engine Optimization

Victorious AI Search Study Puts Domain Authority Correlation at r=0.017

Victorious tested 177 brands across eight AI search engines in Q1 2026 and recorded 107,011 responses. Only 18 of those brands registered any AI mentions, meaning 89.8% drew zero. The correlation between Authority Score and citation rate was r=0.017, statistically indistinguishable from random. Domain authority is

SE Ranking Faked a Brand. AI Mode Ranked It #1 for 90% of Branded Queries.

SE Ranking's Bogdan Babiak built a fictional brand on a brand-new domain in March 2026 and tracked 825 prompts across 15,835 AI answers. Google's AI Mode placed the fake brand at position 1 for roughly 90% of branded queries, while a single "Complete Guide&

Chrome browser split view with Google AI Mode on the left and a product page in a side panel on the right, with click-flow arrows and a zero-click zone marked.

Chrome's New AI Mode Side Panel Just Made the Source Page a Footnote

Google launched a Chrome AI Mode side panel on April 16, 2026, opening source pages next to the AI answer so users can read and ask follow-ups without a new tab. AI Mode already has 75 million daily users and a 93% zero-click rate, per Seer Interactive. The fix for