AI has become a gatekeeper for ecommerce visibility. Whether shoppers are researching products, pricing, or alternatives, AI systems increasingly shape what they see first and what they never see at all.
The data is clear: In 2025, 58% of consumers choose AI tools instead of traditional search, more than twice 2023’s share.
In this environment, a brand earning AI mentions gains trust and reach long before paid ads or landing pages come into play.
LinkedIn Becomes a Primary Source for AI Answers
Traditional search traffic is shrinking as AI previews increasingly answer user questions directly on the results page. Andrew Hutchinson at Social Media Today highlights data showing a global drop in Google search referrals of roughly 21% since mid-2023.
While Google claims click volume remains stable, independent reports suggest a significant decline for most websites. To combat this, smart teams are weaving Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) into their full funnel growth marketing plans to recapture attention.
New studies indicate that AI models are increasingly relying on professional networks for trusted information. Research from SEMRush ranks LinkedIn as the second most-cited domain in AI responses, trailing only Reddit.
Data from Spotlight supports this trend, revealing that tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity are citing LinkedIn up to five times more frequently than in previous years. Specifically, LinkedIn Pulse articles account for the vast majority of these references.
This shift offers a clear path for businesses to influence AI-generated answers by publishing authoritative articles directly on the platform. A brand earning AI mentions through verified profiles and consistent LinkedIn Pulse content can effectively bypass the decline in traditional search clicks.
Zohar Gilad, cofounder and CEO of Fast Simon"True AI success is strategy-led, not tool-fed; it begins with business objectives, not the latest technology."
Citations Replaced Clicks, Redefining Visibility
Francisco Valadez, VP of Brand Operations at My Amazon Guy, reported that ecommerce visibility shifted away from page rank toward third-party mentions and AI responses. Data indicated that more than one in four searches ended without a click, a figure that continued to rise.
Rand Fishkin’s study estimated that nearly 60% of Google searches resulted in zero clicks because users found answers directly in summaries. This trend forced digital retailers to adopt strategies focused on being a brand earning AI mentions rather than simply chasing search rankings.
To remain competitive, companies implemented Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) to make their content accessible to Large Language Models. Research by Terakeet revealed that domains appearing in AI overviews often achieved higher click-through rates than traditional top organic results.
Drivers of AI Visibility
Avenue Z’s AI Shopping Visibility Index 2025, confirmed that AI platforms now guide the entire consumer journey. Analysis showed that visibility depended heavily on external validation rather than just brand-owned content.
| Factor | Impact on AI Recommendations |
|---|---|
|
Cross-Channel Consistency |
Presence across DTC, retail, and social boosted recommendations. |
|
Third-Party Mentions |
Volume of external reviews and articles improved trust signals. |
|
List Appearances |
Features in “best of” lists prioritized products for shopping queries. |
|
Positive Sentiment |
Favorable customer and editor opinions correlated with higher visibility. |
|
External Source Diversity |
AI models favored independent publisher citations over brand claims. |
Platform behavior varied: Perplexity favored retailer links (triggering shopping results in 92% of prompts), while ChatGPT prioritized third-party publisher citations.
Build Brand Mentions That Matter
Adam Tanguay, Head of Growth at Jordan Digital Marketing, explains in Search Engine Land that LLMs value context and co-occurrence more than traditional backlinks. This shift transforms brand mentions from a secondary tactic into core infrastructure for modern search visibility.
A brand earning AI mentions now plays a central role in ecommerce visibility, far beyond traditional SEO. AI search engines and large language models evaluate brand context, co-occurrence, and repeated references across the web to determine which brands appear in recommendations.
Brand mentions have shifted from optional to essential. They provide the input that generates AI citations, influencing visibility in both AI-driven discovery and traditional search rankings.
Key steps to prioritize brand mentions:
- Technical and Content Fundamentals – Ensure crawlability, structured data, and on-page clarity before scaling content.
- High-Value Source Identification – Focus on authoritative, relevant publications, forums, and industry platforms.
- Referenceable Assets: – Original research, proprietary trends, calculators, and scannable definitions earn passive mentions.
- Active Engagement – Participate in discussions on Reddit and other visible forums as a trusted contributor.
- Relationship-Driven Outreach – Connect with journalists, content creators, and thought leaders, providing data or insights that are directly usable.
High-Impact Brand Mention Opportunities
| Strategy | How It Works | Benefit for AI Visibility |
|---|---|---|
|
Original Research |
Publish proprietary data or trend reports
|
Increases passive citations in LLMs |
|
Explainer Pages |
Create clear, scannable definitions |
Establishes brand as primary reference |
|
Tools & Templates |
Offer calculators or workflow aids |
Encourages habitual referencing |
|
Active Community Participation |
Engage in forums and niche social platforms |
Surfaces content in AI training data |
|
PR & Outreach |
Relationship-based pitching with data-driven angles |
Boosts active mentions and accelerates citation footprint |
High-priority mentions compound over time. Competitors not investing in citation strategies leave room for your brand to secure a ranking moat in AI-driven discovery.
To maximize impact, align brand mention strategies with full funnel growth marketing. Combining content, PR, social, and ecommerce tactics ensures visibility at every stage of the buyer journey.
