The New Citation Economy | AEO Research Deck Sept 2026
Josh Blyskal's premier AEO research deck as of Sept. 2026 featuring the latest insights on how ChatGPT, Claude, and Google AI Mode pick and cite sources and how marketers can tactically show up.
it’s heading 01 No single AI-search playbook 02 ChatGPT 03 Claude 04 Google AI Mode Two routes, page summaries and clearly attributed facts 05 The AEO curve From answers to evaluation, and how to be legible to the agent ChatGPT, Claude and Google reward different context The August 8 shift: fanouts, safe URLs and what it now cites Criminally underrated, and built on evaluative content
AI Mode don’t assemble answers from the same assets and don’t reward the same content. ChatGPT Claude Google AI Mode So the question is: what does each engine value today, and what does ChatGPT’s shift tell us about what comes next?
citations by citation date, Jul 1 – Sep 7, 2026 8% 6% Aug 13 3.6% Last day before the drop 4% Aug 14 0.3% Under 0.4% every day since 2% 0% Jul 5 Jul 12 Jul 19 Jul 26 Aug 2 Aug 9 Aug 16 Aug 23 Aug 30 Sep 6
ChatGPT response, daily, Aug 1 – Sep 7, 2026 2.5 Aug 8 1.78 avg fanouts 2.0 1.5 1.0 Aug 6 1.11 avg fanouts 0.5 0 Aug 2 Aug 9 Aug 16 Aug 23 Aug 30 Sep 6
final citations per response, daily, Aug 1 – Sep 7, 2026 10 Final citations Safe URLs 6.5 -> 6.7 8 Safe URLs Average candidate slots per response, flat all month 6 4 Citations 4.3 → 5.2 Cited slots per response, Aug 1 to Sep 7 2 0 Aug 2 Aug 9 Aug 16 Aug 23 Aug 30 Sep 6
safe_urls Fanouts, safe URLs and citations per response, indexed to the Aug 1–6 average = 100, Aug 1 – Sep 7, 2026 200 Fanout queries Safe URLs Final citations 150 100 50 Fanouts 170 Safe URLs 102 Citations 112 Index, Aug 8 – Sep 7 average Index, Aug 8 – Sep 7 average Index, Aug 8 – Sep 7 average 0 Aug 2 Aug 9 Aug 16 Aug 23 Aug 30 Sep 6
searching ChatGPT response is assembled now Find Reasoning Best running shoes? Curious about this — let me pull on that thread. Fanout 1 Fanout 2 · new Hone "safe_urls": [ "nike.com/alphafly-3" ChatGPT "runrepeat.com/best" Reasoning "hoka.com/clifton-10" These are the ones worth citing. "runnersworld.com/best" "fleetfeet.com/guide" ] nike.com runrepeat.com runnersworld.com +1 source
Which domains gained and lost safe-URL slots after the August 8 fanout increase irs.gov +202% learn.microsoft.com +136% pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov +135% techradar.com −77% arxiv.org −93% reddit.com −96% −100% 0 Change in safe URLs per 1,000 responses, Aug 1–7 → Aug 14–21 +100% +200% reddit.com - safe-URL freq. URLs per ↓ 96% safe 1,000 responses Reddit wasn’t rejected as a safe_url, it seems to have been blocked from reaching the safe URL set in the first place
of ChatGPT final citations by content subtype, 3-day moving average, Aug 6 – 28, 2026 60% First party 39.6% → 51.5% 50% +30% Institutional 40% 11.8% → 19.1% +58% 30% Third-party publishers 26.2% → 16.7% 20% 10% −36% User-generated 11.1% → 3.2% 0% Aug 7 Aug 11 Aug 15 Aug 19 Thin grey lines: vendor editorial, indeterminate and sponsored, each under 6% throughout Aug 23 Aug 27 −71%
entire industry The fastest sources to grasp a category at a glance, before and after August 8 Fit: true to size v3 ChatGPT of the past Drop Stack v4 Size 7.9 oz 8 8.5 oz 8 mm 8 mm 34 mm 36 mm v3 k 28 mm ot stac Price $140 Forefo $150 reddit.com/r/RunningShoes/comme r/RunningShoes Hot · Top · New stridereview.com/best-running-s STRIDE REVIEW Shoes · Gear · Training Best daily trainer under $150 right now? The 10 best running shoes of 2026 Posted by u/tempo_tuesdays · 312 upvotes · 148 comments Tested over 1,400 miles by our review team u/marathon_mike · 2d Vela Tempo 4, hands down. 400 miles in and the foam still feels fresh. 