Why AI visibility
Be recommended when consumers ask AI what to buy.
People are increasingly turning to AI to discover brands, compare options and decide what to buy. AI visibility is about making sure your brand is part of that decision and recommended for the things you want to be known for.
The shift
The way people make decisions hasn't changed. Where they look for answers has.
People still research, compare options, read reviews and look for reassurance before they buy. Increasingly, they're turning to AI to bring those answers together.
- of Google searches now end without a click to a website, up from 60% two years ago
- 68%
- of Google searches now end without a click to a website, up from 60% two years ago.
- SparkToro, using Similarweb clickstream data, June 2026. United States.
- of Australian online shoppers use an AI-powered tool or feature at least sometimes when shopping
- 60%
- of Australian online shoppers use an AI-powered tool or feature at least sometimes when shopping.
- IAB Australia and Pureprofile, Commerce and Discovery Report, 2026. Australia.
- of the sources AI cites when answering are ones the brand does not control; only 10.15% of citations go to brand-owned domains
- 90%
- of the sources AI cites when answering are ones the brand does not control; only 10.15% of citations go to brand-owned domains.
- Foundation Marketing and AirOps, May 2026. Market not stated.
The problem
Being known doesn't ensure being recommended.
AI can know your brand, understand what you sell and describe you accurately, and still leave you out of the answer when someone asks what to buy.
When buyers ask open questions, AI models synthesise information from across the web to understand which brands, products and claims are most relevant, shaping which brands appear in the answer and how they're positioned.
That means brands can lose consideration before a consumer ever searches for them by name.
The recommendation gap
Credited for the wrong thing. Absent from the shortlist.
AI can know your brand and describe it accurately, without strongly connecting it to the needs that drive a recommendation.
You might be recognised for one thing, but overlooked when a consumer asks what best fits their needs.
AI knows your brand
- Understands what you offer
- Can describe you accurately
- Associates you with your category
But when someone asks
“What's the best [product/service] for my needs?”
A competitor is recommended
That's the recommendation gap.
It's not just whether AI knows your brand. It's what it knows you for, and whether that's enough to earn the recommendation.
The opportunity
You don't need to be recommended for everything. You need to be recommended for the right things.
AI visibility isn't about appearing in every answer. It's about being present in the questions that shape consideration, often before someone has decided which brands to look at.
That starts with understanding what consumers are asking, what matters to them and where your brand has a credible reason to be recommended.
The opportunity is to strengthen the connection between your brand and the needs, claims and buying questions where you have a genuine reason to be recommended, and build the evidence to support it.
Be known for what matters. Be recommended when it counts.
Is AI recommending your brand?
See how your brand appears in AI answers, and where trusted publisher content can strengthen its visibility.