Why Your Brand Is Your Most Important SEO Asset in 2026

Users are moving beyond traditional search engines. They're turning to AI to find answers, compare products, and discover solutions. If you want to be the brand people see in AI responses, you need a new SEO branding strategy.

Keywords, backlinks, and on-page optimization aren't enough for SEO success. The door is opening for brand authority, reputation, and trust signals. You can use them to your brand's advantage, or be left out in the cold.

SEO's Evolution Toward Brand-Centricity

SEO is still relevant. But it's no longer a major growth lever on its own-it's one of the tactics in the new, AI-driven world.

With the rise of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), AI Optimization (AIO), and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)-which focuses on zero-click search and Google's AI Overview -relying solely on traditional Google rankings will no longer bring you the same amount of direct traffic.

You're not just fighting for the top spot in search results anymore. Visibility in AI chatbot responses and search overviews is your priority, now.

How Do LLMs Decide Which Brand to Mention?

Large language models (LLMs) prioritize brand authority. To be featured in AI search results, you need to shift your focus from individual keywords to understanding entities.

In the context of AI search, "entities" refers to specific brands, people, tools, or organizationsthat AI systems are designed to understand and prioritize. AI search engines like ChatGPT and Gemini are increasingly relying on recognizing these entities along with reputation and authority signals.

In short: your brand's reputation matters now more than ever.

This means signals like brand mentions in trusted publications are crucial for topical authority and entity recognition. Demonstrate real experience and expertise, and your brand will be far more likely to be cited.

Are Traditional SEO Signals Declining?

Traditional SEO signals like Google's E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) aren't declining. In fact, it's the opposite. AI systems thrive on high-quality, context-rich signals when generating answers.

For example, ChatGPT can use Bing's index, and Google's AI is linked to Google's search results. But there's still some concern about the effectiveness of traditional SEO ranking factors.

A study by Kevin Indig found that the top 10% of the most-cited pages across AI platforms have "much less traffic, rank for fewer keywords, and get fewer total backlinks" than typical SEO winners.

With the zero-click phenomenon, where users find answers directly within AI responses without clicking through to websites, even driving clicks becomes less relevant.

So, what's left in the advent of traditional organic metrics?

The Emergence of Brand-First Ranking

Brand visibility-in the right place, at the right time-should be your number one goal. Getting mentioned in relevant, authoritative media builds your brand's digital authority. As a result, AI gets a signal to recommend you as the solution.

This means that in the "brand-first" ranking environment, PR and SEO need to work together.

We're already seeing clear signals that this shift is happening:

• 4.4 times higher conversion rates from AI traffic: LLM responses often feel like personal recommendations, complete with solid reasoning. This makes them more persuasive than traditional search results.

• Correlation of domain authority with AI visibility: Domains that rank well in Google's organic top 10 are significantly more likely to be cited in AI-generated answers across various LLMs
• Deeper citation patterns within trusted domains: LLMs often cite lower-ranked URLs from high-authority domains, with ChatGPT pulling pages ranked 21+ nearly 90% of the time

• Google's AI Mode emphasizes trust over traditional rankings: Google's AI Mode selects sources based on perceived trust, relevance, and formatting. The average domain overlap between AI Mode and traditional organic results can be under 50%. This tells us that LLMs are increasingly weighing brand signals.

Why Will Brand Awareness Be More Important Than Ever in 2026?

Markets get more saturated every year, and people are starting to feel choice fatigue. 2026 will be a tipping point.

You need a recognizable brand to stay relevant. It's about trust, authenticity, and emotional connection, not just price and features alone. If your brand isn't visible, credible, and consistently showing up in the right places, AI simply won't mention you.

AI Models Favor Trusted Sources

User trust is a core priority for all AI models. This means LLMs like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Google's AI Mode will lean on authoritative brands to reduce misinformation.

For example, when asked about top project management tools, ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini will most likely recommend Asana, Monday.com, and ClickUp. Not just because they rank well, but because they're consistently mentioned across reputable content.

And editorial coverage plays a huge role here. 61% of AI mentions about corporate reputation come from earned media. That number climbs even higher when it comes to topics like trust or brand values.

Voice and Conversational Search Are Taking Over

AI has obviously changed how users interact with search engines:

1. Conversational queries: Instead of just typing a set of keywords, like "cat vet check-up how often," people ask full questions, like "How often should I take my cat to the vet?"

1. Voice search: AI voice assistants like Siri or Alexa run on spoken commands
2. Context-aware results: AI relies on user behavior, location, and history to deliver more relevant, personalized results
3. Brand-focused queries: Increasingly, users will ask about specific brands. Not "What's a good project management platform?" but "Is Asana any good?"

