SEO has always been a volatile industry – that’s what keeps it fun – but the rise of AI search has pushed brand-building right to the centre of the conversation.
Keywords and backlinks still matter, but today it’s brand mentions and recognition that fuel long-term SEO success.
Why?
Because Google and AI-powered search models are paying attention to who’s being talked about, how often, and in what context.
If your brand name keeps popping up across the web – even without a backlink – it strengthens your authority.
And that’s where social media and SEO together become a powerhouse.
Brand Mentions: The New SEO Signal
Traditionally, SEOs chased backlinks as the main authority-building metric.
But now, unlinked brand mentions are playing an equally important role.
When your brand appears in news articles, roundups, tweets, TikToks, or LinkedIn posts, it sends signals to search engines and AI models that you’re part of the conversation.
Think of branded searches too: if people type your brand into Google, that’s proof of trust and recognition. Google rewards this with stronger rankings. The lesson? SEO success is no longer just about search engines – it’s about being remembered and mentioned everywhere online.
How SEO and Social Media Fuel Each Other
The key to building those mentions is aligning your SEO and social media strategies. Each channel feeds the other:
SEO to Social: Blogs, guides, and resources created for SEO double as content to share on social media. A well-researched post can become a Twitter thread, LinkedIn article, or Instagram carousel.
Social to SEO: Social posts spark shares, discussions, and media mentions. That buzz drives branded searches, referral traffic, and even links from journalists or bloggers.
Together, they create a feedback loop: the more your content is shared, the more people talk about your brand, and the more search engines (and AI) see you as authoritative.
Why AI SEO Makes Brands Matter More
AI-driven search engines don’t just crawl links – they read and absorb text across the web. If your brand is frequently mentioned in trusted, positive contexts, it’s more likely to appear in AI answers and summaries.
If people talk about you, AI will too.
And with more users getting answers from AI-powered search rather than just Google results, brand presence in conversations is now critical.
That’s the fundamentals of AI SEO, which we’ve now launched several services for.
We’ve also got more about how to do AI SEO here.
Platforms That Build Brand Power
Different social media platforms generate different types of brand mentions. Here’s how to use each one to fuel your SEO success:
LinkedIn: Authority & Thought Leadership
LinkedIn is the professional hub, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun.
Post insights, industry commentary, and company updates to position your brand as a trusted voice.
Engagement here often leads to mentions in blogs, articles, or roundups – exactly the kind of signals that build SEO authority.
Instagram: Visual Storytelling & Community
Instagram thrives on visual storytelling.
Behind-the-scenes content, customer stories, and branded hashtags build community and spark user-generated mentions.
These mentions translate into stronger brand recall, more branded searches, and spillover into other platforms.
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TikTok: Reach & Cultural Relevance
TikTok offers explosive reach, even for smaller brands.
Creative, trend-driven videos put your brand in front of new audiences and often spill over into blogs, tweets, and news articles.
Every viral moment is a chance for more brand mentions.
@fatjoewho Hard at work and along comes miss socials .. 🫠 again! #officelife #officetok #companyculture #officefun #worklife #seogirls #fyp #seotok #genz ♬ i like the way you kiss me – Artemas
X (Twitter): Real-Time Engagement
X is where real-time authority is built.
Share timely insights, join trending conversations, and engage directly with your audience.
Journalists and bloggers often discover brands here, making it a launchpad for valuable brand mentions.
Like with LinkedIn you can also leverage personal brand here directly discussing your actual brand-brand.
We’ve sold $100M+ of SEO services, but we’re not done.
Here’s how we’re speedrunning the SEO agency of the future:1/ We’re doubling down on our target market
We’re building services and features only for our dream avatar and no one else.2/ We’re productizing the impossible.… pic.twitter.com/azzvtG0niM
— Joe Davies (@fatjoedavies) July 5, 2025
Unite SEO & Social 🤝
Plan content together: Use SEO research to inspire social posts, and use social listening to find blog ideas.
Repurpose everything: Turn one blog into multiple social assets to extend reach.
Note – that is repurpose not just reuse! If you just post a full blog post up on LinkedIn you’ll get nowhere.
Look at how Vic creates awesome carousels from the blog posts I make for an example of how you repurpose content.
Promote cross-channel: Share new content everywhere – the more eyes, the more mentions.
Encourage UGC & sharing: Branded hashtags, challenges, or campaigns spark conversations you don’t have to start.
Track branded searches: Use them as a KPI. If people are searching for you by name, your strategy is working.
Be Everywhere and Build a Brand Powerhouse
SEO is about more than rankings – it’s about recognition.
Social media and SEO together ensure your brand is visible, memorable, and frequently mentioned.
Those mentions are exactly what Google – and AI – are listening for.
Focus on building brand presence across platforms, and you won’t just rank for keywords.
Supplement the work you’re doing on social media branding with regular SEO, and secure external Brand Mentions to build out your brand.
You’ll rank in people’s minds – and that’s what makes a brand powerhouse.
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