Challenges of Brand Visibility in AI Search and How to Overcome Them. What to check?

Struggling with AI search visibility? Learn 12 challenges hurting your GEO/AEO performance and how to fix them.

In today’s digital landscape, AI-powered search engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Gemini Overviews are redefining how brands appear online. Unlike traditional search, AI prioritizes conversational, structured, and authoritative content, leaving many businesses struggling with visibility.

This article explores the top challenges brands face in AI search, shares real-world examples from users, and provides actionable strategies to improve your presence. Whether you’re mastering Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) or Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), this guide will help you rise above the noise.

Step 1. Content Invisibility to AI Crawlers

The Challenge: AI models often miss dynamic content—think JavaScript-loaded product details or interactive widgets—if it’s not in raw HTML. This renders your best features invisible, costing you mentions in AI responses.
X Example:

X user @TechTrendz22 posted, “Our new app’s features vanish in AI search! All our cool demos load via JS, and ChatGPT skips us. Help!” (June 2025).

The Fix:

  • Embed key info (benefits, products, services) directly in HTML.
  • Use static text alongside dynamic elements to ensure AI crawlers see your content.
  • Test visibility with tools like “View Page Source” to confirm what AI detects.
  • Lack of Structured Data and Hierarchy

The Challenge: Without clear headings (H1, H2, H3) and schema markup (e.g., FAQ, Product, How-To), AI struggles to grasp your context, sidelining your site for less relevant results.
X Example:

@SEO_GuruLiz tweeted, “My client’s blog has no H2s or schema—Perplexity ignores it for ‘best skincare tips’! Total invisibility. #AISEO” (May 2025).

The Fix:

  • Organize content with H1 for titles, H2/H3 for sections.
  • Add schema markup via JSON-LD to signal key entities (e.g., “brand,” “product”).
  • Craft concise, scannable lists and tables for AI-friendly digestion.

Step 2. Weak External Credibility and Brand Mentions

The Challenge: AI cross-references sources for trust. Low backlinks, minimal mentions in news or forums, and no Wikipedia presence make your brand less credible, dropping you from AI results.
X Example:

@SmallBizBeth shared, “Why does AI only cite big brands? No links or news mention us, so we’re ghosted in AI Overviews. Frustrating!” (April 2025).

The Fix:

  • Earn backlinks from authoritative sites (e.g., industry blogs, news outlets).
  • Pitch guest posts or PR campaigns to boost mentions.
  • Monitor and encourage positive reviews to build trust signals.

Step 3. Missing Conversational, Long-Tail Queries

The Challenge: AI favors natural, question-based searches like “best budget laptops for students” over generic keywords like “laptops.” Unoptimized content misses these opportunities.
X Example:

@MarketMavenX posted, “Our ‘laptops’ page ranks in Google, but AI skips us for ‘best laptops under $500.’ What gives? #AIsearch” (June 2025).

The Fix:

  • Research long-tail queries via tools like Answer
  • ThePublic or Google Trends.Create FAQ pages or blog posts targeting “How does [brand] compare to [competitor]?”
  • Write in a conversational tone to match user intent.

Step 4. Low Authority and Trust Signals

The Challenge: Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) drive AI rankings. Small or new brands without a strong digital footprint lose to established players.
X Example:

@StartupSam7 vented, “We’re experts, but AI picks big names for ‘top CRM tools.’ No trust signals, no love. #BrandVisibility” (March 2025).

The Fix:

  • Publish expert-led content (e.g., guides by your team’s specialists).
  • Showcase credentials, awards, or certifications on your site.
  • Build a consistent social media presence to amplify authority.
  • If you need more information, take a look here

Step 5. Inconsistent Brand Across Platforms

The Challenge: Mismatched messaging—old data on sites, negative forum chatter, or inconsistent social profiles—confuses AI, skewing how it represents your brand.
X Example:

@BrandBossKate wrote, “AI cited an old review saying we’re ‘overpriced.’ Our site’s updated, but X and forums aren’t. Mess! #AIissues” (May 2025).


The Fix:

  • Audit and update info on your site, socials, and directories (e.g., Google Business Profile).
  • Respond to reviews and forums to shape a positive narrative.
  • Align messaging across all channels for a unified story.

