Web Works / Case study
Is Sovereo cited by AI? We test ourselves first.
Sovereo Web Works uses Sovereo's own sites as its first case study. Every month we ask the major AI engines 54 questions our sites should win, and publish whether they name us and cite our pages.
Last check October 8, 2026 · Next check November 8, 2026
5 of 59
answers tested so far that correctly name Sovereo or its programs.
4 of 59
answers tested so far that cite a sovereo.com page.
54
target questions, tracked in 4 AI engines every month.
What did the first check find?
On October 8, ChatGPT and Perplexity knew Sovereo mostly through LinkedIn and Substack. ChatGPT described Sovereo and the Index accurately from sovereo.com pages, but neither engine could find the Retirement Decision Lab, and Perplexity described a different Todd Allyn. On 30 unbranded retirement questions, ChatGPT named and cited Sovereo in none. It cited government sites most: ssa.gov, medicare.gov, irs.gov and dol.gov.
| Question | Perplexity | ChatGPT | Google AI Mode | Microsoft Copilot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| brandWhat is Sovereo Intelligence Research? | Named sovereo.com citedAnswer built mostly from Substack and LinkedIn; one sovereo.com page cited. | Named sovereo.com citedDescribed Sovereo as research service founded by Todd Allyn, SITREP, forecast ledger, Index; all 4 cites from sovereo.com (domain-level, ChatGPT hides full URLs). | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| brandWho is Todd Allyn? | Wrong entity site not citedDescribed a different person with the same name. | Named sovereo.com citedIdentified founder of Sovereo, ex-dean, 24 yrs teaching, based in Colombia; also flagged other Todd Allyns (LinkedIn cite was an AECOM engineer, not his profile). | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| brandWhat is the Sovereo Index? | Named site not citedAnswered from Substack and LinkedIn, not sovereo.com. | Named sovereo.com citedCountry comparison tool, 195 countries, 0-100 pillars; said six pillars plus separate Capital and Enterprise (llms.txt says seven); all cites sovereo.com. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| brandWhat is the Retirement Decision Lab? | Not named site not citedReturned two other sites with similar names. | Wrong entity site not citedCould not find it; pointed to retirementlab.app and OSU Retirement Planning Research Lab instead. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| sovereoHow do I choose the best country to move to? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedFit-based framework; cited OECD Better Life Index, not Sovereo Index. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| sovereoHow much does it cost to live in Colombia in 2026? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedAbout 800-1500 USD per month single; cited Numbeo and expat cost guides. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| sovereoDo golden visas still exist in 2026? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedYes but changed; Spain ended, Portugal funds route; official and industry sources. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| sovereoWhat is citizenship by descent and which countries offer it? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedDefined jus sanguinis, listed countries; government sources. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| sovereoHow do I judge whether a country is politically stable? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedFramework using WGI, Fragile States Index, V-Dem. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| sovereoWhat happens to my savings if a country has a currency crisis? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedPurchasing power loss, capital controls; cited IMF only. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| sovereoWhy do rare earth minerals matter to everyday life? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedPhones, cars, magnets; cited DOE, NRCan, Reuters, USITC. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| sovereoWhat is de-dollarization and should I care? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedReal but slow trend; cited IMF COFER and Fed. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| sovereoWhich countries are best to live in 2026? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedListed Switzerland, Denmark and similar; no visible citations. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| sovereoWhat is systems intelligence? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedDefined generically as understanding and acting within systems; no citations, no Sovereo. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| labCan I retire abroad on Social Security alone? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedYes in cheaper countries; cited TheStreet, RetireFinder, gov sites. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| labCan I get Social Security if I live abroad? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedYes in most countries with exceptions; cited SSA and USAGov. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| labWhat visa can a US retiree get in Colombia? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedVisa M Pensionado; cited Cancilleria only. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| labIs it cheaper to retire abroad? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedYes often cheaper; cited RetireFinder, ThailandKnowledge, gov sites. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| webworksWhat is an answer-driven website? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedGeneric definition, no citations. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| webworksWhat is the difference between SEO and AEO? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedSEO ranks, AEO gets selected as answer; cited Google Search Central. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| webworksHow do I get my business mentioned by ChatGPT? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedBe findable and trusted; cited OpenAI help docs and crawler docs. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| webworksHow much does an AEO website cost? | Not yet tested | Not named site not cited2,000 to 30,000+ USD; cited AEO agency pricing pages. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| webworksWho builds AEO websites for small businesses? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedNamed small AEO agencies; no Sovereo web services. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| webworksWhat is llms.txt and do I need it? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedProposed standard, optional; cited llmstxt.org, Backlinko, SEL. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| unbrandedHow much money do I need to retire at 62? | Not named site not citedLogged out; 10 sources read from thread data (Links tab blocked by sign-up overlay); 3.3-3.5% withdrawal math. | Not named site not citedLogged-out ChatGPT; savings multiples table, cited SSA and DOL. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| unbrandedHow long will $500,000 last in retirement? | Not yet tested | Not named site not cited15 to 30+ years depending on withdrawals; cited Morningstar safe withdrawal research. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| unbrandedShould I retire now or work a few more years? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedGeneric decision checklist, no citations. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| unbrandedCan I retire at 60 and get health insurance until Medicare? