The way people search and discover brands is changing. Google’s dominance in search has dropped below 90% for the first time in over ten years due to the growing popularity of AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity. These large language models (LLMs) are now shaping a new buying decision and brand perception landscape.
Of course we can’t forget about Google’s own AI Overview feature, it’s still the main platform for search after all, even if its dominance is wavering. Google’s AI overview follows a similar, albeit non-conversational pattern as LLMs, citing its sources. At Bigger Picture we’re still on the fence about click through rates from these results. Some studies show click through rates similar to the ‘old’ featured snippets and ‘top of page’ of rankings, whilst others see a drastic drop – think 15% click through rate rather than 40% - that’s quite the drop in traffic!
At Bigger Picture, we’re not just watching this shift. We’re actively tracking, measuring, and optimising our clients’ brand presence and content in LLMs using industry-leading tools like SE Ranking.
Why LLM Brand Citations Matter
When users ask ChatGPT or Perplexity for recommendations, they pull their answers from a vast pool of online sources like blogs, reviews and news. Perplexity is transparent about its sources, showing exactly where its answers come from, giving you an easy click to visit the source. If your brand is consistently mentioned in trusted, relevant content, you’re more likely to be recommended and cited in these AI-generated answers. And what do more citations equal? More website traffic. Win!
The problem we’re seeing, as we touched on with Google’s AI Overview, is turning citations into traffic when you’re your link is not at the forefront of the UI inside the LLM (or search engine) of choice. This is the new battleground for brands looking to drive traffic from LLMs.
Our Approach: Data-Driven, Always-On
We have started using SEMrush’s AI Toolkit to monitor how often, where, and in what context your brand appears in LLM responses. This toolkit analyses millions of AI conversations, tracking sentiment, key attributes, and the topics associated with your brand across platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. It benchmarks your visibility against competitors and highlights opportunities to refine your messaging and content.
SE Ranking complements this by measuring your brand’s share of organic search and tracking how changes in your SEO strategy impact your visibility in both traditional and Google’s AI Overview.
Together, these tools give us a holistic view of your brand’s digital footprint.
- Frequency of brand mentions in LLM responses
- Sentiment and context of those mentions
- The specific sources and URLs being cited
- How your brand stacks up against competitors in AI-generated answers
- Shifts in visibility as we optimise your content and digital PR
- How your brand appears in Google’s AI Overview
Turning Insights into Action
Armed with this data, we don’t just report on your brand’s AI presence, we actively shape it. We identify which publications and content types are driving citations, then target those with content campaigns that outperform. Our goal? To ensure your brand is not just present, but prominent and positively positioned in LLMs and Google’s AI Overview.
Ready for the Next Era of Brand Visibility?
AI-driven search isn’t a future trend, it’s happening now. If you want your brand to be found, trusted, and recommended by the world’s most influential digital platforms, you need a partner who understands how to track and influence your presence in LLMs.
Let’s make sure your brand is part of the conversation. Get in touch to see how we can put your brand at the forefront of AI-powered discovery.