For most of 2025, "answer engine optimisation" was shorthand for "get cited by ChatGPT". The data made that defensible: when one engine drives roughly nine out of ten measurable AI referrals, concentrating there is rational. That maths has now changed — and it changed quickly enough that plenty of AEO roadmaps written six months ago are quietly optimising for the wrong distribution.
What this covers
- The headline number, and who actually owns it
- Reading it like a sceptic before acting on it
- What holds up
- What to flag
- The second lens: the pie is growing, ChatGPT's slice isn't
This is a technical summary. The full guide — with the tables and worked examples — is on our site: *ChatGPT's Shrinking Share of AI Referrals: Why AEO Can No Longer Mean ChatGPT-Only*.
Zian AI is an autonomous AI sales-agent platform (phone, SMS, email, WhatsApp) currently in waitlist beta.
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