1 2 u/heelstriker · 2d Kestrel Pace 2 if you want more stack. Runs a half size small though. u/coach_dana · 2d Honestly any of the big three. Rotate two pairs and stop overthinking it. u/ultra_annie · 2d Northline Drift for wide feet. Nothing else fits like it. 3 4 5 6 7 RUNLAB Which daily trainer should you buy? Best overall Tempo 4 Pace 2 Weight 7.9 oz 8.4 oz Drop 8 mm 6 mm Best value Stack 36 mm 38 mm Halcyon Glide 7 Price $150 $160 Best for Tempo days Easy miles Best cushioned Best for wide feet Meridian Arc Best for long runs Cadence One Best lightweight Ridgeway Trail X Our pick: Tempo 4 for speed, Pace 2 if you want more cushion. SiCo s 6 zelo ay s rw 7– 14 · D 26.0 9 9 42.5 27.0 Test mm 8 m / 2Energy return 10 10 44 (224 28.0 g) northline.co/drift NORTHLINE Men · Women · Sale Rebound Abrasion meridianrunning.com/a Men · Women · Sale MERIDIAN Result 68.2% Energyonreturn Compressi 3.1 mm+12.4% 8 −18 g vs v3 m mm · 4 m54m ms· 6 Upp 0.42 g halcyon.run/glide-7 M 2 Men · Women · Sale HALCYON 68 / 2E Pace 2 Drift Arc Glide 7 Our lightest daily trainer yet Max cushion for easy miles Built wide, from the last up Everyday miles, honest price Made for the long run 8.4 oz · 6 mm drop · $160 9.1 oz · 10 mm drop · $140 8.8 oz · 8 mm drop · $110 9.4 oz · 5 mm drop · $165 Add to cart Add to cart Add to cart 7.9 oz · 8 mm drop · $150 Cush We ion 8 / 10 t grip 6 / 10 Toe spAddri to cart 0 mi ng 12° Durability 48 Add to cart ss 24 HA ne LoFi ckrm do wn 9 / 10 Men · Women · Sale CADENCE 38 mm Heel-to erate Rocker: mod cadence.co/one ridgeway.com/trail-x RIDGEWAY Men · Women · Sale solstice.run/dawn-3 SOLSTICE Men · Women · Sale emberfootwear.com/spa Men · Women · Sale EMBER arrowandco.com/flight ARROW & CO 3.1 mm comp Men · Women · Sale $140 → Carbon plate: full-length lX : neutraTrail ity Stabil Race-day every Grip that holds on wet rock mmday forefoot 98light, Width 10.2 oz · 4 mm drop · $155 30 days dowmm win4 Return pth 54g msde Lu Add to cart A comparison piece Ground Tempo 4 One Best for trails A listicle Men · Women · Sale KESTREL 6.8 oz · 6 mm drop · $180 A Reddit thread cm 41 Compare · Reviews Vela Tempo 4 vs Kestrel Pace 2 Kestrel Pace 2 EU 8 Outsole 45 mm29.0 11 3.5 11 rubber kestrel.com/shoes/pac Men · Women · Sale VELA Vela Tempo 4 Northline Drift vela.run/tempo-4 runlab.co/compare/vela-tempo-4 US 6 mN ht 332 ChatGPT future +2 mm ck heigFlex Weig stack vs of the ht S 7.t9a oz Weight Dawn 3 Spark Flight Stable without the stiffness Firm, fast and ground-close Plated for tempo and beyond 9.6 oz · 8 mm drop · $145 7.4 oz · 4 mm drop · $130 8.1 oz · 8 mm drop · $200 Add to cart Add to cart Add to cart Break-i Add to cart Breatha Surface Score Ten product pages, each with specs, and point of viewMidsole: PEBA mm a stack 36 Heel details Spec Tempo 4 Pace 2 Road 9.1 Track 8.4 Gravel 6.3 Wet 6.0 26.0 cm Reflecti · 27.0Stack 36 mm 38 mm ve: 3M, cm · 28 heel .0 cm Insole 4 Drop mm, rem8 Outsole hardness 62 Shore A abrasion Heel 0.42 cogun ter: Price per mile $0.3 ri 1 gid Weight mmble ova 6 mm 7.9 oz 8.4 oz 026 : Aug 2 Release W i h (W8) 6 6 foam 41 / 4 P
budget to reason from first principles Query fanouts per searching response, and share of ChatGPT final citations by content type, 2026 How hard it searches What it cites Query fanouts per response Commercial pages 1.11 → 1.78 +60% 22.6% → 30.4% +35% Aug 6 → Aug 8 Aug 6 → Aug 27 Documentation 6.3% → 11.6% +84% Aug 1 Sep 7 Aug 6 → Aug 27 ChatGPT is starting to form its own opinions, a preview of what comes next
August 8 shift Complexity of the judgment ChatGPT after August 8 Answers Evaluation Relies on existing evaluations: listicles, comparisons, reviews Builds its own: tests, product facts, documentation ChatGPT before August 8 Capacity to investigate: reasoning, tools, time and budget
first-party URLs ChatGPT cited after August 8 Product and service pages 37.9% Documentation and support 19.0% Store and listing pages 11.8% Comparisons 5.1% Announcements 4.5% Explainers 4.2% Company overview pages 4.0% Listicles 3.5% How-to guides 3.2% Pricing pages 2.3% Product pages, documentation and listings together are 68.8% of first-party citations
