1. CiteWing: Get recommended by AI Ran the same niche AI query for 3 weeks; 2 domains got cited in almost every run

For about three weeks, the same narrow query about invoicing software for US freelancers was run several times a day, with the results logged meticulously. The user also ran the query through CiteWing to keep track of any shifts in the cited sites. The most surprising aspect of the process was the consistent repetition of the same domains.

Two sites stood out as the top two recurring sources, with one being a comparison blog and the other a regional forum thread that few people read. An even more peculiar observation was an old freelancer guide that had been cited every week for years, despite not having been updated in ages. The user then made an effort to reach out to the owners of these sites, inquiring if they could incorporate newer options into their lists.

One site owner responded positively to the suggestion, while the rest remained unresponsive. Two major observations emerged from the findings. Firstly, the forum thread consistently appeared in the results, even when the main keyword barely featured in its title. Secondly, the comparison blog seemed to overlook most of the larger names in the niche, presenting a gap that seemed to be unexplored.

It was unclear at the time whether this pattern was a genuine occurrence or just a result of one specific query. Additionally, the user switched browsers midway through the experiment, which might have impacted the overall accuracy of the results, making it difficult to determine the extent to which these patterns would hold up.