AI has changed the value of credibility 

For years, there’s been an obsession with getting to the top of Google. If you’re a marketing manager, you’re probably still receiving at least 10 unsolicited emails with this promise. So, while it’s an important question to ask, it’s not really the most important one anymore. So many searches don’t give you a list of links, they start with an answer.

Have you asked Google whether your company is reputable, whether you should commission them or who the competitors are? Try it. There’s a good chance you’ll be presented with an AI-generated summary before you get the chance to visit a single website. And this should make every marketer pause. Google’s not just helping your prospects find information, it is helping them figure out how to interpret it. So now we need to be thinking if Google had to recommend your business, what evidence would it use?

A smaller part of the story

Your website used to be the primary source of information about your business. It’s where you controlled the narrative and explained who you are, what you do and why customers should choose you. But now it’s just one piece of the puzzle. I asked Google a simple question about Strand, ‘Is Strand a reputable company?’ and the response wasn’t limited to what was written on the website. Google pulled together information about when the business was established, Companies House data, where the company is based, industry recognition, online reputation and details about our leadership.

So, I decided to follow up with another question, ‘Should I hire them?’ And, again, Google didn’t disappoint or just point us to the homepage. It produced a sharp summary of Strand, who we’d be best suited to work for, where our strengths lie and the circumstances where another agency might be a better fit. Whether we agree with every word isn’t really the point; it’s that Google has assembled enough information from multiple sources to build a coherent picture of our business.

Your reputation

AI summaries aren’t created from a single source; they’re built with a combination of information Google considers relevant and trustworthy. This could absolutely include your website, but it also draws on award wins, reviews, industry associations, press coverage, LinkedIn profiles, business listings, case studies and other publicly available information. Google’s stopped caring as much about what you say about yourself and more about what the wider internet says about you. Something us comms folk have been arguing for years. Your reputation isn’t built solely on your own marketing; it needs additional voices to support it. AI has made this principle far more visible.

Hello to third-party endorsement

For years, we’ve been encouraging clients to pursue media coverage, enter awards, build thought leadership, collect reviews and take up speaking opportunities at key events. These have always helped build credibility but now they’re helping with AI too. The effort and consistency we put in to get that awesome customer review, that piece of coverage, the award win, the speaking op are collectively the body of evidence that helps search engines understand who you are, what you specialise in and whether you’re a good recommendation. Independent evidence for AI searches is necessary.

Go and have a look

If I were you, I’d be itching to go and have a look at what Google’s showing your prospects or stakeholders. So, go and try some questions… ‘Is [insert company name] a reputable business?’, ‘Should I hire [insert company name?’, ‘What does [insert company name] specialise in?’ And then assess those responses, what’s missing, where did Google get the info from. If the summaries you’re given don’t reflect the business, then it’s not a search issue, it’s a comms issue.

Staying ahead

Public relations and third-party endorsement are vital to creating your credible digital footprint. Your reputation must extend beyond the channels you own and reinforce what you want to be known for through consistent messages, independent endorsements, customers advocating for your business and trusted sources. Google is looking for evidence to answer those search questions, so every marketing manager needs to be asking, ‘If Google had to recommend our business, what evidence would it use?’