Did you know that 65% of marketers saw major ranking shifts after Google’s AI algorithm updates in 2024? That’s a significant shake-up, and it’s forcing brands to rethink how they show up in search.
While familiar platforms like Google and Bing remain central to how AI tools index content, the way users seek out information is shifting. If visibility matters to your brand, it’s worth understanding what these platforms are actually prioritising and why.
The search landscape is changing
AI-powered tools are shifting away from traditional SEO signals like backlinks and keyword density. Instead, they’re scanning for signs of credibility and relevance – who’s mentioning your brand, in what context, and how trustworthy those sources are. Brand mentions now act as markers of authority, helping AI decide what content deserves to be surfaced.
To put that into context, a quote from your spokesperson in a respected industry piece will carry more weight than a fleeting mention in a generic blog. What matters is the quality of the reference and the credibility of the platform. Whether it’s a namecheck in a trade article, a mention in a podcast transcript or a quote in a blog, these signals help ensure your brand is recognised, referenced and ranked. Not just by search engines, but by the generative platforms shaping how audiences evaluate expertise.
Why brand mentions are overtaking backlinks
For years, backlinks were the holy grail of SEO. They signalled authority, boosted rankings and helped brands climb the search ladder. But with the rise of AI-powered search tools and large language models (LLMs), the rules are being rewritten. These systems go beyond crawling for links and are now scanning for context, relevance and reputation.
Mentions are becoming a key indicator of credibility. AI tools are increasingly picking up on the subtler cues: who’s being quoted, who’s being referenced, and who’s part of the conversation. Links still matter, but brand mentions – defined as references to a company name, its spokespeople, or its products/services across credible sources -are what AI is really listening for in 2025 and beyond. Frequency, placement, and the quality of what’s being said all play a role.
AI search tools are changing how brands are discovered
Newer platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Claude are already influencing how information is surfaced. As these tools become increasingly used for product recommendations, service comparisons and brand insights, it’s increasingly important that brands are visible in the responses they generate.
If your brand is contributing meaningfully to the conversations your audience is paying attention to, these tools will pick it up. For instance, a HR firm quoted in a Raconteur feature on workplace wellbeing will be far more likely to be picked up by Google’s AI search feature, in comparison to a fleeting mention in a generic blog.
In short, if your brand isn’t being talked about in the right places, you may be absent from the results altogether regardless of how strong your offer is.
PR and marketing teams need to rethink their metrics
Naturally, this shift has significant implications for PR and marketing professionals; it’s no longer enough to count coverage volume or chase backlinks.
If brand mentions are now influencing how AI tools rank and surface content, marketers need to know where those mentions are happening, how often, and in what context. That means looking beyond coverage volume and backlinks, and asking whether your brand is being cited in credible, expert-led sources. If it’s not part of your reporting framework, it’s time to rethink what you’re measuring.
Skout’s measurement service is built to do exactly that, tracking both outcomes and impact, so you can see not just what’s been delivered, but what it’s actually doing for your brand.
The future of PR is reputation-led
Reputation is fast becoming the real measure of success in PR. In an AI-led search environment, visibility depends on how consistently and credibly a brand is referenced, not just how often it appears.
If your strategy leans too heavily on link-building and coverage volume, it may be missing the mark. What matters now is whether your brand is part of the right conversations, cited by trusted voices, and recognised as a source of authority. That’s what AI is picking up on and that’s what will set your brand apart.
Want to know how your brand measures up? Get in touch to find out how we can help you build visibility that AI can’t ignore.
