How AI Search Is Recommending Assisted Living Facilities: Monthly Trends

Executive Summary

Brookdale Senior Living holds the category lead in October 2026 with 19.1% valid recommendation coverage, 4.0 points ahead of second-place Sunrise Senior Living at 15.1%. October was a quiet month for the category: the benchmark recorded no brand movement beyond normal month-to-month variation against the July 2026 baseline, and nine of the ten tracked brands are classified stable. Brookdale has held the top position in every month since August 2026, when its coverage first moved ahead of Sunrise's.

The only brand flagged for additional attention is Pegasus Senior Living, which has increased for three consecutive months, from 1.3% in July to 3.2% in October, though its cumulative change remains within the benchmark's normal variation range and is treated as a watch item rather than a confirmed trend.

Across the full four-month series, the clearer pattern is a narrowing of the gaps among the leading brands rather than a single decisive leader swap. Sunrise Senior Living, which led in July at 20.1%, now sits second at 15.1%, while its raw mention presence fell from 63.1% in July to 36.5% in October. Atria Senior Living's presence similarly fell from 51.0% to 33.3% over the same span, even as both brands' coverage levels moved up from their August lows. The benchmark records a quieter month at the brand level alongside a four-month redistribution of presence and coverage among the top four brands; the data does not establish why fewer prompts mention Sunrise or Atria by name.

Each monthly run begins with prompt-surface observations across the benchmark's defined AI/search surface universe. In October 2026, 682 source prompt-surface observations (465 unique questions) were collected. Of those, 669 mentioned a tracked brand or competitor; 537 were relevant and 132 were irrelevant. The public metrics use the 126 observations that survived both qualification stages. The July 2026 baseline used a similar collection (403 total prompts, 286 unique questions, 403 brand-mentioned, 318 relevant, 85 irrelevant) and retained 149 qualified observations; September 2026 retained 156 qualified observations from a larger collection of 687 total prompts.

Key Findings

AI Response Inconsistency Alerts

The benchmark's conflict monitoring detected 35 critical or high-severity factual inconsistencies across 6 AI platforms in October 2026, affecting 7 tracked companies.

Atria Senior Living

Ownership of Atria management company (critical). AI platforms provided conflicting information about who owns Atria Senior Living. When asked "Who owns Atria Senior Living?", Perplexity stated Atria is owned by Lazard Real Estate Partners (LREP) and related Lazard-managed funds, citing a Ventas investor relations page, PitchBook, and Senior Housing News. ChatGPT stated Atria is jointly owned by Ventas (approximately 34%), Fremont Group (approximately 33%), and Atria's senior executives (approximately 33%), with no single owner, citing a Ventas investor relations page, a Related Companies press release, and a SEC filing.

Ventas real estate acquisition date (high). Responses differed on when Ventas acquired Atria's real estate portfolio. When asked "Who bought Atria Senior Living?", Copilot stated the acquisition occurred in 2021–2022, citing LivingWithRetirement, an Atria operations PDF, and Seniors Housing Business. Gemini stated the acquisition occurred in May 2011, citing VectorShift research and two Ventas investor relations pages.

Ownership structure (high). AI platforms provided conflicting ownership structures. When asked "Who is the owner of Atria Senior Living?", Gemini stated Atria is jointly owned by its executive management team and Ventas, Inc., citing a Ventas investor relations page, a Conference Board bio, and another Ventas press release. Perplexity stated Atria is privately owned by Lazard Real Estate Partners and related private equity funds, citing Wikipedia, a Ventas investor relations page, and Senior Housing News.

Ownership structure (high). Responses differed on the composition of Atria's ownership. When asked "Who is the owner of Atria Senior Living?", ChatGPT stated Atria is owned by Ventas (34%), Fremont Group (33%), and Atria executives (33%), citing SEC filings and a Related Companies press release. Perplexity stated Atria is privately owned by Lazard Real Estate Partners and related private equity funds, citing Wikipedia and Senior Housing News.

Ownership by J.P. Morgan Asset Management (high). AI platforms provided conflicting information about a J.P. Morgan stake. When asked "Is Atria owned by private equity?", ChatGPT stated ownership is Ventas 34%, Fremont Realty Capital approximately 33%, and senior executives approximately 33%, citing SEC filings and a Related Companies press release. Copilot stated J.P. Morgan Asset Management acquired a controlling stake in Atria in 2016, citing a PR Newswire release and two third-party ownership pages.

