The world of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is constantly evolving, but recently, the transformation has been nothing short of revolutionary. Traditionally, backlinks – hyperlinks pointing to your site from other websites – have been the holy trinity of SEO. They remain a primary signal of content value, but a new, increasingly significant factor has emerged alongside them: brand mentions. These linkless references to a company’s, product’s, or service’s name have become a powerful metric for assessing how trustworthy and authoritative a brand truly is in the eyes of the web.
Brand mentions are simply references to a brand within the online space. They can appear as the name of a company, product, or service in articles, social media posts, forum discussions, or reviews. They signal that a brand exists and is being talked about. Unlike link insertions, they usually don’t include an active hyperlink. Even without a click-through, a mere mention can still influence how a business is perceived and encourage users to search for the brand directly on Google, visit the website, or make a purchase later. This phenomenon isn’t new; for instance, Bing’s Duane Forrester highlighted the search engine’s consideration of unlinked brand mentions as authority signals back in 2016. Later, Google’s Gary Illyes confirmed that the frequent citation of high-quality content, not just through links, indicates that a company is ”doing the right things.”
AI Boosts the Significance of Mentions
The growing importance of brand mentions is a strong indicator of how SEO has evolved. It’s no longer about isolated signals; it’s about the brand’s complete online reputation. Algorithms and systems powered by large language models (LLMs) have become increasingly sophisticated. They can assess a brand’s overall online presence and reputation not only through backlinks but also by recognizing when the brand is being mentioned. This is why brand mentions are gaining more weight.
In the age of AI, search engines and AI-based systems don’t just count the number of links; they pay attention to who is talking about the brand and in what context. Frequent mentions from reputable sources, especially in a positive light, are a strong signal to search engines and AI that the brand is trustworthy and worth citing. This is exactly what advertisers and marketers are now seeking as they aim to secure visibility in, for example, Google’s AI-generated answers (AI Overviews).
Mentions can take various forms:
- Direct and Indirect Mentions: Direct mentions use the exact brand name (e.g., Nike). Indirect mentions refer to the brand through its products, slogans, or recognizable elements (e.g., Just Do It).
- Positive, Neutral, and Negative Mentions: The tone matters greatly. A glowing review or a recommendation strengthens your reputation, a neutral mention (e.g., in a company ranking) boosts brand awareness, while negative comments can signal potential reputation issues. Each tone impacts how the brand is perceived by the audience and the algorithms.
In short, a brand mention acts as a marker that your company exists in the online sphere. Even if it doesn’t immediately drive a click to your website, it still influences how your business is perceived and can encourage users to search for your brand on Google, visit your site, or make a purchase later on.
Brand Mentions vs. Link Building
How do brand mentions differ from traditional link building? Backlinks allow users to click directly to your website and, at the same time, transfer link equity (often referred to as “link juice”), which remains a crucial ranking factor. Google has reaffirmed the importance of backlinks for search visibility.
Mentions, on the other hand, don’t include an active hyperlink – they are purely a reference to your brand name in the content. This doesn’t mean they are irrelevant to Google. Frequent mentions demonstrate to search algorithms that your brand carries authority within its field and is being discussed across the web. Unlike unbranded link-building publications, brand mentions can also have a positive effect on awareness and reputation.
In this sense, link building and mention building are two sides of the same coin. Both strategies aim to prove to Google and LLM-based assistants that your website is valuable and trustworthy. The ideal scenario is when your brand is not only frequently cited but also properly linked – providing search engines with the full spectrum of signals that confirm your site’s strong position.
Growing Importance with AI and E-E-A-T
The role of brand mentions has grown significantly, especially in the context of AI. Modern search algorithms are examining ever more closely who is talking about your brand and in what context. So-called brand signals are becoming more influential than ever. For instance, an Ahrefs analysis of 75,000 brands revealed that those with the highest number of mentions appeared in AI-generated summaries and answers up to ten times more often than less frequently mentioned brands. Furthermore, over 70% of consumers reportedly trust brand mentions more than traditional advertising. It has been estimated that about 60% of search ranking factors are now linked to off-page signals, underscoring the importance of brand visibility on social media, in articles, and in reviews.
This has been concretely visible in Google’s updates: the June 2025 Google Core Update introduced explicit brand citations in AI Overviews. This shift shows that simply being mentioned can now represent a ”top position” in search – even without a clickable link. These mentions connect directly to Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness), which are becoming an increasingly central quality metric. Brand mentions serve as a perfect way to prove authority and trustworthiness to search engines.