share by content type and answer engine + share of ChatGPT all responses citing either type per response 25% 20.7% 20% 15% 54.55% 11.6% 8.9% 10% 5.8% 5.8% of responses 0.9% 5% 0% Product / service pages Documentation had at least one product/service or documentation citation
Every URL ChatGPT cited after August 8, by source type Product, service and documentation pages 32.4% 67.6% And brands supplied 95.2% 85.6% of cited product and service pages of cited documentation Everything else
1 1 A page for a product or service 2 veloce.run/shoes/aero-pro-3 VELOCÉ Men Women Running 3 stryde.com/technology/heliumfoam STRYDE Sale Shoes Technology Stories HeliumFoam™ midsole Fit guide Support Updated Aug 2026 The supercritical foam in every Stryde racer, measured in our Portland lab. A page for an important feature Widths Aero Pro 3 3 Shop Tempo 2 — fit & compatibility TECHNOLOGY 2 kinetik.run/tempo-2/fit-and-compatibility KINETIK Help $180 Men’s road racing shoe · Carbon plate A page for compatibility requirements D (regular), 2E (wide) Custom orthotics Compatible — insole removes Sizing True to size; ½ up for wide feet Sock thickness 36 mm stack · 8 mm drop · 205 g (M9) Sizes 6–15 · Widths D, 2E 62% energy return 38 mm 8 mm heel stack Mid-weight recommended Toe box drop Medium Add to bag 4 A page for limits and exclusions 4 5 6 A page for setup and configuration A page for each major integration 5 veloce.run/shoes/aero-pro-3/limits VELOCÉ Men Women Running Help Aero Pro 3 — limits & exclusions 200–300 km of racing Surfaces Road and track only — not trail Warranty 60 days; excludes outsole wear Daily training Technology Set up the Stryde Run sensor Lifespan Returns Shoes SUPPORT What this shoe is not built for Unworn, within 30 days Not recommended 6 stryde.com/support/run-sensor/setup STRYDE 1 Clip the pod to the laces of your left shoe. 2 Open the Stryde app → Devices → Add sensor. 3 Walk 10 steps to calibrate stride length. Support kinetik.run/app/integrations KINETIK App Support Sync runs, workouts and health data Strava Connected Garmin Connect Connected Auto-post runs Import workouts Apple Health Connect COROS Connect Share heart rate Two-way sync Racing-only foam compresses faster than a daily trainer. Rotate with the Cruise 5. Shop Kinetik app — integrations
2026 $25B $25B Claude is still using Brave $20B Mar 2025 $9B $15B Profound first reports on Claude and Brave $10B $5B $0B Oct 2023 Jan 2024 Apr Jul Oct Jan 2025 Apr Jul Oct Jan 2026
season highest paid nba coach highest paid nba player highest paid nba player 2026 season highest paid nba player on the knicks highest paid nba player of all time highest paid nba referee salary highest paid nba teams The highest-paid NBA players by season has recently eclipsed $40 million. Wilt Chamberlain has the most seasons leading the league with 8. Michael Jordan holds the largest 1-year contract in NBA history, … Wikipedia Factsheet Country United states ESPN espn.com | nba | salaries NBA Player Salaries - National Basketball Association - ESPN See the highest and lowest player salaries in the NBA on ESPN.com HoopsHype hoopshype.com | salaries | players NBA Player Salaries & Contracts | HoopsHype See updated salary data for every NBA player, including contract terms and cap hits
Claude citations, top ten content types; evaluative types in orange Listicles 35.6% Comparisons 12.0% News and editorial 11.3% Research reports 9.1% Explainers 8.2% Product and service pages 5.8% How-to guides 4.1% Announcements and releases 3.3% Store and listing pages 3.0% Indeterminate 1.5% Listicles, comparisons, research reports and explainers together are 64.9% of Claude’s citations
product or service Complexity of the judgment ChatGPT web search Relies on existing evaluations: listicles, comparisons, reviews Builds its own: tests, product facts, documentation Claude web search Capacity to investigate: reasoning, tools, time and budget
