When someone asks ChatGPT which marketing agency to hire, where does the AI answer come from?
The open web. And increasingly, from social media.
Data shows that blogs are the top source AI uses. Reddit and Quora come next. Why? Because AI prefers text as it’s easier to read than videos.
Your social presence means more than most business realise. Here’s how to use it.
Quick Answers – Jump to Section
- Does posting more help my brand show up in AI?
- How does AI pick which sources to use?
- Why does Reddit show up more than LinkedIn?
- Do social mentions help my brand appear in AI?
- Does personal branding help with AI?
- Do viral posts get picked up by AI?
- Does engagement matter to AI?
- Why do blogs perform better than LinkedIn in AI?
- How can I track if my content shows up in AI?
- FAQ
- Final Thoughts
Does posting more help my brand show up in AI?
Not really. AI cares about quality, not quantity, so posting more only helps if people share your content or if other websites mention you. Those mentions act like votes of trust.
When trade publications quote you, AI notices, and when podcasts mention you or your posts spark conversations, AI notices that too. More posts won’t help, but more credible mentions will.
How does AI pick which sources to use?
AI looks at a few things when choosing sources, and understanding these factors helps you show up more often in AI answers.
Brand mentions matter most
Backlinks count in SEO, but what about in GEO? AI pays little attention to backlinks and focuses on how often people mention your brand. Research shows brand mentions are three times more important than backlinks for AI, so the more places your brand appears, the more AI trusts you.
Your content needs to answer the question
AI picks pages that directly answer what someone asked, so the clearer your answer, the better your chances. Write content that solves problems and answers questions directly.
Good SEO still works
Google says the same SEO rules apply to AI, which means you should write helpful content, make sure search engines can find your pages, link to other pages on your site, and make your site easy to use. 92% of AI answers include at least one page that already ranks in Google’s top 10, so if you rank well in Google, you’ll likely show up in AI too.
Why does Reddit show up more than LinkedIn?
Reddit appears in AI answers more than any other social platform, while LinkedIn ranks second but with a much smaller share. Why the gap? It’s not about trust but about access.
Reddit made deals with Google and OpenAI, including a $60 million deal with Google and a content partnership with OpenAI, which means AI can freely use Reddit’s content. LinkedIn blocks AI from using its content, and so does Medium, because they restrict access.
The lesson? AI uses what it can access, not what’s most professional.
Do social mentions help my brand appear in AI?
Yes. The more people mention your brand online, the more AI learns about you, because AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude learn from reading text. When your brand name appears often in high-quality places, AI remembers you better.
AI also searches the web before answering questions, so if your brand shows up in those searches, AI will include you in its answer. Frequent mentions in good places increase your chances.
Does personal branding help with AI?
Sort of. Personal branding doesn’t directly affect AI like it does SEO, but it still helps because research shows that well-known brands get mentioned more by AI. This is especially true in banking, finance, and marketing.
To build awareness, keep your personal brand consistent and align your name with your expertise. Personal branding creates visibility, and AI picks up on that visibility.
Do viral posts get picked up by AI?
Sometimes, but not for the reason you think. AI doesn’t read likes or shares, but viral posts often get linked by other websites, and those links matter.
For example, OpenAI trained GPT-2 on web pages that Reddit users upvoted at least 3 times, which means popular content gets into training data more easily. Virality helps because it drives links, and links drive authority.
Does engagement matter to AI?
No. There’s no proof that AI cares about likes, comments, or shares, because Google says AI uses the same rules as regular search. Helpful content matters, but engagement doesn’t.
One study looked at 16 factors that help pages get cited by AI, and none of them were engagement metrics. Focus on creating helpful content, not aiming for likes.
Why do blogs perform better than LinkedIn in AI?
Blogs make up 49% of content cited by AI tools like ChatGPT, while Reddit and Quora come next and LinkedIn ranks lower. Why? Text is easier for AI to read, while videos and audio are harder to process, and blogs are pure text.
LinkedIn does show up sometimes and ranks second in ChatGPT after Reddit, but there’s still a big gap.
How can I track if my content shows up in AI?
New tools are making this possible. SE Visible is one of the first and shows you where your brand appears in AI results, so you can see mentions in ChatGPT and Google’s AI Mode. You can track changes after campaigns and spot when posts trigger new mentions.
It brings everything into one dashboard so your SEO, PR, and content teams can work together. It comes with a 10-day free trial.
FAQ
Does platform authority matter for AI?
Not as much as access. Reddit gets cited most often because it signed data deals with Google and OpenAI. LinkedIn restricts access, so it appears less.
Do viral posts get picked up by AI?
Sometimes. Viral posts often get linked by other sites. Those links help content get into AI training data. But AI doesn’t read likes or shares directly.
Does engagement help with AI visibility?
No. There’s no evidence that AI cares about likes, comments, or shares. Google says AI uses the same rules as regular search. Helpful content matters most.
Why do blogs perform better than LinkedIn?
Blogs make up 49% of content cited by AI. Text is easier for AI to read than video or audio. LinkedIn ranks second among social platforms in ChatGPT, but still far behind Reddit.
Final Thoughts
Your social presence shapes AI’s answers. But it’s not about posting more. It’s not about chasing likes. It’s about building credibility. Get mentioned by trusted sources. Create content AI can access. Show up where AI looks for answers.
Blogs win because text is easy to read. This is why we strongly advise businesses to publish blogs on their site as regularly as possible.
Reddit comes second because AI can use it freely. LinkedIn loses traction because it blocks access. If you want your brand in AI answers, build authority through mentions. Optimize for search and AI, and always track your visibility.
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