AI Brand Mentions: The New SEO Battleground?

[ethanmiller]

ith more people asking ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity for recommendations instead of scrolling search results, a new discipline is emerging: getting your brand mentioned (not just linked) by AI systems. A recent UK guide breaks down how agencies are shifting from traditional SEO toward Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) and entity-building. Curious where this community lands on it.

• Do you think "AI brand mentions" are a genuinely new discipline, or just digital PR and SEO rebranded for the AI era?
• If AI platforms increasingly decide which brands get recommended, does that concentrate too much power in a handful of algorithms — and should businesses be worried about that dependency?
• How do you measure success here? Traditional SEO has rankings and traffic — what does a credible "AI visibility" metric even look like right now?

Read the full guide: Best AI Brand Mention Agencies in the UK 2026

Drop your take below — especially if you've tested any GEO tactics yourself or noticed your brand (or a competitor's) showing up in AI-generated answers. Real examples welcome!

[Russell]

I think AI brand mentions are an evolution of SEO and digital PR rather than a completely new discipline. Strong content, authority, and trusted media coverage still matter, but they're now influencing AI recommendations too. Success should be measured by consistent brand mentions across AI platforms, referral traffic, branded searches, and increased customer inquiries not just traditional search rankings.

[lisajohn]

AI brand mentions are becoming just as valuable as traditional rankings. As AI search evolves, brands need trusted, high-quality content to stay visible and relevant. The future of SEO is definitely changing!