Mentions that make you visible: why AI engines choose some brands and not others

Why visibility in AI no longer depends on traditional SEO

For years, the goal of any digital strategy was clear: appear in the top Google results. But that paradigm has changed. Today, engines such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity do not show links, but rather generated responses. And in those responses, only a few brands appear.

The question many brands are now asking themselves is not ‘how do I position myself?’ but ‘how do I get AI to take me into account?’

The answer lies in mentions. But not just any mentions: those that occur in the right places, with the right context, and from sources that the models consider reliable.

The Data Confirms it: Mentions are Worth More than Links.

A recent study by Ahrefs on more than 75,000 brands has revealed a key piece of information: the variable most correlated with appearing in AI-generated summaries is not your domain or your backlinks. It is the number of brand mentions you receive on other sites.

• Correlation between brand mentions and visibility in AI: 0.664
• Correlation with domain authority: 0.137
• Correlation with backlinks: 0.056

This has enormous implications: you can have a technically flawless website, full of content, with quality links, and still not appear in AI responses if you are not part of the ecosystem of relevant mentions.

At Omnia, we have detected similar patterns. In a study of 10,000 purchase prompts in sectors such as fashion, technology, and health, we observed that 78% of the most visible brands in AI did not have the best-ranked domain on Google, but they were mentioned in key media outlets, forums, and comparison sites.

Visibility in AI is no longer optional

Brands are not the only ones affected by this change in model. The media are also seeing the consequences. According to recent data:

• Forbes and HuffPost have lost more than 40% of their organic traffic.
• CNN, 28%.
• DailyMail, 32%.
• The Sun, 59%.

All this since Google started showing AI-generated answers in its results. The consequence? Users stop clicking. They stick with the summary.

The media response was swift:

• Reduced dependence on organic Google traffic.
• Focus on proprietary channels such as newsletters, subscription content, and exclusive formats.

And AI engines have made their move: Perplexity has launched Comet Plus, a programme that shares 80% of its revenue with media outlets that participate as sources. This is a clear sign that the future lies in integrating into the AI response system.

The key is not just the drop in traffic. It's that the model has changed. If the big media outlets are already getting into generative engines, it's because old SEO is no longer enough.

What sources do engines such as ChatGPT or Perplexity consult?

Generative engines don't just consult your website. They analyse millions of sources to build comprehensive, accurate and relevant responses. And, according to several studies, these are some of the most common sources:

• Established digital media
• Specialised forums such as Reddit, Quora, StackOverflow
• YouTube channels with industry authority
• Wikipedia
• Leading blogs, both personal and corporate
• Industry associations, scientific papers, universities

A recent analysis by Omnia confirms what many suspected: the overlap between sources appearing on the first page of Google and sources cited by models such as ChatGPT or Perplexity is surprisingly low.

In a study of thousands of responses generated between July and September 2025, we found that less than 15% of the citations used by the models match the sources ranked highest on Google. In some periods, that percentage falls below 5%.

This shows that generative models are building their own trust hierarchies. It is no longer enough to be on the first page of Google: if your domain is not in the sources that AI consults and cites, you simply do not exist in its responses.

Real-life examples: how external mentions boost your visibility

• A brand recommended on Reddit in several threads about ‘best trainers’ began to appear in responses generated on Perplexity, even ahead of traditional brands.
• A startup in the nutrition sector mentioned in an article on Forbes.com was included in several ChatGPT responses as an ‘emerging option’ alongside established brands.
• A YouTube channel that frequently mentions technology brands has been identified as the primary source in Gemini for prompts such as ‘best laptop for under £1,000.

Omnia allows you to track these patterns. For example, for the category ‘best computers’, we detected that Reddit, technology blogs, and YouTube videos are recurring sources. This allows brands to know where to invest their time, collaborations, or content.

At Omnia, we also detected something key: AI engines are not always based on the same sources. They change every day. Sometimes, for a single prompt, they use more than 100 different domains. That is why constantly monitoring these sources is not optional: it is what allows you to anticipate, understand how responses are constructed, and act before your competition.

What you can do today to improve your AI presence

1. Identify decision prompts: Detect the most frequently asked questions in your sector that trigger purchasing or recommendation decisions.
2. Analyse the models: Compare ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. Omnia allows you to see where you appear, how often, and alongside which competitors.
3. Study the sources cited: Which websites, media outlets, blogs, videos, or forums are serving as sources in your category?
4. Act accordingly: Don't just create content on your blog. Build relationships with the media, post on key forums, seek mentions on influential channels.
5. Measure your progress: Share of Voice in AI can and should be measured. Knowing whether you are rising or falling, and why, is what enables you to make decisions.

Conclusion: how to build authority in the new environment

Traditional SEO is no longer enough. Whereas search engine visibility used to be defined by rankings, today it is determined in environments where answers replace results.

And in this new scenario, content alone is not enough. What matters is who mentions you, where they mention you, and in what context. That is what determines whether your brand enters the conversation or not.

The good news is that this new environment, while challenging, is also an opportunity. Because it's no longer about competing on advertising budget or traffic volume. It's about having the right information and knowing how to use it. Knowing which prompts matter, which sources dominate your industry, and which strategies generate real impact.

Brands that are already investing in understanding how visibility works in AI have a head start. The rest run the risk of disappearing without even knowing it.

Now is the time to act. Because visibility is not something that is inherited, it is built. And in AI, it is built with data, decisions and focus.