Lazard ownership status (high). Responses differed on whether Lazard still holds an ownership interest. When asked "Who bought Atria Senior Living?", ChatGPT stated Lazard-managed funds previously held ownership interests that were acquired in 2012, ending their ownership, citing SEC filings and Ventas investor relations. Copilot stated Lazard Real Estate Partners maintains a majority interest in the company, citing LivingWithRetirement, an Atria operations PDF, and Seniors Housing Business.

Ownership structure (high). AI platforms provided conflicting ownership compositions. When asked "Who is Atria Senior Living owned by?", ChatGPT stated Atria is owned by Ventas (approximately 34%), Fremont Group (approximately 33%), and Atria's senior executives (approximately 33%), citing SEC filings and a Related Companies press release. Copilot stated Atria is primarily owned by Ventas and Fremont Realty Capital, with J.P. Morgan Asset Management holding a significant stake since 2016, citing SeniorsProTalk, LivingWithRetirement, and Wikipedia.

Ownership structure (high). Responses differed on whether Fremont Group is an owner. When asked "Who is Atria Senior Living owned by?", ChatGPT stated Atria is owned by Ventas, Fremont Group, and Atria's senior executives, citing SEC filings and a Related Companies press release. Perplexity stated Atria is owned by Ventas, Inc. and its management team following a 2012 transaction, citing a Ventas investor relations page, Seniors Housing Business, and Senior Housing News.

Parent company / ownership (high). AI platforms provided conflicting information about whether Atria has a parent company. When asked "Who is the parent company of Atria Senior Living?", ChatGPT stated Atria has no single parent company; it is independently privately held, with Ventas as a significant minority owner (approximately 34%), citing SEC filings, LegalClarity, and Atria's news page. Copilot stated Ventas, Inc. is the parent company in terms of real estate ownership, with Fremont Realty Capital and executives holding the management side, citing ScienceSignal, LivingWithRetirement, and Grokipedia.

Number of communities (high). Responses differed significantly on Atria's community count. When asked "How many Atria senior living are there?", ChatGPT stated 200+ communities total with 103 Atria-branded U.S. locations, citing Atria's news page. Copilot stated around 400 communities total with 180 Atria-branded properties, citing SeniorSite, Ultimate Senior Resource, and Seniorly.

Ownership structure (high). AI platforms provided conflicting ownership percentages. When asked "Who is the owner of Atria Senior Living?", ChatGPT stated Atria is owned by three principal groups: Ventas 34%, Fremont Realty Capital/Fremont Group 33%, and Atria's senior executives 33%, citing SEC filings and a Related Companies press release. Gemini stated Atria is jointly owned by its executive management team (majority stake) and Ventas, Inc. (34% minority interest), with no mention of Fremont, citing a Ventas investor relations page, a Conference Board bio, and another Ventas press release.

Brookdale Senior Living

Largest owner of senior housing (high). AI platforms provided conflicting information about who is the largest owner of senior housing. When asked "Who is the largest owner of senior housing?", Perplexity stated Brookdale Senior Living is typically the largest operator, not the largest owner; Welltower is the largest owner, citing Seniors Housing Business and Statista. Copilot stated Brookdale Senior Living is the largest owner and operator of senior housing in the U.S., citing Senior Housing News, McKnight's Senior Living, and Citizen Daily Post.

Number of communities/properties (high). Responses differed on Brookdale's community count. When asked "What is the largest senior living community in the US?", ChatGPT stated roughly 535–539 communities, citing SeniorLiving.org, a LeadingAge PDF, and a MarketScreener investor presentation. Perplexity stated 675–988 properties depending on the source, citing Apartments.com, Property Manager Insider, and U.S. News.

Largest long-term care provider (high). AI platforms provided conflicting information about the largest long-term care provider. When asked "Who is the largest player of long-term care?", ChatGPT stated Brookdale is the largest operator only in senior living broadly, while The Ensign Group is the largest in traditional U.S. long-term care/nursing homes, citing CareTrace, Genesis HealthCare, and Senior Housing News. Copilot stated Brookdale Senior Living is the largest long-term care provider in the United States overall, citing McKnight's Senior Living, Senior Housing News, and Lument.

Number of communities operated (high). Responses differed on how many communities Brookdale operates. When asked "What is the largest assisted living company?", ChatGPT stated 584 communities (and 568 as of March 31, 2026), citing Senior Housing News, an Argentum PDF, and a SEC filing. Gemini stated over 675 communities, citing Property Manager Insider and Apartments.com.