that does the work of understanding the industry for Claude Category explainer vela.run/guides/state-of-runningVELA Research The state of running shoes, 2026 Claude’s understanding of the category Foams, plates, prices and where the market is going Evaluative content Comparison runlab.co/compare/vela-tempo-4-vs RUNLAB Compare Tempo 4 vs Pace 2 Your own ranking Weight 7.9 oz 8.4 oz Drop 8 mm 6 mm Price $150 $160 vela.run/guides/which-vela-is-rig VELA Shop · Guides Which Vela is right for you? Our full range, ranked by run type Listicle Tempo 4 Drift Glide 7 Best for Speed Best for Daily Best for Long stridereview.com/best-running-sho STRIDE REVIEW Shoes · Gear vela.run/pricing The 10 best running shoes of 2026 VELA 1 support.vela.run/tempo-4/lacing-a 2 Lacing and fit 3 Plans Pricing Tempo 4 Tempo 4 Pro Bundle $150 $200 $260 Product facts only runmart.com/p/vela-tempo-4 RUNMART Note: runs a half size small $150.00 Pricing page Tempo 4 8 Tempo 4 — technical specs Weight Cart (1) Vela Tempo 4 vela.run/tempo-4/specs VELA 7.9 oz Drop 8 mm Stack 36 / 28 mm Upper Engineered mesh Plate None 9 10 11 Add to cart Documentation Store listing Spec sheet 1st page Claude reads 2nd page Claude reads 3rd page Claude reads 4th page Claude reads You create value for Claude when you say who you are, what you do and how you sit in the market
1 2 A page to rank your products by persona veloce.run/guides/which-veloce-is-right-for VELOCÉ Men Running 2 Shoes Compare COMPARE Which Velocé is right for you? Stryde Racer vs the alternatives Our full range, ranked by the runner you are Lab-measured, updated monthly A page on you vs the alternatives Race day Cruise 5 Long runs A page on the state of your industry Max stack, rockered Glide 7 kinetik.run/research/state-of-running-shoes KINETIK Help Shop Research Support The state of running shoes, 2026 Foams, plates, prices and where the category is heading Racer Balanced foam, 8 mm drop Stories RESEARCH Carbon plate, 205 g Aero Pro 3 3 stryde.com/compare/racer-vs-alternatives STRYDE Guides GUIDE Daily miles 3 Women Aero Pro 3 Tempo 2 Weight 198 g 205 g 221 g Stack 38 mm 36 mm 35 mm Plate Carbon Carbon Nylon Energy return 62% 58% 54% Price $200 $180 $160 +41% Daily Race Trail Max Stable growth in max-cushion sales since 2024 Supercritical foams are now standard above $150; plates have moved from racing into daily trainers. Where the Racer loses: durability past 250 km. 4 A page of original research, with method 4 veloce.run/research/foam-durability-study-2 VELOCÉ 5 A page on how you stack up in the market A page on what’s new in the category Women Running Research 5 6 stryde.com/rankings/racing-shoes-2026 STRYDE Shoes Rankings Stories Help kinetik.run/guides/whats-new-in-running-sho KINETIK Shop Guides ORIGINAL RESEARCH RANKING · UPDATED SEP 2026 GUIDE Foam durability: 14 shoes, 1,200 miles each The 2026 racing shoe ranking — including ours What’s new in running shoes, 2026 Method: 6 runners, rotating pairs, midsole compression measured every 100 mi Shoe 6 Men Loss at 600 mi Loss at 1,200 mi Velocé Cruise 5 4.1% 9.8% Stryde Racer 7.6% 18.2% Kinetik Tempo 2 5.3% 12.7% Category median 6.0% 14.1% Full dataset and protocol → veloce.run/research/data Support Every innovation that matters, explained — ours and everyone else’s Scored on weight, energy return, durability and price Supercritical PEBA foams 1 Velocé Aero Pro 3 91 Lighter, bouncier, less durable Full-length carbon plates 2 Stryde Racer (that’s us) 89 3 Kinetik Tempo 2 84 4 Northline Sprint 79 Now in daily trainers, not just racers Adaptive rocker geometry Kinetik Tempo 2, Velocé Glide 7 Recycled uppers at scale 60%+ recycled content is now common Industry-wide Industry-wide Since 2025 Since 2024
own data about the place or product “Brunch spot near me” “In stock in my area” Google reads third-party pages - no Google property involved “Is the new iPhone worth it?” “Best budget CRM”
