Category AI Visibility Report
Paper Clips 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
≈1,577
Est. AI queries / month
7
Buyer topics monitored
10
Brands on the AI shelf
Key insights
- Over the last 30 days, GEOly monitored 7 buyer topics in Paper Clips across ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, Google AI Overviews — an estimated 1,577 AI queries per month.
- Staples leads the AI shelf with 24.9% of brand mentions, followed by Acco (15.7%) and Officemate (10.6%). The top three hold 51.2% combined — a concentrated shelf where challengers need a differentiated topic wedge.
- The highest-demand topic is “Plastic paper clips” (top keyword “paper clips plastic”, ~720 searches/mo).
- AI answers lean on staples.com most (44.8% 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 | Staples | 583 | 24.9% |
| 2 | Acco | 369 | 15.7% |
| 3 | Officemate | 249 | 10.6% |
| 4 | JAM Paper | 186 | 7.9% |
| 5 | Pen+Gear | 88 | 3.8% |
| 6 | Baumgartens | 67 | 2.9% |
| 7 | Midori | 57 | 2.4% |
| 8 | U Brands | 55 | 2.3% |
| 9 | Tools to Liveby | 43 | 1.8% |
| 10 | BAZIC | 40 | 1.7% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plastic paper clips | ≈809 | paper clips plastic | 720 |
| Heavy duty paper clips | ≈768 | heavy duty paper clips | 260 |
| Colored paper clips | — | red paper clip | 5,400 |
| Small paper clips | — | small paper clips | 590 |
| Decorative paper clips | — | art paper clips | 8,100 |
| Large paper clips | — | paper clips big | 1,600 |
| Standard paper clips | — | paper clips | 60,500 |
Sources AI cites in this category
Root domains AI engines cited most when answering category queries in the last 30 days.
| Domain | Citations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| staples.com | 147 | 44.8% |
| walmart.com | 43 | 13.1% |
| custompaperclips.com | 37 | 11.3% |
| reddit.com | 22 | 6.7% |
| journeymanhq.com | 15 | 4.6% |
| etsy.com | 11 | 3.4% |
| webstaurantstore.com | 10 | 3% |
| target.com | 9 | 2.7% |
Related category reports
FAQ
Which brands do AI assistants recommend most for paper clips?
Over the last 30 days the top brands by AI mention share are: Staples (24.9%), Acco (15.7%), Officemate (10.6%), JAM Paper (7.9%), Pen+Gear (3.8%). Data from GEOly's continuous monitoring across ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, Google AI Overviews.
How many people ask AI about paper clips?
GEOly estimates ~1,577 AI queries per month in this category across 7 buyer topics, led by “Plastic paper clips”.
Which sources do AI engines cite for paper clips?
The most-cited domains are: staples.com, walmart.com, custompaperclips.com, reddit.com, journeymanhq.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.