Total living units (high). AI platforms provided conflicting unit counts. When asked "What is the largest assisted living company?", ChatGPT stated about 47,085 units, citing Senior Housing News, an Argentum PDF, and a SEC filing. Gemini stated roughly 90,000+ living units, citing Property Manager Insider and Apartments.com.

Resident capacity/units (high). Responses differed on Brookdale's capacity. When asked "What is the largest senior living community in the US?", ChatGPT stated capacity for about 51,000 residents, citing SeniorLiving.org, a LeadingAge PDF, and a MarketScreener investor presentation. Perplexity stated about 90,000+ units, citing Apartments.com, Property Manager Insider, and U.S. News.

Number of assisted living units (high). AI platforms provided conflicting assisted living unit counts. When asked "What is the largest assisted living company?", ChatGPT stated 29,839 assisted-living units, citing Senior Housing News, an Argentum PDF, and a SEC filing. Copilot stated 26,392 assisted living units, citing McKnight's Senior Living and Senior Media Hub.

Sunrise Senior Living

Current ownership / Welltower stake (high). AI platforms provided conflicting information about Welltower's stake in Sunrise. When asked "Who is the owner of Sunrise Senior Living?", Google AI Mode stated Welltower sold its stake in Sunrise and unwound the Revera joint venture in 2023, so it no longer holds a current ownership stake, citing CBC News, Senior Housing News, and another Senior Housing News article. Copilot stated Sunrise is currently co-owned by Revera Inc. and Welltower Inc., citing Mergr, Grokipedia, and Altss.

Ownership / parent company (high). Responses differed on Sunrise's ownership. When asked "What company owns Sunrise Senior Living?", Perplexity stated Sunrise is owned by Healthpeak Properties (formerly HCP) and Revera, who hold joint ownership of the Sunrise management company, citing Wikipedia, Senior Housing News, and PitchBook. Google AI Mode stated Sunrise is majority-owned by Revera Inc. (approximately 76%), with Welltower Inc. (formerly Health Care REIT) holding the remaining minority stake (approximately 24%), citing Senior Housing News, a Welltower investor relations page, and another Senior Housing News article.

Ownership / parent company (high). AI platforms provided conflicting information about Sunrise's parent company. When asked "What company owns Sunrise Senior Living?", Google AI Mode stated Sunrise is majority-owned by Revera Inc. (approximately 76%), with Welltower holding a minority stake (approximately 24%), citing Senior Housing News and Welltower investor relations. Copilot stated Sunrise is currently owned by Welltower Inc., which is the parent company, with Revera only part of the 2014 acquisition, citing PitchBook, Mergr, and The Company Check.

Ownership / parent company (high). Responses differed on whether Healthpeak Properties or Welltower Inc. is the owner. When asked "What company owns Sunrise Senior Living?", Perplexity stated Sunrise is owned by Healthpeak Properties (formerly HCP) and Revera, citing Wikipedia, Senior Housing News, and PitchBook. Copilot stated Sunrise is currently owned by Welltower Inc., which has remained the parent company since the 2014 acquisition, citing PitchBook, Mergr, and The Company Check.

Current ownership / Welltower stake (high). AI platforms provided conflicting information about whether Welltower remains invested in Sunrise. When asked "Who is the owner of Sunrise Senior Living?", Google AI Mode stated Welltower sold its stake in Sunrise and unwound the Revera joint venture in 2023, so it no longer holds a current ownership stake, citing CBC News and Senior Housing News. Gemini stated Welltower remains heavily invested in Sunrise's real estate portfolio and operations, citing a Welltower press release, Wikipedia, and Senior Living News.

Current ownership / Welltower stake (high). Responses differed on whether Welltower retained an ownership interest. When asked "Who is the owner of Sunrise Senior Living?", Google AI Mode stated Welltower sold its stake in Sunrise and unwound the Revera joint venture in 2023, so it no longer holds a current ownership stake, citing CBC News and Senior Housing News. ChatGPT stated Welltower retained an ownership interest and owns many of the real estate assets associated with Sunrise communities, citing Sunrise's 2025 annual report and Sunrise's about page.

Belmont Village

Monthly price (high). AI platforms provided conflicting pricing information for Belmont Village Coral Gables. When asked "How much does Belmont Village Coral Gables cost?", ChatGPT stated independent living starts around $8,750/month, citing FindWithCare. Google AI Mode stated independent living starts around $5,390 to $5,400/month, citing Seniorly, CarePriced, and A Place for Mom.