Rellosa For Beginners Brooklyn Running Company, 480 Bergen St., Park Slope; Those who are clueless about what they want or need may find Brooklyn Running Company a good place to start… For a Full-Foot Scan Super Runners Shop, multiple locations; superrunnersshop.com Each location of Super Runners Shop has a gizmo that scans your foot. It creates a 3-D image showing where you naturally apply… For Central Park Runners Super Runners Shop, multiple locations; superrunnersshop.com Brooklyn Running company is well-known for beginners Every Super Runners Shop location has full foot-scanning
signature oversized sole cushioning” “Boucherie Union Square’s filet mignon is the best in New York City” “the Hoka running shoes’ signature oversized sole cushioning”
store strava.com “Mike’s Running Shop was incredible” fleetfeet.com Fleet Feet uses data tracking and 3D scanning sportlane.com Road Runner has scanning for a perfect fit Themes Independents & Community Favorites Tech & Data Forward Stores
shop with a highly passionate staff. They offer personalized, non-pushy shoe fittings, gait observation, and stability exercises. Super Runners Shop Boutique Apparel & Community Hubs Founded in the 1970s by Gary Muhrcke (the winner of the first NYC Marathon), this shop is a local institution staffed by accomplished runners.Midtown:Bandit Running A trendy, Brooklyn-designed performance and lifestyle running apparel brand that serves as a core aesthetic hub for the local running community. NYRR RUNCENTER Full-Service Chains & Massive Inventories Fleet Feet: Operated by the New York Road Runners (the organization behind the NYC Marathon), this space acts as a ultimate basecamp for local runners. With several locations across the boroughs, Fleet Feet is known for advanced tech and specialized fittings. Paragon Sports Premium Brand Flagships with In-Store Tech
store Independent and Commun strava.com “Mike’s Running Shop was incredible” The best running stores in New York City focused hubs that offer highly tailored fitti community community group runs. fleetfeet.com Fleet Feet uses data tracking and 3D scanning Tech-driven and Fit-Proces reddit.com S All sportlane.com Road Runner has scanning for a perfect fit Best for beginners. • Fleet Feet scans your feet in 3D, watch • Road Runner Sports lets VIP members
and the infrastructure needs to keep up.” Matthew Prince — co-founder and CEO, Cloudflare Cloudflare, “Cloudflare Gives AI Agents an Identity and a Wallet,” August 4, 2026 TechSpot, August 8, 2026
on this first curve Evaluating a product or service Complexity of the judgment ChatGPT after August 8 Builds its own: tests, product facts, documentation Relies on existing evaluations: listicles, comparisons, reviews ChatGPT before August 8 Capacity to investigate: reasoning, tools, time and budget
to an outcome? Evaluation today’s paradigm Checking live conditions? Reconciling competing constraints? Fit for a particular person? Answers yesterday’s paradigm Capacity to investigate: reasoning, tools, time and budget We’re still in the stone age
context that’s structured, quantified, unambiguous LLMs can’t sit in a seat and say if it’s comfortable LLMs can’t wear a shoe until it falls apart LLMs can’t go through an onboarding experience
of top-cited pages are under 13 weeks old · top-cited page per hostname, still-cited pages only 75% Share of citations 50% 50% 25% 0% Profound Data Science Team Top cited page per hostname; pages no longer cited not included 0 5 10 15 Content age (weeks) 20 25
Vague Our platform delivers enterprise-grade performance with industry-leading reliability and best-in-class support for modern teams Nothing extractable for LLMs, too generic. competitor.com Specific p95 latency 38ms across 14 regions, 99.99% SLA, less than 2-hour enterprise response, deployed at Stripe, Ramp, Vercel Model extracts details, and compares confidently.
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