Step 6. Trouble Tracking AI Visibility

The Challenge: AI delivers curated, conversational replies, not ranked links, stumping traditional SEO tools. Brands struggle to measure mentions or visibility across models.
X Example:

@AnalyticsNerd tweeted, “I query ChatGPT, Gemini daily for our brand—zero mentions! No tool tracks this. Lost in AI. #Visibility” (June 2025).

The Fix:

  • Manually query (prompt) AI tools (e.g., “best [your niche] products”) and log results.
  • Use emerging GEO tools to track AI share of voice.
  • Partner with apps like ours to monitor and analyze visibility trends.

Step 7. Overshadowed by Big Brands

The Challenge: Studies show top-quartile brands (by web mentions) get 10X more AI mentions than smaller players, creating a “winner-takes-all” effect.
X Example:

@ToyStoreTom lamented, “Fisher-Price dominates AI for ‘best toddler toys,’ we’re nowhere. Too small, too quiet! #AIsearch” (May 2025).

The Fix:

  • Boost brand awareness with targeted ads or influencer collabs.
  • Focus on niche, specific queries where big brands lack depth.
  • Build a steady stream of content to climb mentioned frequency.

Step 8. Unoptimized for Multimodal AI

The Challenge: AI now processes images, videos, and audio, but untagged media (no alt text, no transcripts) limits visibility in rich responses.
X Example:

@FashionFwdCo shared, “Our runway pics look great, but AI skips them—no alt text, no video captions. Invisible! #MultimodalAI” (April 2025).

The Fix:

  • Add descriptive alt text to images (e.g., “Brand X durable hiking boots”).
  • Include transcripts for videos and podcasts.
  • Optimize multimedia to align with text content for cohesive signals.

Step 9. Risk of AI Misinformation

The Challenge: AI can hallucinate or misattribute details, citing wrong features or outdated info from forums, harming your reputation.
X Example:

@GadgetGal99 posted, “AI said our headphones ‘lack bass’ based on an old post. Not true now! How to fix? #AIhallucination” (June 2025).

The Fix:

  • Feed AI accurate, fresh content on your site.
  • Monitor AI outputs and correct errors via updated content or outreach.
  • Strengthen your site’s authority to outweigh fringe sources.

Why This Matters for Your Brand

AI search is the future, and invisibility means lost customers. In recent years, customer search behavior has fundamentally changed, moving from typing keywords into Google to posing complex, conversational questions to AI assistants. This shift is driven by a demand for instant, synthesized answers rather than a list of links to sort through. As a result, search queries are now longer and more natural, often combining multiple requests into a single conversational prompt. A significant portion of consumers, particularly younger demographics, now begin their product discovery and research directly on AI platforms. This forces businesses to pivot from a keyword-centric strategy to creating clear, authoritative content that AI models can easily understand and use to provide direct answers.

Line chart showing the shift in customer search behavior from 2018 to 2025. Two lines are plotted: one for keyword-based search, which declines from 90% in 2018 to 30% in 2025, and one for conversational AI-assisted search, which rises from 10% in 2018 to 70% in 2025. The chart illustrates a clear trend toward more natural, conversational queries handled by AI platforms.

By tackling these challenges, you can climb AI rankings, drive traffic, and grow. Tools like our brand visibility app help—monitoring your presence across AI models, pinpointing gaps, and guiding fixes to dominate results.

Ready to Boost Your AI Visibility? Start with structured data, target long-tail queries, and build authority. Contact us to track and optimize your brand’s AI search performance today!

FAQ

What are long-tail queries and why do they matter for AI search?

Long-tail queries are specific, often question-based searches like “best CRM for small startups.” AI models prioritize these natural-language questions, so optimizing content to match them increases your chances of being cited in AI answers.

What does E-E-A-T mean in SEO?

E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It’s a framework used by Google and other AIs to determine content credibility. Demonstrating E-E-A-T boosts your brand’s visibility in AI-generated responses.

How does structured data help with AI visibility?

Structured data, such as schema markup (e.g., FAQ, Product, How-To), helps AI understand your content’s context. It also improves eligibility for rich results in search engines.Can AI models detect dynamic or JavaScript-loaded content?
Most AI crawlers struggle with JavaScript-rendered content. Important information should be included in the raw HTML to ensure it’s visible to AI models like ChatGPT and Perplexity.

How can I fix AI misinformation about my brand?

Monitor how AI tools describe your brand and update your site content regularly. Reach out to correct misinformation and improve authority with high-quality, accurate content. More detailed info you can find in this article.