Brand recommendations and AI search: How online chatter boosts visibility.
We all know that word-of-mouth is still one of the best ways to grow a business. But what if the person doing the recommending… isn’t a person at all?
That’s exactly what’s starting to happen with AI-powered search tools. They’re not just summarising the web – they’re learning from it. And that includes noticing what people are saying about your business, and how often they’re saying it.
This brings us to the third and final R in our AI search series: Recommendations.
What do we mean by recommendations?
In this context, a “recommendation” isn’t just someone leaving a 5-star review (though that definitely helps). It’s any mention of your business online that contributes to your credibility or visibility.
These mentions act as social proof, which AI tools use as signals of relevance and trust.
That includes:
- Online reviews (Google, HelloPeter, Facebook, etc.)
- Mentions on blogs or news sites
- Directory listings and supplier profiles
- Comments or shoutouts on social media
- Backlinks from other websites
- Discussions in forums or community pages
Even casual references – like someone linking to your blog in a Facebook group or tagging your business on Instagram – all count as digital word-of-mouth.
Why AI cares about who’s talking about you.
AI search tools are designed to recommend helpful, reliable content. So if your business is being mentioned frequently and positively across the web, that’s a strong signal you’re doing something worth paying attention to.
It also helps AI understand:
- What your business does
- Who your audience is
- What kind of problems you solve
- Whether people trust and value your work
These signals feed into how and when your brand might be included in AI-generated answers, lists, or summaries.
Small businesses are already getting leads from AI.
This isn’t just theory! Small businesses are already starting to see leads come through from AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, or so many others.
If this happens to you, this is invaluable real life data. If someone contacts you and says they found you via ChatGPT, take a moment to ask: “What were you searching for? What did it say about us?” These little insights can give you valuable clues about how your brand is being positioned – and why.
Was this your ideal client that found you, and if not, what can you change in the message you put out there to attract the perfect client.
Try it yourself: are you being recommended?
Get a sense of how you’re showing up.
Open ChatGPT or whatever AI Agent you prefer (ideally in incognito mode with a VPN if possible) and try some prompts like:
- Who is the best [your industry] in [your location]?
- What [type of business] is right for someone who needs [specific service]?
- Which [service provider] would suit a [persona] struggling with [problem]?
Take notes on what you see. Which businesses come up? What kind of language is used? It can be surprisingly insightful – and might show you areas to improve your visibility or messaging.
Mentions matter more than ever.
Search engines have always looked for signals of trust – and traditionally, backlinks played a big role in that.
But AI search is shifting the focus.
Now, it’s not just about who links to you, but who mentions you – and how frequently. That might include blogs, “best of” lists, interviews, directories, or even just social media comments. These mentions help reinforce your authority and build your presence in AI tools’ understanding of your brand.
For small businesses, this is actually great news. Getting mentioned in a thoughtful blog post or industry-specific list is often more achievable than chasing high-authority backlinks – and just as valuable for being picked up by AI.
What small businesses can do.
You don’t need hundreds of reviews or viral social posts. What matters is quality, consistency, and visibility.
Here’s how to start building up those recommendation signals:
- Encourage (and respond to) reviews
Ask happy clients to leave reviews on Google or other platforms your audience uses. Reply to them – it shows you’re active and responsive. - Get listed
Make sure your business is on relevant directories, partner pages, and community sites. Check that your name and contact info is consistent everywhere. - Be part of the conversation
Engage with your audience. Tag collaborators, share your work, comment on relevant posts. Each mention is a breadcrumb AI can follow. - Create shareable content
Blog posts, case studies, guides – content that’s genuinely helpful is more likely to be shared or linked to.
No need to go viral. Just be visible.
The good news? You don’t need a massive audience, a TikTok strategy, or a PR team to get noticed. You just need to start showing up – in real, useful, trustworthy ways.
Over time, those small mentions build momentum. And AI takes note.
Personalisation is working in your favour.
The more specific and relevant your business is to a particular type of client, the more likely it is that AI will make that match.
That’s because AI doesn’t just respond to general queries. It takes the user’s location, preferences, and previous activity – like past searches or conversations into account when crafting answers – which means it’s more likely to recommend niche, high-fit businesses over big generic brands.
If you’re clearly positioned, consistent in your messaging, and showing up in the right places, your business stands a much better chance of being recommended – even if you’re small.
In fact…I’ve just decided, we need a blogpost on this topic, because this is something I’ve heard for years…niche down…now I get why it is so important!
Pulling the three Rs together.
In case you missed the others:
This is the final post in our series about the 3 Rs and how to make your website and brand more visible in AI search.
Why websites still matter in an AI-obsessed world
Why AI search is a big opportunity for small businesses
Make your brand and website visible to AI search
Trust signals and AI search: Building a reputation that ranks
Your business doesn’t need to dominate to get noticed.
AI search is still evolving, but one thing’s already clear: it pays attention to more than just keywords.
It’s not just about what you say on your site – it’s about how the web responds to you. If people are recommending your business, AI is more likely to recommend it too. You need to show up clearly, consistently, and in the right places. That means sending out strong signals of recognition, reputation, and recommendation – in a way that both people and AI tools can understand.
Small signals add up. And if people are talking about your business online, AI is more likely to do the same.
Credits and inspiration
This post — and the full AI search series — was inspired by the brilliant work of Michelle Bourbonniere, PhD at Words on the Rise.
Her thoughtful insights on AI, SEO, and small business marketing helped shape our thinking throughout this series. If you’re curious to dive deeper, her blog is well worth a visit.