This means that, next to keywords, brands need to own conversational topics and associations.

For example, if you want to be seen as an expert in innovation, sustainability, or trust, your content, media mentions, and messaging need to reflect that consistently.

Does Brand Familiarity Matter?

Brand familiarity is very important. If users know and trust your brand, AI probably will, too.

An LLM's job is to learn what users like, trust, and ask for. And as users interact with it more, AI gets better at delivering answers based on brand familiarity and sentiment.

That's why PR is becoming crucial for marketers. Mentions in trusted media, positive sentiment across the web, and consistent messaging are now significant ranking factors for your brand.

The question is: will you be able to control the narrative?

What the Future Holds for SEO: Predictions for 2026

A few clear trends are already emerging-and they're reshaping how brands compete in AI-driven search.

Growing Share of AI-Driven Search Features

Google's AI Overviews (formerly SGE) and AI Mode are rolling out fast. Instead of scanning a list of links, people are now getting summarized answers at the top of the page, complete with cited brands, content snippets, and recommended products.

AI-generated results already appear in 15% of SERPs, and that number is growing. AI is becoming the default interface for search. Traffic from LLMs is projected to surpass traditional organic traffic by 2028-possibly sooner.

Brand Signals are SEO Signals

By 2026, brand mentions and sentiment may formally integrate into ranking models. AI systems are starting to favor brands over individual pages. Especially when those brands show up consistently in trusted sources.

There's growing evidence that brand search volume and sentiment are strong predictors of AI visibility. If that trend continues, we will see brand authority play a major role in AI-driven rankings.

Integration of PR and SEO Metrics

PR and SEO are no longer separate teams with separate goals-they're becoming one strategy.

Earned press, once seen as another way to boost brand awareness, now directly influences how AI platforms talk about your brand. In fact, over 75% of brand mentions in AI come from editorial media and social conversations, not your own website.

Why Does PR and Press Coverage Matter for SEO?

PR is becoming essential to visibility. Here's why it should become one of your core SEO tactics.

PR is Becoming SEO's Foundation

Media coverage and brand mentions act as powerful trust signals for AI systems. Every link or mention in a credible outlet helps AI recognize your brand as a reliable source, influencing how and where you appear in search results and AI-generated answers.

Press Coverage Means Brand Recognition and High-Quality Backlinks

LLMs want quality, not quantity. Dozens of lower-tier links can't hold a candle to a few mentions from respected sources.

Third-Party Validation Means Credibility

When your brand appears consistently across trusted publications, your credibility grows. Established, editorial media is where you should build brand awareness.

5 Tactics Marketers Should Leverage in 2026

AI Visibility is becoming everyone's problem-or blessing, depending on how well you adapt to this strategic shift.

Here are five marketing tactics to increase brand awareness with LLMs.

1. Prioritize reputation and authority

AI search elevates brand reputation, mentions, and authority over traditional SEO tactics. PR-driven mentions in high-authority media influence both human readers and AI training models.

For example, Matthew Tran, Founder of Birchbury, shared how a single mention in Men's Journal-a respected editorial outlet-led to a noticeable increase in their brand being referenced by AI platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity.

2. Increase the quality and consistency of brand mentions

The quality and consistency of brand mentions across multiple layers of content are crucial for brand visibility in LLMs. Success comes from securing the right mentions in the right places, combined with genuinely unique brand content.

For example, the premium accessory brand ZUGU saw its visibility in AI-generated responses soar thanks to consistently being featured across respected tech review and product round-up sites like ZDNet. These high-impact mentions solidified ZUGU's association with "top-quality iPad cases."

3. Focus on contextual alignment

AI systems consistently cite specific types of editorial content, like industry analyses and thought leadership articles. Mentions of your brand in this content must associate your brand with the expertise or values you stand for.

For example, if you're a sustainable fashion brand, revamp your messaging to highlight precise environmental credentials.

4. Get mentioned in trustworthy media

Coverage in trade publications and local news outlets generally has more impact than mentions in brand blogs. Get better at targeting the media (based on audience overlap, location, etc.).

For instance, a health-tech startup will get more brand lift from being featured in Healthcare IT News than from being mentioned in an outlet like BuzzFeed.

5. Use structured data

Structured data helps AI systems better recognize and interpret brand authority. Knowledge panels, Wikidata entries, and schema markup help AI to understand and cite.

For example, a software company that adds schema markup to its website and maintains a well-sourced Wikidata entry is more likely to appear with a rich knowledge panel in search results-helping both users and AI systems understand its credibility and focus.

