SEO Consultant Highlights Growing Importance Of AI Visibility For Brand Strategy

Tom McSherry, an independent strategic SEO consultant, has identified AI visibility as an emerging priority for businesses concerned about how their brands appear in AI-powered search tools and chatbots.

As AI assistants like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI Overviews increasingly shape how consumers discover and evaluate businesses, traditional search rankings tell only part of the story. Brands now face questions about whether AI tools recommend them, how accurately they're described, and whether competitors are being favoured in AI-generated responses.

This shift has created demand for specialists who understand both conventional SEO and the newer dynamics of AI visibility. As an AI visibility consultant, McSherry works with businesses to audit how they appear across AI platforms, identify gaps in their digital presence that affect AI recommendations, and develop strategies to improve brand representation in AI-generated content.

The challenge differs from traditional search optimisation. While Google rankings depend heavily on backlinks and on-page factors, AI tools synthesise information from diverse sources including reviews, news coverage, social media, and authoritative databases. Businesses with strong search rankings may still find themselves underrepresented or mischaracterised in AI responses.

McSherry suggests that businesses begin by simply asking AI tools questions their customers might ask, then evaluating whether the responses accurately reflect their offerings and market position. This basic audit often reveals surprising gaps between how brands perceive themselves and how AI presents them to potential customers.

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