SEO success in 2026 is no longer just about where you rank. It is about how often you are referenced, how you are framed and how consistently your brand shows up as a trusted source across Google, Perplexity, ChatGPT and emerging AI search surfaces. Influence optimisation means tracking visibility, mentions, sentiment, and citations in AI generated answers alongside traditional rankings so you can actively shape brand perception in search.
From rankings to influence: what has changed
For most of the last twenty years, SEO success has been shorthand for rankings and organic traffic. That still matters. Search engines remain the top source of brand discovery globally, with around 32.8 per cent of connected consumers saying they discover new brands via online search. What has changed is that discovery is now fragmented across traditional SERPs, AI overviews, answer engines and even conversational tools where links are optional and influence is encoded in answers rather than positions.
In this environment, brands that focus only on blue links risk missing the bigger picture. AI search visibility is increasingly defined by presence, sentiment and comparative position; not just whether you appear, but how you are described and where you sit relative to competitors in generated answers. That is the heart of influence optimisation. It asks: when someone searches or asks a question about your category, how often do you shape the answer and what impression do you leave.
If you are rethinking your overall strategy through this lens, it is worth revisiting your core SEO foundations alongside AI work. You can learn more in Digital Hothouse’s SEO services overview and our AI Optimisation services page where we outline how traditional search engine marketing and AI visibility now intersect for NZ and UK brands.
How AI platforms evaluate authority compared to Google
Google’s ranking systems are rooted in information retrieval principles; relevance, quality, freshness and link-based authority remain core inputs, even as AI features, such as AI Overviews sit on top. Generative platforms such as Perplexity and ChatGPT with search integrations work differently in practice. Comparative research shows that AI engines synthesise answers from multiple sources and then choose which citations to surface; for example, Perplexity responses typically include around five links per answer and Google AI Overviews around nine, with YouTube, how to guides and high authority informational sites heavily represented.
Where Google’s classic SERP is a list of candidate pages ordered by ranking signals, AI answer engines behave more like editors. They prioritise:
- Content that covers topics holistically and directly answers user questions
- Sources that are frequently cited around the web or in trusted knowledge bases
- Brands with consistent, positive mentions and rich topical coverage in their domain
Brand mentions and citations function like a new layer of authority; just as backlinks were key voting signals in classic SEO, repeated inclusion and positive sentiment in AI answers become votes of confidence for influence optimisation. For teams at Digital Hothouse and similar agencies, this is where AI Optimisation services add value; they help you structure, enrich and connect content so that AI platforms recognise your expertise as readily as Google’s algorithms do.
Measuring success across Perplexity, ChatGPT and Google
Rank tracking alone does not reveal whether you are visible in AI search or how you are portrayed. Specialist frameworks now suggest three to five core dimensions for AI search visibility: presence (are you there), sentiment (how you are described) and comparative position (how often you appear relative to competitors). Industry tools and GEO style dashboards go further, offering metrics such as citation frequency, AI share of voice and geographic performance across engines like ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity.
Read more: How Do You Monitor and Track Your Brand in AI Search Results?
For in-house SEO teams and digital marketing directors, the practical question is: what should go on your 2026 scorecard. A minimum viable influence dashboard might include:
- Classic SEO metrics – rankings, impressions, organic sessions, conversions, branded vs non-branded search
- AI visibility metrics – number of citations in AI Overviews, Perplexity and ChatGPT responses for priority queries, plus the proportion of answers where your brand is named compared with competitors
- Sentiment and framing – whether AI descriptions align with your positioning and whether any negative or outdated narratives are being reinforced
This is a more nuanced picture of performance, but it reflects reality. Search is now a network of answer surfaces, not just a list of links. If you want a deeper explainer of how these surfaces are evolving, you can read more in our post on the future of search and our guide on what AI optimisation is and why it matters for your business.
Case study lens: brand perception across platforms
Consider a hypothetical NZ or UK brand in a competitive B2B niche. In classic Google search, the brand may rank in the top three positions for several key queries and attract steady organic traffic, suggesting strong performance. However, when you look at AI Overviews, Perplexity and ChatGPT:
- Google AI Overviews mention the brand in only a fraction of relevant summaries and more often feature global competitors with extensive content libraries.
- Perplexity responses frequently cite third-party review sites and industry publications, with the brand rarely linked as a primary source.
- ChatGPT with search integration answers category questions using generic descriptions and links to informational resources, but fails to mention the brand by name.