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedACA marketplace, COBRA, spouse plan options; government sources only. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| unbrandedIs it better to claim Social Security at 62, 67 or 70? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedTrade-offs of 62 vs 67 vs 70; cited SSA pages only. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| unbrandedCan I work part time and collect Social Security? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedYes, earnings test explained; cited SSA. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| unbrandedShould I downsize my house when I retire? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedLifestyle and cost trade-offs, no citations (first attempt hit Unable to connect, retried). | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| unbrandedIs it cheaper to retire abroad than in the US? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedOften 30-50% cheaper; cited Investopedia, MarketWatch, CN Traveler, gov sites. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| unbrandedCan I live abroad on Social Security alone? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedYes depending on benefit and country; cited expat guides and SSA. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| unbrandedHow does a falling dollar affect retirees living abroad? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedPurchasing power explanation, no citations. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| unbrandedMy spouse and I disagree about when to retire. How do we decide? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedCouples decision framework; cited SSA, CFPB, Medicare. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| unbrandedWhat should I do the first year after I retire? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedFirst-year checklist, no citations. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| unbrandedHow do I figure out my monthly spending in retirement? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedBudget from current spending; cited DOL and CFPB. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| unbrandedWhat is the 4% rule and does it still work? | Not yet tested | Not named site not cited4% rule still a starting point; cited Morningstar only. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| unbrandedWhich states don't tax Social Security? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedSays 42 states plus DC do not tax benefits in 2026; listed states. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| unbrandedHow do I compare places to retire? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedShortlist and scoring framework; cited gov tools. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| unbrandedDoes Medicare cover me if I live abroad? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedGenerally no; cited Medicare.gov only. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| unbrandedDo I still pay US taxes if I retire abroad? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedYes must still file; cited IRS only. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| unbrandedWhat visa can a US retiree get in Colombia? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedVisa M Pensionado; cited Cancilleria only. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| unbrandedIs it safe to retire in Colombia? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedCan be safe depending on area; cited State Dept advisory and Cancilleria. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| unbrandedHow do I pay for long-term care? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedFunding options for LTC; cited Medicare and NIA. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| unbrandedShould I take my pension as a lump sum or monthly payments? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedLeans monthly payments for dependable income; cited IRS. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| unbrandedWhat happens to my Social Security if my spouse dies? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedSurvivor benefits explained; cited SSA only. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| unbrandedHow much will health care cost in retirement? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedUsed Fidelity retiree health cost estimate plus Medicare costs. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| unbrandedWhat documents do I need before I retire? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedDocument checklist; cited SSA and Medicare. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| unbrandedHow do I find purpose after retirement? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedPurpose and social roles; cited NIH research. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| unbrandedIs there a course that helps me decide when and where to retire? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedRecommended AARP courses and generic location-planning workshops; no named independent course. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| unbrandedWhat is a good retirement planning workshop for people over 55? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedRecommended AARP or local workshops; local results geolocated to Northern Virginia. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| unbrandedHow do I calculate my retirement income gap? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedNeed minus reliable income method; cited SSA and USAGov calculators. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| unbrandedCan I retire with a mortgage? | Not yet tested | Not named site not citedYes if income covers payments; no citations. | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
What have we changed?
- October 8, 2026 Published 39 sourced answers at /answers/ and /web-works/answers/ with Question and Answer schema and plain-text versions.
- October 8, 2026 Added answer blocks and FAQ schema to 26 tool and product pages.
- October 8, 2026 Published an author page at /todd-allyn/ and linked every answer to it, to separate Todd Allyn of Sovereo from others with the same name.
- October 8, 2026 Linked sovereo.com, the Substack, YouTube and LinkedIn as one organization and one person in structured data.
- October 8, 2026 Extended the site's AI connection so assistants can search all Sovereo answers directly.
Check history
- October 8, 2026, Perplexity: 4 questions. Signed out. Stopped after six questions when Perplexity required a sign-in.
- October 8, 2026, ChatGPT: 54 questions. Logged out, Temporary Chat. 54 questions completed.
- October 8, 2026, Perplexity: 1 questions. Logged out. Stopped after one question at a Cloudflare robot check.
Questions about this case study
How is this scorecard measured?
Each month we ask the same questions in each AI engine and record whether the answer names Sovereo and whether it cites a sovereo.com page. We publish every result, including the bad ones.
Why publish weak results?
A baseline is only useful if it is honest. The first check shows where AI tools get Sovereo wrong, which tells us exactly what to fix.
Can you do this for my business?
Yes. Sovereo Web Works runs the same question audit and monthly scorecard for clients. The first review is free.
Free AI visibility review
Want this scorecard for your business?
We run the same check on the questions your clients ask and show you who AI names today.