Research shows that brands mentioned on 4+ platforms are 2.8x more likely to appear in ChatGPT responses. Your website alone isn't enough. AI wants to see you existing across the internet.
Why multiple platforms matter
When AI decides who to recommend, it's essentially asking: "Is this brand real and relevant, or just a website?"
A brand that only exists on its own website is a single data point. A brand that's discussed on G2, mentioned in LinkedIn posts, reviewed on Product Hunt, talked about on Reddit, and listed in industry directories is corroborated by multiple sources.
AI trusts corroborated information more. If five different sources say similar things about you, that's a pattern. If only your website says anything about you, that's just marketing.
The platforms that matter for AI
Different platforms carry different weight, and different AI tools prioritize different sources:
Reddit is huge. It's the #1 cited source for Perplexity and Google AI Overviews. Real discussions, user opinions, unfiltered recommendations.
YouTube gets cited frequently, especially by Perplexity. If people make videos about your category and mention you, that's a strong signal.
LinkedIn shows up in AI citations, particularly for B2B topics. Company pages, employee posts, industry discussions.
G2 and review sites are cited heavily by ChatGPT for software recommendations. User reviews are exactly what AI looks for when asked "what's the best X."
Wikipedia is ChatGPT's most-cited source overall. Most businesses won't have a Wikipedia page, but it shows how AI trusts established, third-party sources.
Industry-specific directories and publications matter for establishing category relevance. If the top sites in your industry mention you, AI notices.
What multi-platform presence looks like
Weak presence:
- Website exists
- Maybe a LinkedIn company page
- That's it
Strong presence:
- Website with clear positioning
- Active LinkedIn with regular content and engagement
- Reviews on relevant platforms (G2, Capterra, Product Hunt, etc.)
- Mentioned in Reddit discussions about your category
- Listed in industry directories
- Covered in industry publications or podcasts
- YouTube videos or tutorials mentioning you
Each platform is a signal. AI aggregates those signals.
How to build it (without being spammy)
This isn't about gaming the system. It's about genuinely participating in places where your audience hangs out.
Review sites: Ask happy customers to leave reviews. Don't fake it, AI and humans can both spot that.
Reddit: Don't spam. Genuinely participate in relevant communities. Answer questions. Be helpful. If your product legitimately solves someone's problem, it's okay to mention it (following community rules).
LinkedIn: Share insights, not just promotions. Comment on industry discussions. Build actual thought leadership.
Directories: Claim your listings. Make sure information is accurate and complete.
Industry publications: Contribute guest content. Offer expert commentary. Get quoted in articles.
YouTube/podcasts: Appear on shows in your industry. Create useful content yourself if that fits your strategy.
The compounding effect
Here's the thing about multi-platform presence: it compounds. Once you're mentioned in a few places, you're more likely to be mentioned in more places. AI sees you more, so it recommends you more, so more people discover you, so they discuss you, so AI sees you more.
Starting from zero feels slow. But each legitimate mention builds the foundation for the next one.
The brands dominating AI recommendations didn't do it overnight. They've been building multi-platform presence for years, often before AI search was even a thing. You're not behind, you just need to start.
