Why it matters
Models look for the original source of a number. Stats that only you have get cited by journalists and AI alike, and mentions in trusted media carry the most weight for recommendations. This is the longest action, with the biggest effect.
Step by step
Pick a question your niche has no fresh number for: “how many…”, “how often…”, “what share…”.
Collect the data: a survey (100+ responses) or an analysis of your own customer and order data.
Publish the report on your site: key numbers up top, then methodology, sample, and date.
Write 3–5 numbers that are easy to quote in one sentence.
Pitch those numbers to journalists and the media outlets AI cites in your niche.
Template: Pitch email to a journalist
Subject: New data: [key number] in [niche], 2026
Hi [Name],
We surveyed [N] [respondent type] and found:
- [number 1]
- [number 2]
- [number 3]
Methodology and full report: [link].
Our expert is available for comment: [name, title].
[Your name, contact info]How to know it’s done
The report is live with its methodology, and at least 2 third-party publications have cited your numbers with a link.
Common mistake
Publishing a report without a methodology. Without a sample and a date, neither journalists nor AI will cite the number.
How to see the impact
Track media mentions of your numbers, and check whether AI uses your data to answer questions in your niche. Early results usually show up within 1–3 months.
If you use Dabudai, watch Coverage and Recommendation Rate on Overview, and check Sources for new publications that mention you.
app.dabud.ai · Overview
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Questions
How many respondents do I need?
100 or more. For a niche, that’s enough as long as you describe the sample and methodology honestly.
Where do I get data if a survey is hard to run?
Analyze your own customer, order, or market data. Leave out personal data and include a methodology.
How do I get the number cited?
State it in one sentence, put it at the top of the report, and pitch it to journalists along with an expert comment.
From people already doing this
★★★★★
We can finally see how AI recommends us
«Before, we had no idea how AI tools recommended our business or how they described it. Now we can see both, and some of the insights turned out to be incredibly useful.»
Daniel Nowak
· CMO, medical tourism company
GO DEEPER
Learn more about original research in Lesson 8.3 of the Dabudai Learning Center, with examples and a check on your own data.
Sources
¹ Estimated impact of each action and the niche tables comes from Dabudai’s analysis of 350,000 AI answers across 2,300 websites (ChatGPT, ChatGPT Search, Google AI Overviews, Google AI Mode), October 2026. These are average ranges: your results depend on your niche, competitors, and starting point.