We Run Original Research on How Search Is Changing

We're marketers who run large-scale studies, meta-analyses, and original research on organic search. Everything we find, we share with the rest of the market.

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About Organic Labs

We're Marketers by Profession, & Researchers by Obsession

Organic Labs is an independent research publication. Our team of organic growth marketers design and run studies — sometimes across thousands of data points, sometimes deep single-case analyses — to understand how search visibility actually works today. We study traditional SEO, AI-generated answers, LLM citation behavior, and how the two worlds are converging. Then we write it all up and give it away.

Organic Labs is an independent research publication. Our team of organic growth marketers design and run studies — sometimes across thousands of data points, sometimes deep single-case analyses — to understand how search visibility actually works today. We study traditional SEO, AI-generated answers, LLM citation behavior, and how the two worlds are converging. Then we write it all up and give it away.

Our Research Studies

Some of Our Latest Research

From meta-analyses across dozens of existing studies to original experiments we run ourselves, here's what's come out of the lab.

red and blue wallpaper

Feb 5, 2026 • 6 mins read

Optimizing for AI Search Engines: A Meta-Analysis of 19 Research Studies

A data-driven study of how AI search engines surface sources. By analyzing 19 research papers and thousands of LLM responses, this report identifies the signals that most strongly influence whether your content gets cited by AI systems.

Usman Akram
red and blue wallpaper

Feb 5, 2026 • 6 mins read

Optimizing for AI Search Engines: A Meta-Analysis of 19 Research Studies

A data-driven study of how AI search engines surface sources. By analyzing 19 research papers and thousands of LLM responses, this report identifies the signals that most strongly influence whether your content gets cited by AI systems.

Usman Akram

Our Goal

These are the questions we're hell-bent on answering.

Search is no longer one channel. We study both where it's been and where it's going.

What drives AI brand visibility?
How probabilistic are LLM answers?
Is SEO still required for AI visibility?
Does overall web presence shape AI perception?
Can LLMs be reliably optimized?
When AI & Google disagree, who wins?

Who is it for?

If You Run, Lead, or Manage Organic Growth, This Research Is for You.

01

SEO managers and strategists

Trying to understand how rankings, citations, and AI answers intersect — and where optimization actually moves the needle.

02

Content and organic growth leads

Designing systems that build durable visibility across both traditional search and AI-driven discovery.

03

Marketing leaders budgeting for organic growth

Making informed investment decisions in a world where “SEO” no longer tells the full story.

04

Founders building content-driven businesses

Seeking long-term visibility strategies that compound — not tactics that expire.

Testimonials

What Contributors Are Saying About the Research

Usman and the Organic Labs team have compiled a practical meta-analysis of studies that outline several strategies and tactics your team can experiment with. They've laid out a pragmatic approach to evaluating prioritization and opportunities, supported by a diverse range of academic and commercial reports. It's a great starting point for any small business that wants to fight for their visibility in conversational search.

Garrett Sussman

Director Marketing @ iPullRank

Usman and the Organic Labs team have compiled a practical meta-analysis of studies that outline several strategies and tactics your team can experiment with. They've laid out a pragmatic approach to evaluating prioritization and opportunities, supported by a diverse range of academic and commercial reports. It's a great starting point for any small business that wants to fight for their visibility in conversational search.

Garrett Sussman

Director Marketing @ iPullRank

Reports like this help cut through all the noise to highlight what actually matters. This takes time and hard work and is worth your attention.

Josh Blyskal

AEO Strategy & Research @ Profound

Reports like this help cut through all the noise to highlight what actually matters. This takes time and hard work and is worth your attention.

Josh Blyskal

AEO Strategy & Research @ Profound

This research helps make sense of much of the early data and patterns, providing a story and a launchpad for marketing leaders

Alex Birkett

Co-founder @ Omniscient Digital

This research helps make sense of much of the early data and patterns, providing a story and a launchpad for marketing leaders

Alex Birkett

Co-founder @ Omniscient Digital

Really solid study here. Totally agree with the takeaway - AI search is only going to get bigger, and getting visibility now is worth the effort. What I love is that the data backs up what many of us have suspected: a lot of the same white-hat SEO basics still work for AEO. Things like clear, structured content, strong brand mentions, E-E-A-T signals, and a solid entity presence aren’t just “Google” tactics - they help you show up in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and the rest too.

Irina Maltseva

Organic Growth @ Aura

Really solid study here. Totally agree with the takeaway - AI search is only going to get bigger, and getting visibility now is worth the effort. What I love is that the data backs up what many of us have suspected: a lot of the same white-hat SEO basics still work for AEO. Things like clear, structured content, strong brand mentions, E-E-A-T signals, and a solid entity presence aren’t just “Google” tactics - they help you show up in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and the rest too.

Irina Maltseva

Organic Growth @ Aura

Its really, really good work! it’s the building blocks to update your content for better LLM visibility.

John Henry Scherck

Founder @ Growth Plays

Its really, really good work! it’s the building blocks to update your content for better LLM visibility.

John Henry Scherck

Founder @ Growth Plays

Most AEO advice is hand-waving. Talal’s meta-analysis goes deeper — showing structured content like FAQs, schema, and bullet-point clarity has the strongest correlation with visibility in ChatGPT and Perplexity. That’s a clear compass for SaaS marketers like me: prioritize formatting and structure as the proven lever to get cited more often. Talal’s research cut through the noise and laid out a playbook I can act on.

Matteo Tittarelli

Founder @ Genesys

Most AEO advice is hand-waving. Talal’s meta-analysis goes deeper — showing structured content like FAQs, schema, and bullet-point clarity has the strongest correlation with visibility in ChatGPT and Perplexity. That’s a clear compass for SaaS marketers like me: prioritize formatting and structure as the proven lever to get cited more often. Talal’s research cut through the noise and laid out a playbook I can act on.

Matteo Tittarelli

Founder @ Genesys

It's impressive the amount of research and effort Usman and co put into this report. This is the type of report everyone in SEO should take notice of

Taylor Scher

SEO Growth Consultant

It's impressive the amount of research and effort Usman and co put into this report. This is the type of report everyone in SEO should take notice of

Taylor Scher

SEO Growth Consultant

This is a great study from Usman and Talal! It mentions things I've also witnessed through personal testing and research and is backed well with actual research papers! This is a legit study which will clear things up for many who are wondering what they should focus on in the age of AI search.

Antonis Dimitriou

SEO Lead @ Minuttia

This is a great study from Usman and Talal! It mentions things I've also witnessed through personal testing and research and is backed well with actual research papers! This is a legit study which will clear things up for many who are wondering what they should focus on in the age of AI search.

Antonis Dimitriou

SEO Lead @ Minuttia

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