From a rankings standpoint, the brand appears healthy. From an influence standpoint, it is underrepresented and underspecified. The practical implication is clear; the brand needs to expand its topical authority, increase high-quality citations and ensure its own assets are the best available answers to key questions in the category. That might mean publishing more in-depth, evidence-backed content, pursuing digital PR to secure references in trusted publications and refining on-site content so it is structurally ready for AI ingestion as well as human readers.
This is exactly the type of gap Digital Hothouse looks for when advising clients. SEO services identify where you rank. AI Optimisation services identify where you are heard; across search, answer engines and conversational tools that are reshaping discovery for NZ and UK audiences.
Updating your analytics framework for 2026
Most organisations still have analytics set up around last click attribution and channel-based dashboards that treat organic search as one line item. In 2026, that misses too much. As SERPs evolve and AI search visibility grows, analytics frameworks need to incorporate:
- Cross surface discovery – traffic and brand interactions originating from classic search, AI snapshots, social search and referrals triggered by AI answers
- Entity and brand metrics – how often your brand and key products appear in queries, answers and external mentions over time
- Influence pathways – how exposure in AI or social search leads to downstream sessions, sign-ups and conversions, even if those are not direct clickthroughs
Research on brand discovery emphasises that no single channel introduces brands to more than one third of users and that people are increasingly using multiple sources before acting. Your analytics needs to reflect this journey. For example, you might combine rank tracking, AI visibility monitoring, social listening and brand search volume trends into a unified view that shows where you are gaining or losing influence.
In practical terms, this may be a good moment to audit your current reporting and remove vanity metrics that no longer correlate with outcomes. Digital Hothouse clients often pair this analytics reset with a strategic review of their SEO and AI optimisation programmes so the right numbers are driving content, technical and PR priorities.
Key metrics for influence optimisation
By 2026, most sophisticated SEO teams will track a blended set of metrics that capture both rankings and influence. Some of the most important include:
- Visibility – share of voice in traditional SERPs plus AI visibility scores that indicate how often you are present in AI answers for priority topics and geographies
- Mentions and citations – frequency and quality of brand mentions in news, blogs, reviews and AI outputs, functioning as the new authority signals for generative systems
- Authority signals – backlink quality, entity completeness, structured data coverage and topical depth that together shape how both Google and AI platforms assess your expertise
- Sentiment and framing – how your brand is described and whether AI engines reflect your desired positioning or amplify outdated narratives
These metrics shift SEO from a narrow focus on position to a broader focus on perception. They also force healthier cross-team collaboration; SEO, brand, PR and content strategists need to work together because influence in search is now a shared responsibility rather than a siloed outcome.
If you want to align your content strategy to these metrics, it is worth revisiting Digital Hothouse posts on how content should change for AI search engines and how to build trust and credibility in AI powered search, both of which explore practical steps for strengthening authority signals in this new environment.
FAQ: reframing SEO success in 2026
Do rankings still matter if we focus on influence optimisation?
Yes. Rankings remain a vital indicator of relevance and quality, and search engines are still the single largest individual source of brand discovery worldwide. Influence optimisation builds on that foundation by adding AI visibility and perception metrics rather than replacing rankings altogether.
How can we measure our brand’s presence in AI search results?
You can use specialised tools and GEO style trackers that monitor citation frequency, brand visibility scores and share of voice across AI engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews. You can also manually test key queries regularly and log which brands are mentioned and how they are described.
What content changes improve AI search visibility?
AI engines favour content that is comprehensive, accurate, well-structured and well-cited, with strong entity signals and clear answers to user questions. Investing in evidence-backed guides, FAQs and original research and aligning them with your core entities can materially improve both organic and AI visibility.
How does brand perception in search affect performance?
When AI answers and SERPs describe your brand positively and consistently, you benefit from higher trust, better click rates and stronger preference even before users reach your site. Negative or inconsistent framing can have the opposite effect, which is why monitoring sentiment and narrative across platforms is now critical.
Where should we start if we want to move from rankings to influence?
Begin with an audit of your current metrics and visibility across Google, Perplexity and ChatGPT, then define a small set of influence metrics such as AI presence, citations and sentiment. Use those insights to prioritise content, PR and technical SEO initiatives, and consider partnering with a specialist team like Digital Hothouse’s SEO and AI Optimisation services to accelerate progress.
