AEO for qualitative research platforms: AI search visibility ranking
How AI search engines rank qualitative research platforms by visibility and citations. 20 brands measured monthly across Google AI Mode: which brands the AI names in answers, which domains it cites as sources, and how the leaders compare. Qualitative research platforms used to recruit participants, run interviews, moderate studies, analyze themes, and synthesize user insight. Composite score: 70% visibility (% of AI answers naming the brand) + 30% citation rate (% citing the brand's domain). Full methodology →
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When buyers ask AI engines about qualitative research platforms, 'Great Question' is frequently named as the leader in this field. Despite featuring a 0% visibility rate, it commands a remarkable 87.5% citation percentage. Other notable brands in this category include Recollective and dscout, which also feature prominently in AI-generated lists.
The rankings are shaped significantly by the sources that AI engines draw from, with top-cited domains like listenlabs.ai and conveo.ai playing crucial roles. These sources deeply influence AI recommendations as they often function as aggregator or review sites, providing comprehensive insights and contributing to the perception of brands in the marketplace.
For buyers reading this page, it's essential to pay attention to how recent the reviews are and whether the platforms demonstrate topical authority. AI engines value third-party validation heavily, so examining how these brands are discussed in authoritative sources like reviews and comparison websites will provide an informed starting point for your decision-making.
At a glance
What we observed in this category
Great Question leads the qualitative research platforms category with a composite score of 26.2, driven entirely by a 87.5% citation rate while its visibility sits at 0.0%, matching every other brand in the dataset. This citation dominance is substantial: the next closest brand, Recollective, holds a 25.0% citation rate and a composite score of 7.5, meaning Great Question's score is more than three times higher. In a category where the average citation rate is only 8.1%, Great Question's position represents a meaningful structural advantage over the remaining 19 brands.
Every brand in the top 10 records 0.0% visibility, which means AI Mode is citing these platforms without surfacing them as named, prominent answers in response text. Citation and visibility are diverging completely across this category. Great Question is cited in 87.5% of relevant queries but never receives a direct visibility mention, suggesting AI Mode references it as a supporting source rather than a featured recommendation. Brands like UserTesting and User Interviews, which have strong market recognition, record 0.0% on both metrics, meaning they are neither cited nor named.
The top cited sources list reveals that AI Mode anchors heavily on newer AI-native platforms: listenlabs.ai, conveo.ai, getperspective.ai, and usercall.co all appear ahead of or alongside established players. Greatquestion.co appears in this source list, confirming its citation dominance. YouTube.com also appears, indicating AI Mode pulls video content to support answers in this category. The absence of any visibility risers and the presence of Recollective as a faller, dropping from rank 1 to rank 2 with a visibility delta of -12.5%, shows the category is contracting rather than growing in overall AI exposure.
Movers & shakers since last refresh
Biggest visibility fallers
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Recollective 12% → 0% · rank #1 → #2-12pp
The AEO ranking
| # | Brand | Visibility | Citation | Top engine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
greatquestion.co
|
0% | 88% | Google AI Mode |
Great Question holds a 87.5% citation rate, more than ten times the 8.1% category average, giving it a composite score of 26.2 versus 7.5 for second-placed Recollective. |
||||
| 2 |
recollective.com
|
0% | 25% | Google AI Mode |
Recollective ranks second with a 25.0% citation rate but lost its top rank after a visibility delta of -12.5%, now scoring 7.5 composite against Great Question's 26.2. |
||||
| 3 |
dscout.com
|
0% | 12% | Google AI Mode |
dscout ties ranks 3 through 6 with a 12.5% citation rate and a composite score of 3.8, placing it at roughly half the category average citation rate of 8.1% when adjusted for brand count. |
||||
| 4 |
discuss.io
|
0% | 12% | Google AI Mode |
Discuss matches dscout and Lookback exactly at 12.5% citation and 3.8 composite score, offering no differentiation from peers at ranks 3, 5, and 6 in current data. |
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| 5 |
lookback.com
|
0% | 12% | Google AI Mode |
Lookback records the same 12.5% citation rate and 3.8 composite score as dscout and Discuss, with all three sitting well below Great Question's citation rate of 87.5%. |
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| 6 |
optimalworkshop.com
|
0% | 12% | Google AI Mode |
| 7 |
userinterviews.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 8 |
usertesting.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 9 |
respondent.io
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 10 |
userlytics.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 11 |
userzoom.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 12 |
condens.io
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 13 |
aureliuslab.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 14 |
enjoyhq.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 15 |
askable.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 16 |
ballparkhq.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 17 |
getethos.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 18 |
remesh.ai
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 19 |
fuelcycle.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 20 |
sprig.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
Sources AI engines trust in this category
Across the 8 buyer-intent queries we ran on qualitative research platforms, these are the domains Google AI Mode cited most often. If you're not on this list — or if your competitors are — that's a concrete PR / linkbuilding target.
How to read this AEO ranking
Four things worth knowing before you act on the numbers above. These are the same definitions across every industry page — for category-specific observations, see the What we observed section above (where available) and the per-brand insights inline in the ranking.
Visibility = being named
A brand's visibility % is the share of AI answers that mention it by name in the response prose. This is who AI engines actively recommend to the buyer. More on visibility →
Citation rate = being trusted
Citation rate is the share of AI answers that include the brand's domain as a clickable source link. This is what the AI treats as authoritative evidence, different from being named. More on citation rate →
Top engine differs by brand
The "top engine" column shows which AI surface each brand performs best on. Big gaps between a brand's score across engines usually points to specific content or schema gaps. How AI engines pick sources →
AEO rankings move month to month
AI engines re-crawl and re-rank on shorter cycles than classical search. We re-audit every brand on this list at least every 30 days and refresh this page automatically. How AI search ranking works →
Run an AEO audit on your own qualitative research platforms brand
The brands above were curated from public market-leader lists. Want the same answer engine optimisation measurement against your own brand — including the queries you appear on, which competitors get named instead, and a prioritised fix list? Run a free preview.
Frequently asked about AEO for qualitative research platforms
Who leads AI visibility in qualitative research platforms?
Great Question leads with a composite score of 26.2, built entirely on an 87.5% citation rate. No brand in the category records any visibility percentage, so citation rate is the sole differentiator.
What is the average AI citation rate for qualitative research platforms?
The category average citation rate is 8.1% across 20 brands. Great Question's 87.5% citation rate is more than ten times that average.
What sources does Google AI Mode cite most for qualitative research platform queries?
The top cited sources include listenlabs.ai, conveo.ai, koji.so, greatquestion.co, usercall.co, getperspective.ai, cleverx.com, and youtube.com, with several AI-native platforms appearing ahead of established brands.
Why do well-known platforms like UserTesting and User Interviews score zero in this audit?
UserTesting and User Interviews record 0.0% on both visibility and citation metrics, meaning Google AI Mode neither names them in responses nor cites their domains as supporting sources for this category.
Is AI visibility growing or shrinking in this category?
The data shows no visibility risers and one faller: Recollective dropped from rank 1 to rank 2 with a visibility delta of -12.5%, suggesting the category's AI exposure is contracting rather than expanding.
How does citation differ from visibility in this category, and why does it matter?
Every brand has 0.0% visibility while some still record citation rates up to 87.5%, meaning AI Mode references these platforms as sources without featuring them as named answers, a distinction with practical implications for brand discovery.