What are brand mentions?
Also called: unlinked mentions, AI brand mentions
Definition
Brand mentions are references to a brand by name on pages it does not own, such as reviews, articles, forums and directories, whether or not they link to it. In AI search, the term also covers being named inside an AI-generated answer.
Explained
Links were the currency of classic SEO. AI engines synthesize what many sources say, so plain mentions in the right context, such as "we switched to Acme for invoicing" on a forum, can shape whether a brand is recommended, even without a link.
The context of a mention matters as much as the count. A mention in a "best tools for X" article ties your brand to that use case; a mention in an unrelated press release does far less.
Example
A meal-kit brand with few backlinks but frequent, positive mentions in Reddit threads and food blogs about "healthy meal kits for two" is named by AI engines for that exact prompt.