Sentiment - Manage Your Brand Reputation in AI Search

Problem

AI search “mashes up” (technical term) all of the different aspects of a company’s online presence in more holistic ways than a traditional search engine.

In many ways, it’s like having an argument with your partner about how to load the dishwasher, and they shoot back with, “Well, at least I wasn’t fined $185 million for creating approximately 1.5 million unauthorized deposit accounts and over 500,000 credit card accounts without customer consent.”

In many ways, it's like having an argument with your partner about how to load the dishwasher, and they shoot back with, "Well, at least I wasn't fined $185 million for creating approximately 1.5 million unauthorized deposit accounts and over 500,000 credit card accounts without customer consent."

Which is what happens anytime you mention the Wells Fargo Bank to ChatGPT, any time you ask what the best bank is when you ask where to get a mortgage, etc.

ChatGPT brings up the bad actions that Wells Fargo has previously engaged in.

Compare this to ChatGPT’s “con” about Navy Federal Credit Union, which is that you have to be in the Navy to join (which I mean fair but still).

These sentiments were previously cordoned off to social media platforms, sub-reddits, and forums, but in AI search, those are all now mashed up together and front and center for your answer.

Action

You need to start by understanding the sentiment that AI search has for your company and brand. We recommend asking the following set of questions to AI services, as the answers to these influence the opportunities for your business, like the content to create to influence the bottom-of-the-funnel responses that you want to win.

Here’s what we have on our checklist:

• “Is [my company] ethical?”
• “Does [my company] respect user privacy?”
• “Is [my company] honest in its marketing?”
• “Does [my company] handle data responsibly?”
• “Is [my company] environmentally responsible?”
• “Does [my company] treat its employees fairly?”
• “Does [my company] prioritize customer safety?”
• “Does [my company] have good business practices?”
• “Is [my company] transparent about its practices?”
• “Is [my company] trustworthy as a business partner?”

Key Takeaways

• AI search combines social media, forums, news, and reviews into unified brand narratives
• Negative sentiment can derail conversion opportunities across all queries about your brand
• Test your brand sentiment systematically across ethical, privacy, and trust dimensions
• Understanding current sentiment reveals content gaps you need to address

Next Step: Learn how to track and improve your competitive rankings in AI search → Continue to Competitive Ranking