5 Tools to Help You Build Brand Awareness in AI

Depending on your SEO branding efforts, new tools are rising to help you thrive in the AI-driven landscape. Here are five tools that will help you build brand awareness.

1. PR Tools Designed for Growing Media Presence and AI Visibility

Many modern PR platforms are adding various AI-adjacent functionalities. But currently, there's only one on the market that helps you do digital PR with impact on LLMs.

The Semrush AI PR Toolkit is an all-in-one PR tool designed for:

• Finding media outlets with high authority in AI models
• Sending polished media pitches without any experience
• Monitoring your brand's online media presence

Each step is guided, leading your brand closer to high AI Visibility with every media mention you earn.

2. Tools Built for Modern SEO Strategies

Diagnosing your AI Visibility isn't enough. You need real, actionable insights that'll help you build a successful SEO strategy.

To enhance brand awareness in LLMs, use the AI SEO Toolkit to track:

• How often your brand is mentioned by AI
• Where and how you're cited (even if unlinked)
• Sentiment and accuracy across different platforms

3. PR + SEO Collaboration Platforms

While it's still a developing market, there's already a strong contender for PR and SEO collaboration platforms: Semrush combines the AI PR Toolkit with the AI SEO Toolkit in one platform, becoming the first solution in history to address the brand-first marketing shift.

All the classic tools are there-like Backlink Gap and Site Audit-and there's a new toolset including Visibility Overview, AI-Cited Media finder, Media Database, and Media Monitoring.

4. Large Language Models

Just ask LLMs what they like: which brands they usually mention and why, what influences their choices, and how you can compete in your industry.

When you prompt them the right way, they can reveal:

• Which brands they associate with your niche
• What makes those brands stand out
• What kind of messaging, media mentions, or content contributes to their visibility

Try asking questions like:

• "Which brands are well-known in [your industry] and why?"
• "What makes a brand appear trustworthy or authoritative in [your niche]?"
• "How can a new brand in [your sector] compete with established players?"
• "What kind of media mentions or content influence how brands are perceived?"

This isn't just theoretical-LLMs base their answers on patterns in online content, so their responses can give you a practical benchmark for what kind of reputation-building actually works.

3 Common Pitfalls in SEO Branding and How to Avoid Them

Increasing brand awareness in LLMs isn't easy. Here are the three most common mistakes marketers make in their SEO branding, and how to fix them.

1. Neglecting Press Coverage in the Media

If you're only publishing on your blog or social channels, you're going to be left behind. LLMs prioritize reputation signals from across the web, especially from trusted third-party sources.

PR can be slow to start and hard to measure, but without it, any effort to boost your brand visibility will be short-lived. To establish a strong brand presence, you'll need mentions in media outlets with high domain authority and brand trust.

Solution: Send personalized, engaging pitches to media outlets that AI often cites. Encourage internal experts to contribute insights on platforms like LinkedIn or in industry media. Even unlinked mentions on sites like Wikipedia or Reddit can help.

2. Overreliance on AI-Only Content

Unique voice and real expertise establish your brand as a trustworthy LLM search result. AI-generated content can't replace the wonder that is human writing.

Credibility and trust are earned, not manufactured. SEO branding strategy is different from traditional SEO in that it thrives on original ideas and expert perspectives, rather than simply using the right keywords.

Solution: Use AI for brainstorming, first drafts, and organizing information. In writing, focus on the user's POV, real-life examples, and your brand voice.

3. Ignoring Automation Tools for PR & SEO

You can try tracking your brand awareness in LLMs manually-by asking about top brands in your industry, your brand's reputation, and more. But doing all that by hand takes a lot of time (especially if you include all your competitors), might be inaccurate, and your findings will be hard to quantify.

If you're not using tools to find media outlets that AI models rely on, and you don't know your AI Visibility or how to boost brand awareness in LLMs, you need software that will gather all the useful data and insights for you.

Solution: Try the AI PR Toolkit and the AI SEO Toolkit from Semrush. These tools will accelerate your SEO branding strategy and put you on the right track to better organic traffic and increased brand awareness.

Boost Your Brand Recognition in AI Answers and People's Memories

Brand recognition is a long-term SEO asset. When in doubt, focus on building brand awareness-organic traffic will follow. And if you're aiming for visibility in AI search results, get featured in media outlets that LLMs already trust.

Brand identity used to be a vague idea in consumers' minds. Now, it's a concrete SEO strategy that can drive direct traffic, boost your presence in AI search rankings, and strengthen overall visibility.

Start blending PR with SEO now to win in 2026's SEO landscape.