Monthly price (high). Responses differed on assisted living pricing. When asked "How much does Belmont Village Coral Gables cost?", Gemini stated base studio residences start around $6,400 to $6,500/month, citing Seniorly. ChatGPT stated assisted living starts around $7,800/month plus care fees, citing FindWithCare.

Monthly price (high). AI platforms provided conflicting pricing for Belmont Village Westwood. When asked "How much does Belmont Village Senior Living Westwood cost?", ChatGPT stated assisted living starts at approximately $11,300/month for a studio, citing Seniorly, Belmont Village's website, and Caring.com. Perplexity stated assisted living starts around $5,075 to $10,200 per month, citing Belmont Village's website, Elderlife Financial, and Seniorly.

Monthly price (high). Responses differed on pricing for Belmont Village San Ramon. When asked "How much is Belmont Village Senior Living San Ramon?", Gemini stated base starting rates around $7,000–$7,700 per month for studio, with higher acuity/memory care $10,000–$15,600+/month, citing Seniorly and Ultimate Senior Resource. Perplexity stated estimated pricing starts around $3,902–$7,250 per month, citing Belmont Village's website, Olera.care, and Seniorly.

Erickson Senior Living

Monthly fee range (high). AI platforms provided conflicting monthly fee ranges. When asked "How much does Erickson Living cost?", ChatGPT stated commonly about $2,600 to $5,600+ per month, citing Erickson's pricing tables page. Google AI Overviews stated $2,156 to $4,287+, citing SeniorSite, Senior Guide 4U, and Erickson's Charlestown pricing page.

Monthly service package base rate (high). Responses differed on base monthly fees at Linden Ponds. When asked "How much does it cost to live at Linden Ponds, Hingham, MA?", Google AI Mode stated the Monthly Service Package averages around $3,700 to $3,900+ base depending on the unit, citing Erickson's Linden Ponds pricing page and a Google search viewer. Copilot stated the studio monthly fee is $2,686, with 1-bedroom $3,035–$3,843 and 2-bedroom $4,766–$5,599, citing Erickson's pricing page, LatestCost, and TinyGrab.

2-bedroom entrance fee (high). AI platforms provided conflicting entrance fee information. When asked "How much does it cost to live at Linden Ponds, Hingham, MA?", Google AI Mode stated 2 Bedroom entrance fees start at $414,000 (ranging up to $474,000+), with Deluxe 2 Bedroom starting at $871,000, citing Erickson's pricing and apartments pages. Copilot stated luxury 2-Bedroom entrance fees are $972,000–$1,383,000, citing Erickson's pricing page and third-party cost guides.

Five Star Senior Living

Number of locations (high). AI platforms provided conflicting location counts. When asked "How many locations does Five Star Senior Living have?", Google AI Mode stated approximately 140 senior living communities, citing Business Wire, SeniorSite, and Five Star's living options page. Perplexity stated over 260 communities, citing A1 Senior Living, Indeed, and LinkedIn.

Number of locations (high). Responses differed on Five Star's community count. When asked "How many locations does Five Star Senior Living have?", Google AI Overviews stated approximately 130 to 140 senior living communities, citing Five Star's Facebook page, SeniorSite, and Five Star's living options page. Perplexity stated over 260 communities, citing A1 Senior Living, Indeed, and LinkedIn.

Life Care Services (LCS)

Ownership vs. management role (high). AI platforms provided conflicting information about LCS's role at StoneRidge. When asked "Who owns Stoneridge in Mystic CT?", ChatGPT stated LCS is the operator/manager; underlying ownership is a joint venture involving LCS, Redwood Capital Investments, and MPM Senior Living, not simply LCS alone, citing StoneRidge's about page, a Connecticut state disclosure statement, and ProPublica. Gemini stated StoneRidge is owned and managed by LCS (Life Care Services), citing LCS Living and StoneRidge's about page.

Benchmark Context

The report separates the raw collection universe from the qualified analysis set. Brand-level recommendation percentages are calculated within the qualified benchmark set.

The qualified benchmark set contracted from 156 observations in September to 126 in October, below the July baseline of 149 but above August's 113. The upstream collection also eased from 687 total prompts in September to 682 in October. The August and October contractions in the qualified set change the denominator against which all brand percentages are calculated and should be considered when comparing across the series.

