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A brand’s position inside AI-cited third-party listicles is strongly associated with how AI engines present that brand. Peec analyzed nearly 200,000 AI responses — over 5.7 million data points across eight engines and three markets (B2B SaaS, Emerging MarTech, US Finance), collected September 2025 to March 2026 (full study).
  • Visibility: Being in a frequently cited third-party listicle strongly raises mention probability. Rank #1 lifts: B2B SaaS +16.5pp, Emerging MarTech +13.4pp. Rank matters most in emerging/fragmented categories where engines have weak prior knowledge; in established B2B SaaS, inclusion matters more than exact rank; in sparse US Finance, a few trusted listicles carry outsized weight regardless of position.
  • Answer position (the most consistent effect): Rank #1 exposure moves a brand earlier in the answer — US Finance 1.80 positions, B2B SaaS 1.17, Emerging MarTech 0.82 — consistent across all three markets.
  • Mention count: Diverges by market (Emerging MarTech +0.67, B2B SaaS +0.43, US Finance +0.66 but statistically insignificant). Track visibility, position, and mention count as three separate metrics.
Caveats: observational associations, not causal proof; findings apply to frequently retrieved third-party listicles, not every listicle, and self-authored listicles were excluded. Methodology in the companion paper (SSRN working paper, May 2026). Engine differences and how many listicles are enough: Listicle strategy by engine. Source: The Listicle Rank Effect: What nearly 200,000 AI responses across 8 AI engines reveal about brand visibility, Peec (Jan Ehrlinspiel), May 2026.