Why brand mentions matter more in the age of generative AI

Search keeps changing because of new technology, and generative AI is the latest big shift. Large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Bing’s Copilot are now part of how people search and discover content. As part of this change, brand mentions – online references to a product or service – have gained importance.

In this blog, we explain why brand mentions matter more in AI-driven search, how they help build trust and visibility, and what you can do to get more mentions.

Are brand mentions replacing backlinks?

Put simply, yes. Backlinks used to be the main way to show a website was trustworthy. If one site linked to another, it was a strong signal of quality. However, with the increased use of generative AI models, this has changed.

AI doesn’t just look for links. It learns from all sorts of online data, like social media posts, news stories, forums and reviews. From these, it finds brand mentions, even if they don’t have a link.
If your brand keeps showing up in trustworthy, high-quality content, AI tools are more likely to include it in search answers and suggestions.

Crucially though, citations are a way of giving credit to original sources. This can create a transparent trail back to the origin of content and ideas, and avoid plagiarism.

How do AI models use brand mentions?

LLMs are built on huge sets of data that include a wide variety of online content and use deep learning to identify patterns in human language. If your brand is frequently mentioned in high-quality sources – such as news outlets, blogs, or expert roundups – AI interprets this as a sign of credibility. As a result, it may be included in LLM training data, which can contribute to:

• inclusion in AI-generated answer summaries
• brand preference in suggested content
• increased likelihood of appearing in featured snippets or SGE responses.

The more often your brand is mentioned in a positive way, the more likely it is to show up in AI search results. This is extra important in topics like health, finance or law, where people need expert advice. AI looks for brands that show Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust (EEAT) so if your brand is mentioned often in trusted places, you’re more likely to appear in AI answers.

How to increase brand mentions

If you’re hoping to increase AI brand mentions, it’s important to pursue strategies that generate high-quality, contextual mentions across the web. These strategies may include:

• Leveraging digital PR: Run digital PR campaigns that give journalists a reason to mention your brand. This could be new research, industry stats or helpful guides and tools. Target media outlets your audience trusts, such as national news, trade publications, and niche blogs. Even without a link, a mention in the right place can boost your brand’s authority in AI systems.
• Publishing content that earns citations: Thought leadership, in-depth guides and original research naturally attract references. When other creators cite your brand as a source, it signals your credibility both for readers and AI. UFC (user-focused content) blogs, for example, can be a great way to increase visibility in AI overviews by directly answering questions users are asking.
• Partnering with influencers: Collaborate with influencers who are respected voices in your industry and have followers who may be interested in your brand. Not only can this draw a wide audience to your brand, but it also increases your visibility across social media, blogs and videos – all of which are scanned by AI models.
• Staying up to date with industry news and trends: If there’s breaking news in your industry, be among the first to respond by sharing your perspective on social media or publishing an expert blog. Quick, relevant input is more likely to get picked up across platforms, boosting your mention count and signalling to AI that you have authority on this topic.
• Encouraging user-generated mentions: Brand mentions don’t just come from media and influencers. Encourage your audience to talk about you by asking for reviews and testimonials, running social media competitions and sharing customer stories and case studies. These everyday mentions tell AI that your brand is trusted and worth recommending.

Tracking brand mentions in AI systems

To capitalise on brand mentions, it’s essential to monitor them actively and understand their impact. The focus shouldn’t just be on quantity – quality, sentiment, and source authority all matter.

There are a few different methods and tools you can use to track your brand mentions:

• Set up Google Alerts: Google Alerts tracks and keeps up to date with your brand mentions. It doesn’t analyse semantics, however, so you will have to manually review every mention to see the intent and impact.
• Use brand monitoring tools: With tools such as Semrush’s Brand Monitoring App, you can track your brand’s visibility and set up alerts for new mentions, negative sentiment and increased coverage. There is also an analytics tab with a clear overview of your brand’s performance online.
• Monitor review sites and forums: Authentic conversations about brands happen on public forums like Reddit or Quora. You can use social listening tools such as Semrush’s Media Monitoring App which gives an overview and analysis of your mentions in these forums.

As well as tracking brand mentions generally, there are also tools that allow you to track brand mentions in AI search results and overviews. Tools such as SEOmonitor allow you to track which keywords trigger AI overviews and whether your brand is featured. Monitoring this landscape gives insights into your share of voice and highlights gaps in your brand’s digital presence.

The role of digital PR

Digital PR is no longer just about links – it’s about building a credible, memorable presence across the web. When your brand is mentioned in trusted media, quoted by experts, or shared on social platforms, it builds a picture of authority. AI models notice these signals and may use your brand as a helpful source in future results.

An effective digital PR campaign will:

• target authoritative, niche-relevant publications
• focus on earning coverage with compelling stories
• cultivate long-term journalist and creator relationships
• align messaging with audience interests to improve organic pick-up.

Brands that prioritise earned mentions through digital PR, thought leadership, and strategic content marketing will be better positioned to appear in AI-generated results, giving them a vital edge in visibility and performance.

If you’re interested in boosting your mentions and AI brand visibility, get in touch with Click Consult today. Our experts can help create an award-winning strategy that gives your brand the recognition it deserves.