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Why do AI engines give different answers and how can your brand stand out?
Understand why ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini disagree and how to stay visible across all of them
Created by:
Ómar Thor
Posted on:
March 15, 2025
TLDR
ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini often give different answers to the exact same question.
That is because each AI engine uses different data sources, different training methods, and different logic when generating responses.
For B2B teams, this means your brand might appear in one engine and be completely invisible in another.
With Optise, you can see your visibility across multiple AI engines and learn how to strengthen your presence everywhere.
Smart Summary (At a glance)
AI engines disagree because they use different models and data sources
Visibility in one AI engine does not guarantee visibility in another
Consistency comes from clear messaging and strong authority signals
Optise helps you track where your brand appears and how to improve
Why AI engines produce different answers
AI engines are not search engines. They do not pull live results.
They produce answers using:
Training data
Retrieval systems
Model reasoning
Web context
Their own internal assumptions
This means the same question can lead to totally different outcomes.
Ask ChatGPT: “What are the best B2B website analytics tools?”
Ask Perplexity the same thing.
You will get different companies, different explanations, and sometimes completely different logic.
Understanding why this happens helps you understand how to influence it.
1. Each AI engine is trained differently
Every AI engine has its own training dataset.
Some use more enterprise data, others use more public web data, and some rely on their own curated sources.
This affects which brands they “remember,” trust, or associate with certain topics.
Example:
ChatGPT might favour brands with clearer product descriptions.
Perplexity might surface brands with strong topical authority across the web.
This diversity creates different answers.
2. AI engines use different retrieval methods
Some AI engines fetch fresh information from the web.
Others rely on cached or internal data.
Some blend both.
What this means:
Perplexity might include newer companies because it scans the web
ChatGPT might miss them if its model has not been updated
Gemini might summarise results based on Google-visible signals
Your visibility depends on which retrieval style an engine prefers.
3. They prioritise different ranking signals
Just like Google has ranking factors, AI engines have signals they prioritise.
These signals influence whether your brand is included.
AI engine ranking signals include:
Clarity of messaging
Topic authority
Structured content
Brand reputation
Consistent terminology
Strong explanations
Helpful educational content
If one AI engine understands your brand better, it will rank you more often.
4. They interpret vague questions differently
AI engines try to guess the intent behind a question.
The more open-ended a prompt is, the more variation you will see.
For example:
“What is the best B2B analytics tool?”
One engine might prioritise product analytics.
Another might focus on website analytics.
Another might think about marketing analytics.
The ambiguity creates different outcomes.
5. Your brand messaging might not be clear enough
If your messaging is unclear, inconsistent, or overly complicated, AI engines:
Struggle to identify what you do
Misclassify your product
Omit you from answers entirely
Clear messaging gives AI engines something to latch onto.
If you want consistency across AI platforms, you need consistency across your own content.
How your brand can stand out across all AI engines
You cannot force AI engines to mention you.
But you can help them understand you better.
Here’s how:
Use simple, precise explanations of what you do
Structure your content with clear headers and FAQ sections
Publish content that answers real user questions
Strengthen your topical authority with educational articles
Ensure your homepage clearly states your value
When your brand is easy to understand, AI engines include you more often.
How Optise helps you stay visible across AI engines
Different AI engines need different signals.
Optise tracks your visibility across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and others so you can see where you stand.
Optise shows you:
Which AI engines mention your brand
Which questions include or exclude you
How AI systems describe your company
How your visibility changes over time
Where competitors appear when you do not
This helps you identify gaps and improve your presence across the entire AI landscape.
Real example: our visibility across AI engines was different too
When we first tested Optise’s AI Engine Ranking feature on our own brand, we found something surprising.
ChatGPT: Zero mentions
Perplexity: Zero mentions
Gemini: Zero mentions
Not exactly a proud moment.
But when we improved our clarity, structure, and topical authority, something changed.
We started appearing in answers — and not just in one engine, but in multiple.
The engines disagreed at first, but over time, our consistency improved.
This is proof that AI visibility is something you can influence.
Optise POV
AI engines see your brand differently.
Your job is to create clarity so they all see the same thing.
Optise helps you measure and improve that clarity.
— Ómar, CEO
Conclusion
AI engines produce different answers because they learn from different sources and interpret questions differently.
Your goal is to stand out across all of them with clear, helpful, consistent content.
With Optise, you can finally track your AI visibility and adjust your strategy to make sure your brand is included wherever buyers are asking questions.
Get your free website insight and see how consistently your brand appears across AI engines.
FAQ
1. Why do ChatGPT and Perplexity give different answers?
They use different training data, retrieval methods, and ranking signals.
2. How can I make my brand appear in both?
Create clear, structured content and strengthen your authority around your category.
3. Does AI visibility affect B2B buying decisions?
Yes. AI answers often shape early impressions and vendor shortlist decisions.
4. Can I influence how AI engines describe my brand?
Yes. Clear messaging and strong website structure make a big difference.
5. How do I see where my brand appears?
Optise shows your visibility across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and more.
6. Why am I visible in one AI engine but not another?
Different engines favour different signals and interpret prompts differently.
7. What affects AI rankings the most?
Clarity, authority, structure, and consistent topic coverage.
8. How often should I check my AI visibility?
Weekly, since AI answers can change rapidly.
9. Can competitors outrank me in AI answers?
Yes, and Optise reveals when it happens and why.
10. What is the first step to improve?
Get your free website insight inside Optise and see where you appear today.
