Google AI Mode went from about 16 cited sources per answer to about 4, roughly 74% fewer, according to one new dataset. Paris Childress covers three stories in today's GEO briefing: fewer AI Mode citations, how ChatGPT picks ads, and Sundar Pichai's agentic layer.
In this episode:
- 74% fewer sources. Maeva Cifuentes's independent analysis of Scrunch tracking data finds AI Mode citing about 4 sources per answer by mid-October, down from about 16 in the summer. Only around 9% of previously cited pages kept their citation, and pages in Google's top three kept theirs far more often. Caveat: this is one dataset, not yet replicated, Google hasn't commented, and one brand made up 42% of the prompt-page pairs.
- How ChatGPT picks ads. OpenAI says an orchestrator model nominates candidate ads, a separate auction ranks and prices them, and a final check can still drop them, all in a system separate from the one that writes answers. The separation is OpenAI's own description and has not been independently audited.
- Ads still shape trust. Even if the systems are separate, an ad shown next to an answer still shapes what users trust and click. Paris's advice: write ad creative for the problem a user works through across several turns, not a single query.
- The agentic layer. Sundar Pichai says agents will reach websites by browsing pages and through protocols like MCP, payment protocols and Google's Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP). Paris's advice: list your site's key actions and check whether an agent could complete them through a feed, an API or a protocol.
The GEO Show is hosted by Paris Childress, founder of Hop AI and co-founder of GEOforge. getgeoforge.com
What is The GEO Show?
The GEO Show is about generative engine optimization (GEO) and AI search: how B2B brands win AI visibility in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews and AI Mode. Each episode breaks down what is changing in the way AI assistants and answer engines find, cite, and recommend brands, and what marketers should do about it.
The show is built for B2B SaaS marketers, SEO and content leads, and founders who want their brand to show up when buyers ask AI for answers instead of scrolling a page of blue links. If you own organic growth, demand generation, or brand, you will come away with practical GEO tactics you can test, a clear read on the latest AI search news, and better ways to measure AI visibility when traffic alone no longer tells the whole story.
Episodes mix a few formats:
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Solo deep dives on GEO strategy, from how large language models choose which sources to cite to how content, earned media, and brand mentions shape AI answers.
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News breakdowns on the latest moves from OpenAI, Google, Perplexity, and the rest of the AI search landscape, and what each change means for your pipeline.
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Expert guests, including SEO and GEO practitioners, content and PR leaders, agency operators, and founders building for AI search.
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The Friday catch-up with regular co-host Simon Young of Question.Marketing, where the two unpack the week's biggest AI search stories and debate what actually works.
Your host is Paris Childress, CEO of Hop AI and co-founder of GEOforge. Paris brings a practitioner's view of GEO and AI visibility, focused on what B2B teams can apply right away, not hype.
Learn more about GEOforge at https://getgeoforge.com.
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