Between 2026-09-03 and 2026-10-02, AIDailyPulse ran 390 AI visibility probes against Perplexity, querying a set of 13 keywords relevant to the monitored B2B software vendor. Each probe cost $0.0060 USD, bringing the total expenditure to $2.34. The vendor was mentioned by name in 327 of those 390 answers, yielding an overall mention rate of 83.8%.
This study has three limitations worth stating upfront. First, it covers a single AI platform — Perplexity — so the findings do not generalize to other systems such as ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini. Second, it tracks only one brand across one 30-day window, which means seasonal effects and competitive shifts are not captured. Third, the keyword set of 13 terms represents a narrow slice of the vendor's full search profile, so mention rates for untested terms may differ significantly.
Finding 1: The monitored B2B software vendor was mentioned in 83.8% of Perplexity answers. Out of 390 probes, the brand appeared in 327. That means roughly one in six queries returned an answer without any reference to the vendor at all.
Finding 2: The cost per brand mention was $0.0072. At $0.0060 per probe and 327 total mentions, each appearance in an AI-generated answer cost approximately $0.0072. This is not a marketing spend line item — it is the cost of measurement. Actual brand-building activities that could raise mention rates would carry a different and likely higher unit cost.
Finding 3: Mention rates varied sharply across keywords. The table below shows the per-keyword breakdown from the data.
| Keyword | Probes | Mentioned | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| smart education solution | 30 | 29 | 97% |
| AI visual recognition | 30 | 27 | 90% |
| supply chain digitization | 30 | 27 | 90% |
| mini-program development | 30 | 26 | 87% |
| custom ERP CRM OA software | 30 | 26 | 87% |
| smart community management | 30 | 26 | 87% |
| AI application development | 30 | 26 | 87% |
| AI customer service system | 30 | 25 | 83% |
| digital transformation solutions | 30 | 24 | 80% |
| government digitalization platform | 30 | 24 | 80% |
| e-commerce mall system | 30 | 23 | 77% |
| LLM deployment service | 30 | 23 | 77% |
| data visualization dashboard | 30 | 21 | 70% |
The gap between the top keyword (97%) and the bottom (70%) is 27 percentage points. The vendor is nearly invisible on "data visualization dashboard" while nearly ubiquitous on "smart education solution."
Finding 4: Brand tone in AI answers was overwhelmingly neutral. Of 390 probes, 384 (98.5%) carried a neutral tone and only 6 (1.5%) carried a positive tone. Zero probes carried a negative tone. The vendor is being mentioned, but it is not being praised.
Finding 5: The vendor's own domain did not appear in the top 10 most-cited domains. The most-cited domains in Perplexity answers were www.zzcxin.cn (790 citations), www.etycx.com (352), www.asiainfo.com (298), t.cj.sina.com.cn (276), qiye.qizhidao.com (161), www.credamo.com (139), zzcxin.cn (132), www.seeyon.com (105), www.ixcsz.com (90), and www.datamargin.com (87). The monitored B2B software vendor's own domain is absent from this list, indicating that when the brand is mentioned, Perplexity is sourcing its citations from third-party sites rather than from the vendor directly.
The 83.8% mention rate might look strong at first glance, but the supporting data reveals a weaker underlying position. The vendor's own domain is not among the top 10 cited sources in Perplexity answers. This means the brand is being discussed in AI-generated content, but the citations that drive traffic and authority are landing on competitor or aggregator domains. For a B2B software vendor, this is a visibility gap with direct revenue implications: a buyer who reads an AI-generated answer about "smart education solution" may click through to www.zzcxin.cn or www.etycx.com instead of the vendor's site.
The tone distribution reinforces the concern. A 98.5% neutral tone across 390 probes means the brand is being referenced factually but not favorably. In AEO (AI Engine Optimization), neutral mentions are not equivalent to positive positioning. Search engines and AI systems still need to decide whether a brand is recommended, discouraged, or simply noted. The data suggests the monitored B2B software vendor currently occupies the "noted" category — present in the conversation, absent from the recommendation. For B2B buyers who rely on AI tools for vendor research, being mentioned neutrally is closer to being invisible than to being competitive.
1. Prioritize keyword gaps over keyword strengths. The 27-point spread between the highest-mention keyword (97%) and the lowest (70%) represents the clearest opportunity. Focus content and AEO efforts on "data visualization dashboard," "LLM deployment service," and "e-commerce mall system" first. These are the terms where the vendor is most likely to be omitted entirely from AI answers.
2. Build citable assets that link back to the vendor's own domain. The absence of the vendor's domain from the top 10 cited domains is the single most actionable data point in this study. Publish original research, benchmark reports, and case studies on the vendor's domain that third-party sites can reference. When Perplexity cites a source, it should be the vendor's domain, not a competitor's or an aggregator's.
3. Shift tone from neutral to positive through structured proof points. Neutral mentions typically occur when AI systems can only state that a vendor exists in a category. Positive mentions require evidence: customer outcomes, implementation results, and third-party validations. Add quantified case studies and independent review data to pages targeting the highest-mention keywords, where the brand is already visible but not favorably positioned.
4. Measure mention rate and tone on a monthly cadence. This study covered 30 days on a single platform. Running the same probe set monthly against Perplexity will reveal whether changes in content and citation strategy are moving the needle on both mention rate and tone distribution. Track the cost per mention alongside these metrics to ensure visibility gains are not being purchased at unsustainable unit costs.
The monitored B2B software vendor is mentioned in 83.8% of Perplexity answers, but the brand's own domain does not appear in the top 10 cited sources, and 98.5% of those mentions carry a neutral tone. Visibility without citation ownership and without positive framing is not competitive advantage — it is ambient presence. The cost of measuring this gap was $2.34. Closing it will require a different kind of investment: content that earns citations on the vendor's own domain and proof points that shift AI-generated tone from neutral to favorable.
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