The short version
- Only 30.7% of citations in UK AI answers went to UK sites. In French and German answers about 76% went to local sites.
- All 15 British newspapers and broadcasters measured got 2.95% of UK news and media citations combined. Forbes alone got 5.09%.
- Brand and company websites were the largest group of cited sources. Make your own site clearly British. Then get listed on the UK review sites your sector uses.
You might expect an AI assistant to lean on British websites when someone in the UK asks it a question. The latest data from OtterlyAI suggests it mostly does not. OtterlyAI sells AI search monitoring software. It publishes an AI Search Index by country. It also presented the findings in October 2026 as part of its GEO experiments update.
A word on the limits. This is one company’s data. It covers two weeks of answers. Some samples are small. Several of the shares below are under 1%, so a small change in the answers could move them a lot. I report the figures as OtterlyAI gives them. As ever, this is analysis of published sources. It is not legal advice.
What does OtterlyAI’s data show?
OtterlyAI studied 16 industries and seven AI engines between 22 September and 5 October 2026. Its UK figures are striking.
- 30.7% of citations in UK answers went to UK sites. That includes UK domains such as which.co.uk, gov.uk, nhs.uk and amazon.co.uk. It also includes UK sections of global sites, such as Forbes Advisor UK and UK Trustpilot.
- 66.7% went to global sites that US answers also cite. These include google.com, reddit.com, Wikipedia and YouTube.
- French and German answers were the opposite. 76.1% of French citations and 76.0% of German citations went to sites with local signals.
- US answers almost ignore the UK. The same prompts asked from the US sent 1.1% of citations to UK sites.
| Group | Share of citations | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| UK sites | 30.7% | which.co.uk, gov.uk, nhs.uk and amazon.co.uk. Also UK sections of global sites, such as Forbes Advisor UK and UK Trustpilot. |
| Global sites that US answers also cite | 66.7% | google.com, reddit.com, en.wikipedia.org and youtube.com. |
| Other sites cited only in UK answers | 2.6% | The remaining sites that appear in UK answers alone. |
British newspapers barely register
OtterlyAI measured the share of UK news and media citations that went to 15 British newspapers and broadcasters. All 15 combined got 2.95%. Forbes alone got 5.09%. The Independent led the British titles with 0.85%. The BBC got 0.08%.
So a mention in a national paper is good for reputation. It is not a reliable way to get named by an AI assistant.
What does this mean for a UK small business?
English-language answers can draw on the whole English-speaking web. That means a UK firm often competes with US pages, even for a UK question. The upside is that your own site counts for a lot. In OtterlyAI’s data, brand and company websites were the largest group of cited sources. For UK retail they made up 63.1% of citations.
What I would do
- Make your own pages clearly British. Show prices in pounds, a UK address, UK delivery and returns terms and UK spelling. Say who you serve in plain words.
- Get listed where UK answers already look. That means UK comparison and review sites in your sector, such as Which? and UK Trustpilot. It also means trade bodies and local directories.
- Collect real reviews only. Since April 2025, UK consumer law has banned fake reviews. The Competition and Markets Authority has published guidance for businesses that show reviews. OtterlyAI’s own test of bought Reddit activity also shows the risk. The community was banned and the citations disappeared.
- Check what the assistants say about you. Ask the same questions every month and note which sites they cite.
Being found is one job for your website. Staying within UK rules is another. My notes on the Online Safety Act and the Data (Use and Access) Act cover two rules that reach many small business sites.
Free starter list: which five prompts should you test this week?
Swap in your own trade and town. Ask each one in ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity. Write down whether you are named and which websites are cited.
| Prompt | ChatGPT | Gemini | Perplexity | Sites cited |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Best [your trade] in [your town] Example: Best plumber in Leeds | No | No | Yes | checkatrade.com, yell.com |
| 2. Is [your business name] any good? Example: Is Example Plumbing any good? | Yes | Yes | Yes | uk.trustpilot.com, the firm’s own site |
| 3. [Your business name] or [a competitor]: which is better? Example: Example Plumbing or a rival: which is better? | Yes | No | Yes | The firm’s own site, reddit.com |
| 4. How much does [your service] cost in the UK? Example: How much does a boiler repair cost in the UK? | No | No | No | which.co.uk, checkatrade.com |
| 5. Who can help with [your customer’s problem] near [your town]? Example: Who can fix a leaking pipe near Leeds? | No | Yes | No | mybuilder.com, yell.com |
In this example the firm is named when people ask about it by name. It is missed on most general questions. checkatrade.com and yell.com each appear twice in the answers, so those are the first places to get listed. If the same UK review or comparison site keeps appearing in your own answers, start there.
Getting help
To track these prompts over time across several assistants, an AI visibility tool such as LLM Scout does the work. Orchid Box is a UK AI search agency for businesses that want the optimisation done for them. If your first question is how to use AI safely inside the business, see my advisory services.
This article is analysis of published sources as at 30 October 2026. It is general information. It is not legal advice and does not say whether any particular business complies with consumer law.
Frequently asked questions
Do AI assistants prefer .co.uk websites for UK questions?
Not in OtterlyAI’s data. Only 30.7% of citations in UK answers went to UK sites. In France and Germany about 76% went to local sites.
Will coverage in a national newspaper help me appear in ChatGPT?
It helps your reputation. In OtterlyAI’s data all 15 British titles together got 2.95% of UK news and media citations. That is less than Forbes alone.
Can I buy reviews to appear in AI answers?
No. Fake reviews have been banned under UK consumer law since April 2025. The CMA has guidance for businesses.
Which AI assistants should a UK business check?
Start with ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity. Add Copilot and Claude if your customers use them at work.
Sources
All sources were opened and checked on 30 October 2026. Corrections are handled as set out in the editorial standards.
- GEO Experiments 2026 Q4 Updates: What We Tested, What Failed, What Actually Works (OtterlyAI, presentation, October 2026)
- The AI Search Index industry reports (OtterlyAI)
https://insights.otterly.ai/industry-reports - Fake reviews guidance, CMA208 (GOV.UK, Competition and Markets Authority)
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fake-reviews-cma208 - Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, contents (legislation.gov.uk)
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2024/13/contents