The State of AI Brand Visibility 2026
Across 24 buyer categories and 120 brands, AI answer engines named a single dominant brand in every buyer question in 23 of 24 categories — while 10% of brands were never recommended at all.
categories where one brand is named in every buyer query
of brands are never recommended by AI
average share of voice the leader captures
- AI answers are winner-take-most. In 23 of 24 categories, the leading brand was recommended in 100% of buyer questions — far more concentrated than classic search, where ten results share the page.
- Invisibility is common. 10% of the 120 brands measured were never mentioned at all. Being a real option in the market does not mean the AI knows you exist.
- The leader still shares the stage. Even the top brand captured only ~26% of total mentions on average — there is room for challengers who optimize for AI answers (AEO/GEO).
- This is measurable and movable. Brand visibility in AI answers can be tracked over time and improved, the same way SEO rankings can.
| Category | Most AI-visible brand | Visibility | Share of voice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduling tools | Acuity Scheduling | 100% | 38% |
| Email marketing platforms | Mailchimp | 100% | 30% |
| VPN services | ExpressVPN | 100% | 30% |
| Email hosting providers | Proton Mail | 100% | 29% |
| Time tracking software | Clockify | 100% | 27% |
| Website builders | Wix | 100% | 27% |
| Design tools | Canva | 100% | 26% |
| Help desk software | Freshdesk | 100% | 26% |
| Payment processors | Square | 100% | 26% |
| Social media schedulers | Buffer | 100% | 26% |
| Survey tools | SurveyMonkey | 100% | 26% |
| Cloud storage services | Google Drive | 100% | 25% |
| CRM software | Salesforce | 100% | 25% |
| Customer support software | Zendesk | 100% | 25% |
| Form builders | Typeform | 100% | 25% |
| Project management software | Asana | 100% | 25% |
| Video conferencing tools | Microsoft Teams | 100% | 25% |
| AI note-taking apps | Obsidian | 100% | 24% |
| E-commerce platforms | WooCommerce | 100% | 24% |
| Accounting software | Xero | 100% | 23% |
| Password managers | LastPass | 100% | 23% |
| Website hosting providers | AWS Amplify | 100% | 22% |
| Web analytics tools | Google Analytics | 100% | 21% |
| AI writing tools | Copy.ai | 83% | 25% |
For each category we asked AI answer engines a set of realistic buyer questions and recorded which brands were recommended, how often, and their share of voice. Visibility is the share of buyer questions in which a brand is mentioned; share of voice is a brand’s portion of all brand mentions in the category. Figures track the live No Niner AI Visibility Index and update over time.
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