Terakeet Blog

Key Points AI visibility is no longer separate from organic search. It is organic search. AI agents are now acting on behalf of consumers, not just informing them. Whether your brand is part of those answers matters. Brands that build authoritative, AI-friendly content now will have a real advantage. Those that wait are already behind. Google is leading the internet away from manual human website engagement toward a place where AI does much of the work for them.

Chief Brand Officer Shannon Reedy and Head of Strategic Partnerships Roxanne Ducas are returning from an energizing week at the POSSIBLE conference in Miami, FL. POSSIBLE brings together leaders across marketing, culture, media, and technology to explore the defining challenges and opportunities shaping today’s landscape. Through keynotes, networking, and roundtables, POSSIBLE surfaces the ideas that are actively shaping the future of marketing.

Key Points Visibility, credibility, and consistency across search and AI-driven platforms now directly influence how brands are perceived, recommended, and trusted at scale. Consumers, investors, and job seekers rely on these platforms to do research. Clarifying narratives and fighting misinformation is impactful to these audiences. In environments shaped by algorithms, misinformation, and third-parties, organizations must proactively and accurately shape narratives to reduce business risk.

Key Points Conversations on Reddit have become key inputs for LLMs and search results, fueled in part by the platform’s partnerships with OpenAI and Google. Still, many brands underestimate Reddit and are uncertain how to engage with the platform. Brands should develop a framework for monitoring sentiment on Reddit and other community platforms and be thoughtful about how to engage.

Key Points CarMax’s reputation is unfolding on the first page of Google and in AI-generated results, where trust is formed and purchase decisions begin. Negative search visibility can have far-reaching impacts, like on the customer mix, suppressing conversions, increasing and potentially raising long-term credit risk. Without actively reshaping its search presence, CarMax risks undermining its own recovery before customers ever engage.

Key Points Cyber incidents now shape public trust as much as they disrupt systems, directly impacting reputation and business outcomes. AI and rapid information spread mean perception forms fast, before facts are clear, amplifying reputational risk. Strong brand resilience built pre-crisis determines whether an incident causes long-term damage. Cybersecurity has been framed as an operational, compliance, and IT concern.

Key Points Naviant’s stock has fallen 53% since the Federal loan ban was announced in 2024, erasing $854M in market capitalization. Navient’s unfavorable branded search environment could be impacting customer acquisition, operating margins, and credit risk. Navient could be losing as much as $225M in annual loan originations due to its online search reputation.

Key Points The front page scandals aren’t the only things diminishing brand trust and value. Less flashy factors can erode your reputation silently and around the clock. AI search changes the dynamics of online reputation management, elevating the risks of inconsistent messaging and incomplete assets. To defend trust and protect legacy, brand leaders must shift to a proactive visibility approach that combines monitoring and deep AI search analytics.

Key Points AI doesn’t invent your brand story, it assembles it from a range of sources, including owned assets and third parties. Content-rich third-party websites like Reddit, Wikipedia, and Glassdoor are key training and data-sourcing hubs for large language models (LLMs), and are therefore cited more in generative responses. Brands must actively monitor and influence these trusted third parties and the content they host.

Key Points Despite customer experience reaching a post-pandemic high, 38% of consumers now have a negative view of the Cracker Barrel brand. Cracker Barrel’s online reputation is constantly under siege by ongoing waves of negative news, perpetuating the unfavorable narrative. Cracker Barrel (CBRL) stock price is down 55%, erasing $594 million market capitalization, while competitors’ stock prices are up more than 30% during the same period.