Benchmark-Level Metrics

September recorded the widest qualified set of the series at 156 observations, with a recommendation-shaped answer share of 19.9% and a valid recommendation shortlist share of 30.8%. October's smaller set of 126 observations carried a higher proportion of recommendation-shaped and shortlist answers, which raises the share of the qualified base that can carry a brand recommendation.

AI Recommendation Trend

Questions This Section Answers

• Who leads the assisted living category in October 2026, and how large is the gap over second place?
• Did any tracked brand move beyond normal month-to-month variation against the July 2026 baseline?
• What pattern explains the category picture if no single brand recorded significant movement?

A Stable Leader With a Compressed Field Beneath It

Brookdale Senior Living holds the top position in October 2026, and no brand recorded movement beyond normal month-to-month variation against the July baseline.

No single brand exceeded normal month-to-month variation against the July baseline in October, so the category-level picture came from the combination of several smaller movements. The notable pattern is the pairing of Brookdale's steady rise with the continued increase of Belmont Village and Atria off their August lows, even though neither has returned to its July level, alongside Sunrise Senior Living's continued position below its July peak.

What Changed This Month

Questions This Section Answers

• Why did Brookdale's coverage gain come alongside a slightly lower presence rate?
• How can Sunrise still hold the second position when far fewer AI answers mention it by name?
• Why did Belmont Village's coverage grow even though its raw mention presence stayed flat?

Brookdale Senior Living

Brookdale Senior Living rose 2.3 points against the July baseline, from 16.8% to 19.1%, and 2.4 points against the prior month, from 16.7% in September. Both movements sit within normal variation, and the brand is now up for two consecutive months.

The brand's rank-one rate held essentially flat at 9.5% in October against 9.4% in July, with 12 rank-one placements against 14 in July. Its top-three rate eased slightly to 12.7% from 13.4%, and its raw mention presence eased to 63.5% from 67.8%, remaining the highest in the category. Brookdale's coverage gain came alongside a slightly lower presence rate.

The distinction to notice is that Brookdale leads on both presence and coverage, and its rank-one rate is essentially unchanged from July. The brand appears in the most AI answers and holds the largest share of valid recommendations. Highest-priority diagnostic: which prompt themes carry Brookdale's rank-one placements, and whether the small coverage gain reflects additional recommended contexts or a shift in the qualified base.

Sunrise Senior Living

Sunrise Senior Living declined 5.0 points against the July baseline, from 20.1% to 15.1%, but rose 3.6 points against the prior month, from 11.5% in September. Neither movement is significant, and the brand is now up for two consecutive months from its August trough of 8.0%.

The brand's raw mention presence fell 26.6 points against baseline, from 63.1% in July to 36.5% in October. Its top-three rate eased to 11.1% from 13.4%, with 14 top-three placements against 20 in July. Rank-one rate held flat at 4.0%, with 5 rank-one placements against 6 in July.

The distinction is between presence and coverage. Sunrise Senior Living appears in 36.5% of AI answers in October against 63.1% in July, yet it retains 15.1% valid recommendation coverage and the second position in the category. The brand is named in far fewer answers, but its recommendation coverage has not fallen proportionally. Highest-priority diagnostic: which prompts no longer produce a Sunrise mention at all, and whether the brands now filling those answers are direct senior living operators or third-party directories.

Belmont Village

Belmont Village rose 3.8 points against the July baseline, from 8.1% to 11.9%, and 1.6 points against the prior month, from 10.3% in September. Both movements sit within normal variation, and the brand is now up for two consecutive months.

The brand's placement metrics moved against baseline without a corresponding presence gain. Its top-three rate rose from 3.4% in July to 7.9% in October, and its rank-one rate rose from 1.3% to 4.0%. Belmont Village recorded 15 valid recommendations in October against 12 in July, with 5 rank-one placements against 2. Raw mention presence eased slightly to 13.5% from 14.1%.

The distinction to notice is that Belmont Village's coverage grew on a flat presence rate, meaning its mentions shifted toward answers that carry recommendation weight. It holds the fourth position in the category and a placement profile closer to the top three than to the brands below it. Highest-priority diagnostic: which prompt themes produced the 15 valid recommendations, and whether the top-three gain clusters on particular surfaces.

Atria Senior Living

Atria Senior Living rose 3.4 points against the prior month, from 10.9% in September to 14.3% in October, its second consecutive month up. Against the July baseline of 18.1%, coverage remains down 3.8 points, within normal variation.