How Brand Mentions Contribute to SEO
Today’s SEO is more holistic than ever. It’s no longer just about individual signals like backlinks, but about the broader picture of a brand’s online reputation. Here are a few ways mentions directly contribute to your SEO efforts:
Building Authority and Trust (E-E-A-T)
Mentions in respected sources act as endorsements. When an industry portal, a popular blog, or a recognized expert talks about your business, Google takes it as a sign of your brand’s credibility. Such references strengthen the E-E-A-T signals. Search engines reward sites they perceive as authoritative, and being frequently mentioned in a positive light helps to reinforce that trust. Especially in YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) fields, which affect people’s health or financial stability, the E-E-A-T criteria and the trust brought by mentions are particularly emphasized.
Boosting Search Visibility
Every mention is an additional touchpoint between your brand and search engines. When your name regularly appears on industry-relevant sites, Google associates it more strongly with those topics. This often translates into better rankings for related keywords. For example, if a skincare brand called XYZ is frequently mentioned in the ”skincare” context, the algorithm will recognize XYZ as a key player in this niche and is more likely to show its website to users searching for beauty tips.
Strengthening Semantic Connections
Mentions help position your brand within specific thematic areas. Algorithms don’t just register the appearance of your brand name – they also examine the surrounding content. This allows Google to better understand the topics, keywords, and issues your brand is associated with. As a result, your site can gain relevance and show up for queries closely connected to your industry.
High-Quality Content is the Core
Google consistently emphasizes that high-quality, user-serving content is the foundation of everything. When writing articles and blog posts, it’s crucial to adhere to certain principles. Instead of filling the text with an excessive number of keywords, the focus should be on genuinely valuable, informative, and easy-to-read content. Long-form articles that are easy to skim with short paragraphs, clear subheadings, and visual elements (like images and videos) serve the reader best.
The content should be in-depth and expert, reflecting the E-E-A-T principles. Especially when writing about topics related to health, finance, or safety (YMYL topics), it is paramount to clearly demonstrate your experience and expertise. This can be done by presenting the author’s background, citing sources, or incorporating first-hand experience into the content.
Good Practices Related to Articles
- Internal and External Linking: Link to your other relevant pages (internal linking) and to trustworthy external sources.
- Mobile-Friendliness: Most information retrieval happens on mobile, so the text must be easily readable on mobile devices.
- Clear Structure: Use headings (H1, H2, H3), short paragraphs, and lists to facilitate reading.
How to Enhance Brand Mentions and SEO
Gathering brand mentions is part of a broader off-page SEO strategy. It requires a proactive approach and continuous monitoring. Here are a few concrete ways you can boost your brand mentions:
- Influencer Marketing: Collaboration with industry authorities and influencers who naturally mention your brand in their content.
- Gathering Reviews and Testimonials: Encourage customers and users to leave reviews on third-party platforms (e.g., Trustpilot, Google Business Profile, industry forums).
- Media and PR Work: Actively sending out press releases and seeking visibility on news websites and blogs.
- Active Social Media Presence: Participating in industry discussions and communities (e.g., Reddit, Quora) where your brand might be mentioned.
- Producing High-Quality Content: Content that is so valuable and in-depth that others naturally want to refer to it (even without a link).
- Monitoring Brand Mentions: Use tools to track where and how your brand is mentioned so you can respond to negative mentions and leverage positive ones.
Brand mentions serve as a measure of trust and recognition, speaking directly to the latest Google algorithms. They are a crucial factor in the overall picture of your online reputation. Successful SEO today increasingly demands a holistic approach, where technical SEO, quality content, backlinks, and brand visibility go hand in hand. Building brand equity is essential, as consumers prefer well-known and trustworthy operators, which in turn improves engagement and customer loyalty.
Building Brand Recognition Is a Long-Term Effort
Building brand recognition and gathering mentions do not happen overnight. It requires persistence and a strategic approach that combines quality content production, effective networking, and continuous monitoring. The most important thing is to offer genuine value and solve users’ problems – that is how you naturally earn the most valuable mentions. Even as AI continues to personalize search results and clicks directly to websites may decrease, the authority brought by brand mentions ensures that your company is visible in those fewer, but much higher-quality, traffic streams that truly lead to conversions.
Final Thoughts on Content Strategy
To succeed in today’s search landscape, focus on creating content that is a definitive resource in your niche. By consistently demonstrating Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T), you not only attract high-quality links but also those invaluable brand mentions that modern algorithms reward.