How Brands can Influence AI Search Visibility
AI-powered search is reshaping how consumers discover brands, shifting behaviour from browsing links to receiving summarised answers with embedded recommendations. With around 50% of users now relying on AI tools for search, visibility within large language model (LLM) outputs is becoming a critical new battleground for marketers.
The research finds that LLM visibility is primarily driven by long-term brand equity (63%), meaning established brands naturally dominate due to years of accumulated awareness and presence. However, 37% of visibility is still actively influenceable. The most significant controllable driver is wider marketing activity (22%), followed by citations (11%) and PR/influencer activity (4%).
Unlike traditional SEO, LLMs favour conversational, question-led content and over-index on user-generated sources such as reviews, Reddit discussions, and creator commentary. This creates more opportunity for smaller or challenger brands, as LLMs typically recommend multiple brands rather than defaulting to a single dominant player.
Crucially, while citations are often overemphasised, they play a relatively minor role. Instead, LLMs reflect broader patterns of brand presence across the internet. Campaigns that generate discussion, reviews, and cultural relevance are more likely to influence AI-generated responses over time.
Although traffic from LLMs is currently low (often under 1% of sessions), its impact is disproportionately high, contributing to around 5% of revenue. This suggests influence extends beyond measurable clicks, shaping consideration and decision-making earlier in the journey.
What this means for us:
The focus should shift from short-term optimisation tactics to building sustained brand presence and “talkability”. Challenger brands can compete by investing in upper-funnel activity that drives conversation, not just impressions. Media strategies should prioritise platforms that stimulate engagement (e.g. Reddit, YouTube, creator-led social), align PR and influencer work to key search themes, and ensure brands appear across the broader “query ecosystem” that LLMs draw from. Success will depend less on algorithms and more on building culturally relevant, widely discussed brands over time.