What Does Brand Authority Look Like In An AI-Age?
No matter where you are on your business journey, you’ve probably heard a thing or two about how important brand authority is to your image and sales overall. A high brand authority can set you apart, make you appear more credible, and ultimately enhance your popularity. Unfortunately, as with everything in the business world right now, brand authority has undergone exponential changes since the advent of AI.
Why, might you ask, would AI have such an impact? Ultimately, it all comes back to Google. These guys have been the most popular kids in the search engine playground for decades at this point, and what’s the best way to become popular yourself? Schmoozing with the big guns, of course. For years, brands have been snuggling up to secure a spot in Google’s top three rankings and enjoying the brand authority that a high ranking inevitably buys them.
But Google has changed the popularity rules overnight, and AI overviews, along with a newly launched ‘AI mode’, mean that search rankings simply don’t matter anymore. Now, clickthroughs are taking a nosedive as brands rely on direct mentions in AI searches that they often don’t fully understand yet.
Luckily, it is still possible to claw back any brand authority AI has cost you, and to even improve on what Google gave you in the past. Simply keep on reading to find out all about the secrets of building brand authority in an AI age.
Secret # 1 – All About That AI
It’s easy to dwell on the changes brought on by AI search. Realistically, though, AI answers that see Google directly referencing your brand (rather than just displaying a link), could end up being good news for your authority. After all, AI search isn’t just a suggestion; it can also be a significant nudge towards your brand. Interactive tools, from simple AI chat helpers to the best AI GIF generator, give you new ways to package information in formats AI search can easily recognize. When your brand appears alongside these dynamic elements in results, people recall you faster and feel more comfortable visiting your site.
The only trouble is that, right now, all of your marketing prowess is probably powered towards what search used to look like. And, if you blindly power on with that, your quickly dropping authority could soon see you joining the losers’ table for lunch.
So, what gives?
Well, for the most part, retaining or even boosting your brand authority right now means getting to know AI search, instead of shunning it as an unwanted imposter. You should be keeping up with the constant influx of AI search data, closely watching updates, and also paying attention to what other people are doing.
It’s also crucial right now, when AI can feel a lot like an industry mystery, to work with experts who have specific AI knowledge. Options like this growth-focused marketing company can be game-changing, as the team uses AI tools themselves to intelligently scale your content and future-proof your brand with AI search in mind. That way, you can see your brand authority soaring, even at a time when many other businesses are floundering.
Secret # 2 – Prioritize the Social Side of Things
AI search might not mean curtains for brand authority, but the havoc it’s caused recently does highlight one thing – you can’t put all of your brand authority eggs in one basket, and brands that were entirely reliant on Google rankings to secure consumer trust have learned that the hard way!
Ideally, brand authority should be layered like an onion and, once you unpeel Google mentions, you should always find social media underneath (hopefully without a tear in sight!).
But why is social media so important here? It’s a lot of work, after all, what with replying to comments, keeping your uploads fresh, and also making sure you’re active with your shares/mentions elsewhere. It would certainly be easier to swerve all of that workload, but social media is invaluable because it gives you a direct line to your audience. Your social media accounts allow you to build trust, community, and a lifelong audience based on what you’re doing, not what some big company thinks of it.
In terms of major changes like AI search, social media has become something of a calm amidst the storm for many brands. No matter what’s changed elsewhere, their strong following is still out there, shouting about their brand, sharing their content and, in many instances, rallying to keep that company safe amidst AI turmoil.
Of course, these platforms aren’t entirely AI-free. In fact, social media-based AI algorithms have long been impacting brand discoverability. But, if you can cut out the middleman by driving consumers directly to your socials, you’re sure to enjoy a higher, more risk-averse brand authority as a result.
Secret # 3 – Zoning in on Your Website
Okay, so it’s not like your website didn’t matter for business visibility back in the days of traditional search. SEO mandates like clear page layouts and keyword usage have always been vital. But, brands are finding that zoning in on their websites with a new outlook is also helping in the brand authority stakes as we move forward.
This is especially key when it comes to things like content creation, where brands are finding that informative, thought leadership blog posts and white papers are helping to both secure AI search mentions and boost brand authority amongst visitors from other areas.
As AI changes how we browse, web design is also increasingly focusing on clear structures, FAQs, and easy-view images. All of this ensures that customers, and AI searchbots, can see at a glance what you have to offer, how that differs from your competitors, and why you’re worth their time (or overview mentions!).
Takeaway
It’s easy to see the changes inherent in AI search and enter panic mode, but remember – change isn’t always a bad thing. You certainly needn’t kiss goodbye to your brand authority online altogether just because your neat place in Google’s top spot has lost its clout. Instead, it’s time to embrace a new challenge and realise that, if you manage to strengthen your domain authority in an AI age using these top tips, you might actually come out looking better than ever before.
