Category AI Visibility Report
Paper Towels AI Visibility Report 2026: Top Brands & Buyer Topics in AI Search
Data updated 2026-08-27 · 30-day window · ChatGPT · Google AI Mode · Google AI Overviews
≈8,490
Est. AI queries / month
6
Buyer topics monitored
10
Brands on the AI shelf
Key insights
- Over the last 30 days, GEOly monitored 6 buyer topics in Paper Towels across ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, Google AI Overviews — an estimated 8,490 AI queries per month.
- Bounty leads the AI shelf with 13.3% of brand mentions, followed by Scott (13.2%) and Viva (8.1%). The top three hold 34.6% combined — a shelf that has not consolidated yet, leaving a clear window for challengers.
- The highest-demand topic is “microwave-safe paper towels” (top keyword “can you put paper towels in microwave”, ~3,600 searches/mo).
- AI answers lean on consumerreports.org most (13.5% of citations) — earning presence on these sources is the shortest path to being recommended.
Brands AI recommends most
Share of brand mentions across AI answers in the last 30 days (Share of Model).
| # | Brand | AI mentions | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bounty | 429 | 13.3% |
| 2 | Scott | 426 | 13.2% |
| 3 | Viva | 262 | 8.1% |
| 4 | Brawny | 233 | 7.2% |
| 5 | Seventh Generation | 180 | 5.6% |
| 6 | Reel | 148 | 4.6% |
| 7 | Kirkland | 144 | 4.5% |
| 8 | Pacific Blue | 123 | 3.8% |
| 9 | Tork | 120 | 3.7% |
| 10 | Kleenex | 90 | 2.8% |
What shoppers ask AI
Buyer topics monitored in this category, with estimated monthly AI queries and the top Google keyword behind each topic.
| Topic | Est. AI queries / mo | Top keyword | Search volume / mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| microwave-safe paper towels | ≈4,500 | can you put paper towels in microwave | 3,600 |
| blue paper towels | ≈3,990 | blue paper towels | 1,900 |
| best paper towels | — | towels paper towels | 74,000 |
| paper towels for dispensers | — | paper dispenser towels | 12,100 |
| eco-friendly paper towels | — | eco friendly paper towels | 1,600 |
| reusable paper towels | — | reusable paper towels | 14,800 |
Sources AI cites in this category
Root domains AI engines cited most when answering category queries in the last 30 days.
| Domain | Citations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| consumerreports.org | 72 | 13.5% |
| goodhousekeeping.com | 66 | 12.3% |
| reddit.com | 59 | 11% |
| techgearlab.com | 42 | 7.9% |
| seriouseats.com | 39 | 7.3% |
| kcprofessional.com | 26 | 4.9% |
| homedepot.com | 21 | 3.9% |
| nrdc.org | 19 | 3.6% |
Related category reports
FAQ
Which brands do AI assistants recommend most for paper towels?
Over the last 30 days the top brands by AI mention share are: Bounty (13.3%), Scott (13.2%), Viva (8.1%), Brawny (7.2%), Seventh Generation (5.6%). Data from GEOly's continuous monitoring across ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, Google AI Overviews.
How many people ask AI about paper towels?
GEOly estimates ~8,490 AI queries per month in this category across 6 buyer topics, led by “microwave-safe paper towels”.
Which sources do AI engines cite for paper towels?
The most-cited domains are: consumerreports.org, goodhousekeeping.com, reddit.com, techgearlab.com, seriouseats.com. Building brand presence on these sources is the most direct way to win AI recommendations.
Methodology
GEOly continuously runs category buyer prompts across ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, Google AI Overviews and records which brands are mentioned and which sources are cited. Figures aggregate a 30-day window; AI query volumes are modeled estimates from keyword demand and AI-adoption share. Data: GEOly MCP Server, updated 2026-08-27.
See your brand inside this category
GEOly tracks how ChatGPT, Google AI Mode and Google AI Overviews mention, rank and cite your brand against every competitor above — and what to fix to win the AI shelf.