How to Improve Your Brand's AI Mentions

You've audited your AI presence and discovered gaps. Now what? How do you actually improve how AI platforms mention your brand?

Unlike SEO where you control your own website, AEO requires influencing the broader information ecosystem. This guide provides six actionable tactics for better AI mentions.

Understanding the AEO Influence Map

AI platforms learn from:

• Web content: Articles, blogs, documentation
• Structured data: Wikipedia, databases, directories
• Social proof: Reviews, testimonials, discussions
• Media coverage: News, press releases, interviews
• Technical content: Documentation, API guides, tutorials
• Community signals: Forum discussions, Stack Overflow, Reddit

The principle: The more high-quality information about your brand in trusted sources, the better AI will know and represent you.

Tactic 1: Create Authoritative Content AI Can Reference

AI platforms preferentially cite authoritative, well-structured content.

What to Create

Comprehensive Guides

• In-depth how-to guides for your industry
• Use case documentation
• Best practices articles
• Industry research and reports

Example: Instead of "10 Tips for Project Management," write "The Complete Guide to Remote Team Project Management in 2026."

Thought Leadership

• Original research with data
• Industry analysis and trends
• Expert opinions on emerging topics
• Case studies with specific outcomes

Structured Reference Content

• Glossaries of industry terms
• Comparison matrices
• Feature documentation
• FAQ pages

Content Quality Signals

AI favors content that:

• Demonstrates expertise: Written by named experts
• Provides depth: 2000+ words with substantive detail
• Uses structure: Clear headings, lists, tables
• Cites sources: Links to credible references
• Stays current: Recently published or updated

Pro tip: Update your most important content every 6-12 months to maintain freshness signals.

Content Distribution

Create once, distribute everywhere:

• Your blog/website (primary source)
• Medium/Substack (broader reach)
• LinkedIn articles (professional audience)
• Industry publications (guest posts)
• YouTube (video transcripts get indexed)

Tactic 2: Earn Quality Media Coverage

Media mentions signal credibility to AI platforms.

Target Publications

Focus on:

• Industry trade publications (TechCrunch, VentureBeat for tech)
• Business media (Forbes, Inc, Fast Company)
• Niche industry sites (specific to your vertical)
• Podcasts (transcripts get indexed)
• News aggregators (Google News, Apple News)

Angles That Work

Product Launches

• Major feature releases
• New pricing tiers
• Platform expansions
• Integration partnerships

Company Milestones

• Funding rounds
• Customer acquisition numbers
• Awards and recognition
• Team expansion

Industry Commentary

• Expert quotes for trend pieces
• Reaction to industry news
• Data-driven insights
• Contrarian viewpoints

Customer Success

• Case studies with measurable outcomes
• Unusual use cases
• Large enterprise wins

Pitching Strategy

• Build relationships with 5-10 key journalists before you need them
• Offer exclusive data or insights
• Make their job easy (write the story for them)
• Follow up without being pushy
• Thank them when they cover you (builds goodwill)

Tactic 3: Optimize for Featured Snippets (SEO-AEO Bridge)

Google featured snippets train AI on structured answers.

Snippet-Friendly Content Format

Question-Answer Format

Q: What is [topic]?
A: [Concise, definitive answer in 40-60 words]

List Format

Steps to [accomplish task]:
1. [First step with brief explanation]
2. [Second step with brief explanation]
...

Table Format

| Feature | Product A | Product B |
|---------|-----------|-----------|
| Price   | $X        | $Y        |

Implementation

• Use H2/H3 tags for questions
• Answer immediately after the heading
• Keep answers to 40-80 words for snippets
• Use schema markup where applicable
• Structure content with clear hierarchy

Why this matters for AEO: AI platforms train on snippet-formatted content, learning structured ways to answer questions about your brand.

Tactic 4: Maintain Accurate Business Information

AI pulls from structured data sources for factual information.

Key Directories to Update

Essential Listings:

• Wikipedia (if notable enough)
• Crunchbase
• G2 / Capterra (for B2B)
• Trustpilot / Yelp (for consumer)
• LinkedIn Company Page
• Product Hunt

Industry-Specific:

• Tech: StackShare, BuiltWith, GitHub
• SaaS: GetApp, Software Advice
• Services: Clutch, GoodFirms

Information Consistency

Ensure these details match everywhere:

• Company description
• Founding year
• Headquarters location
• Employee count
• Product categories
• Pricing (if public)
• Key features

Why: When AI finds conflicting information, it may choose incorrectly or omit you entirely.

Tactic 5: Build Social Proof at Scale

Reviews and testimonials signal quality to AI platforms.