The brand's raw mention presence fell 17.7 points against baseline, from 51.0% in July to 33.3% in October. Top-three rate eased to 12.7% from 13.4%, and rank-one rate held at 3.2% against 3.4%. Atria recorded 18 valid recommendations in October against 27 in July.

The distinction is that Atria's recommendation coverage moved up two months in a row while its presence remained well below its July level. Like Sunrise, the brand's mention volume has fallen more than its recommendation coverage. Highest-priority diagnostic: whether the presence contraction reflects a change in which queries produce operator mentions at all, or a shift toward other brands in the same answers.

Life Care Services (LCS) and Erickson Senior Living

Life Care Services (LCS) declined 3.6 points against the July baseline, from 6.0% to 2.4%, but rose 1.8 points against the prior month, from 0.6% in September. Raw mention presence held essentially flat at 21.4% against 20.8%, and the brand recorded 3 valid recommendations in October.

Erickson Senior Living declined 0.6 points against the July baseline and 2.2 points against the prior month, from 7.0% in September to 4.8% in October, with 6 valid recommendations recorded in October. Its raw mention presence fell 10.1 points against baseline, from 31.5% in July to 21.4% in October, a larger shift than its coverage change over the same span.

The distinction for both brands is the gap between presence and recommendation conversion. LCS appears in 21.4% of answers but converts to 3 valid recommendations, while Erickson appears in 21.4% and converts to 6. Highest-priority diagnostic: which competitors take the recommendation in answers where each brand is mentioned but not recommended.

Buyer-Intent Interpretation

Questions This Section Answers

• Which buyer-intent clusters did October's qualified observations actually fall into?
• Why can't the benchmark yet answer which brand wins on price positioning or head-to-head comparisons?

In October, all 126 qualified observations fell into the brand recommendation cluster. No qualified observations were recorded for pricing and value or multi-brand comparison, despite the raw collection including 3 pricing analysis answers and 1 comparison analysis answer. The public benchmark therefore cannot yet answer which brand wins on price positioning or in head-to-head comparisons. The commercial question this category can answer is narrower: when a buyer asks for a recommendation, which brand appears, not which brand offers the better value proposition or wins a direct comparison.

Brand Opportunity Summary

Questions This Section Answers

• Which brand is flagged as a watch item, and which leading brands show a two-month streak up?
• What unanswered diagnostic does the benchmark identify for each brand's coverage signal?

The benchmark identifies where attention is warranted; a company-level analysis is needed to explain why.

Evidence Behind the Benchmark

The aggregate metrics are built from prompt-level observations covering the query, the AI surface used, the recommendation outcome, the rank of each brand mentioned, the sentiment expressed, and citations where exposed. Company-level analysis can go deeper into prompt, competitor, surface, and evidence patterns. Source presence is not automatically treated as proof of causation.

About This Benchmark

This report is part of the LLM Authority Index AI Visibility Market Discovery research program.

• AI Visibility Industry Market Methodology
• AI Visibility Industry Market Metrics
• AI Visibility Industry Market Standards

Report-Specific Interpretation Notes

• Small-count movement: several brands in this category operate on very small absolute counts (Five Star Senior Living at 1 valid recommendation, Sonida Senior Living at 1, LCS at 3, Pegasus at 4). Their percentage movements represent a handful of observations and should be read with that context.
• Qualified denominator vs raw collection: percentages are calculated against the 126 qualified observations in October, not the 682 total prompts or the 537 relevant prompts. This means presence and coverage figures are conservative relative to the full collection.
• Month-over-month movement identifies changes worth investigating. The benchmark does not establish the cause of those changes. The October contraction of the qualified set from 156 to 126 observations changes the denominator and should be considered when comparing September movements to the broader series.

Next Step

The Public Benchmark Shows Where a Brand Is Winning or Losing. A Company-Level Audit Shows Why.

Beneath the aggregate percentages sit specific questions: which high-intent prompts are won, which competitor takes the recommendation when a brand loses, what attributes AI associates with each facility option, and which external sources shape those answers. The October data shows which brands gained and lost coverage, but not the prompt-level reasons why those movements occurred.

A company-specific AI visibility audit maps those prompt, surface, competitor, ranking, sentiment, and evidence-source patterns into a prioritized visibility strategy. This turns the benchmark's directional signal into an actionable plan for restoring or extending recommendation coverage.

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