Third-party mentions
What other sites say about you: reviews, news stories, directories, forums and industry lists.
In plain English
AI tools trust what independent sources say about a business more than what the business says about itself. Mentions on respected local and industry sites are some of the strongest signals for being recommended.
In practice
A landscaper featured in the local paper’s “best of” list starts appearing in AI answers about landscaping in that city.
Related terms
Citations & visibilityStarter Brand mention When an AI answer names your business, with or without a link back to your site. In practice, and related terms → Citations & visibilityStarter Reviews Customer ratings and comments on sites like Google, Yelp and industry directories. In practice, and related terms → Citations & visibilityStarter Backlink A link from another website to yours. In practice, and related terms →