Review Platforms by Industry

B2B SaaS: G2, Capterra, TrustRadius Consumer: Trustpilot, Google Reviews, Yelp Developer Tools: GitHub Stars, npm downloads, Stack Overflow mentions Services: Clutch, Thumbtack, Angie's List

Review Acquisition Strategy

Make it Easy:

• Send review requests at peak satisfaction moments
• Provide direct links (not "search for us on G2")
• Offer multiple platform options
• Keep the ask simple and specific

Incentivize Ethically:

• ❌ Don't: Pay for positive reviews
• ✅ Do: Offer entry to prize drawing for any review
• ✅ Do: Provide early access to features for reviewers
• ✅ Do: Recognize reviewers in community spotlight

Respond to All Reviews

• Thank positive reviewers publicly
• Address negative reviews constructively
• Update reviews when you fix mentioned issues
• Show AI (and humans) that you care about feedback

Volume matters: 100+ reviews signals established credibility. Under 20 reviews may not influence AI much.

Tactic 6: Foster Community Discussions

AI learns from how communities discuss your brand.

Platform Strategy

Reddit:

• Participate authentically in relevant subreddits
• Answer questions without being salesy
• Share insights and helpful resources
• Build reputation before promoting

Stack Overflow / Dev Communities:

• Answer technical questions
• Reference your docs when relevant
• Build reputation as helpful expert
• Tag answers appropriately

LinkedIn:

• Share thought leadership
• Engage in industry discussions
• Comment on related posts
• Build personal brand alongside company brand

Discord / Slack Communities:

• Join industry communities
• Provide value before promoting
• Be transparent about affiliation
• Share authentic experiences

Community Guidelines

• Disclose affiliation clearly
• Prioritize being helpful over promotional
• Let community members advocate for you
• Never astroturf or create fake discussions

Why this works: AI platforms increasingly incorporate community consensus and discussions when assessing brands.

The Content Flywheel

These tactics work best when combined:

1. Create authoritative content
2. Distribute through owned and earned channels
3. Earn media coverage citing your content
4. Build reviews and social proof
5. Foster community discussions
6. Improve search visibility
7. Repeat cycle with learnings

Each reinforces the others, creating compound growth in AI mentions.

Measuring Impact

Track these metrics monthly:

Direct AEO Metrics:

• Mention rate across platforms
• Average position when mentioned
• Sentiment distribution
• Accuracy of descriptions

Leading Indicators:

• New media mentions
• Review count and ratings
• Community discussion volume
• Featured snippet acquisitions
• Backlink growth from authoritative sites

Timeline expectations:

• Month 1-2: Slow/no visible change
• Month 3-4: Initial improvements in some platforms
• Month 6+: Sustained improvement across platforms

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake #1: Only Creating Promotional Content AI ignores purely promotional material. Focus on educational and informative content.

Mistake #2: Neglecting Distribution Great content hidden on your blog won't influence AI. Distribute aggressively.

Mistake #3: Inconsistent Execution One blog post won't move the needle. Commit to consistent content creation.

Mistake #4: Focusing on One Platform AI trains on diverse sources. Build presence across multiple platforms and communities.

Mistake #5: Expecting Instant Results AEO is a long game. Model updates take time. Stay consistent.

Advanced Tactics

Once basics are covered, consider:

Structured Data Markup

• Schema.org markup for products
• JSON-LD for organization details
• Helps AI extract accurate information

API Documentation

• Well-documented APIs signal technical credibility
• Referenced by developers in discussions
• Shows up in technical searches

Open Source Contributions

• GitHub activity
• Package registries (npm, PyPI)
• Developer community respect

Academic Citations

• Whitepapers that get cited
• Research collaborations
• Conference presentations

Your 90-Day AEO Improvement Plan

Month 1: Foundation

• Week 1-2: Create 4 authoritative blog posts
• Week 3: Update all business listings
• Week 4: Start review acquisition campaign

Month 2: Distribution

• Week 1-2: Guest post on 2 industry sites
• Week 3: Pitch media on 1 newsworthy angle
• Week 4: Participate in 3 relevant communities

Month 3: Amplification

• Week 1-2: Create 4 more authority posts
• Week 3: Earn 2 podcast/interview features
• Week 4: Re-audit AI presence, measure progress

Repeat and refine based on what works.

Next Steps

• AEO for SaaS Companies - Industry-specific tactics
• How to Audit Your Brand's AI Presence - Measure your baseline
• What is Answer Engine Optimization? - Understand the fundamentals

Want to track your AEO improvements automatically? Start monitoring with Orbilo to see how your tactics impact AI mentions in real-time.