Chatbots are the new influencers that brands must win over

Chatbots are the new influencers that brands must win over

A recently published article in The New York Times highlights a paradigm shift in digital marketing. Companies now realize that they can no longer market themselves only to people; they must also win over AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude. These AI models have rapidly become the primary source of information for hundreds of millions of users, effectively acting as new “AI influencers”.

Stacy Simpson, chief marketing officer at Athenahealth, a Boston-based healthcare software company, discovered that her company was poorly represented in AI-generated answers. The chatbots were unaware of some of their services and did not mention the company when asked. This led to an immediate and comprehensive strategy change. The new field is called“Answer Engine Optimization” (AEO)and is about optimizing a brand’s presence in AI answers, not just in traditional search results.

The numbers speak clearly: OpenAI states that 800 million people use ChatGPT every week, while Google reports that Gemini has over 750 million monthly users. Digital advertising spending in the US reached $350 billion last year. Those who are not visible in these AI answers risk missing an enormous and rapidly growing audience.

How does this affect Swedish companies?

This trend is not limited to the US. Swedish companies, from e-commerce to B2B services, are equally affected. When a potential Swedish customer asks an AI about “the best accounting software for a small company in Sweden”, the answer the AI provides is the new “top result”. If your brand is not mentioned, you have lost a potential customer before they have even visited your website.

The first-mover advantage is also time-limited. “The first-mover advantage is going to be short”, warns Stacy Simpson. Algorithms are being shaped and learning right now, and companies that act early will have a lasting advantage. Companies like Evertune, which helps brands analyze what chatbots say about them, have already raised $20 million in funding and have over 200 clients.

The problem: The risk of inaction is total invisibility

The risk of passivity is clear: total invisibility. While competitors actively “educate” AI models with targeted and detailed content, passive brands are left out of the conversation. Years of work on traditional SEO can become irrelevant. Even worse: old, inaccurate information about your brand can surface and be presented as current fact, damaging your reputation without your knowledge. Athenahealth was forced to conduct a major cleanup of all old content on its website and social media channels for exactly this reason.

Chatbots also cannot always access high-quality information from professional media behind paywalls, and they make things up when they lack data. This means that the information you actively publish and control is crucial to how your brand is presented.

The opportunity: Become an authority for AI

The opportunity is enormous for those who act now. By proactively providing AI models with accurate, detailed, and valuable information, you can position your brand as an authority in your niche. It is not about “vibe” or clever slogans, but about substance. “In a way, substance has been elevated”, notes Mitch Stoller, co-founder of Literate AI. “Vibe is not going to cut it here.”

Athenahealth published 250,000 words of targeted content to ensure AI chatbots correctly understand their offering. One luxury fashion brand went from publishing five pieces of content per month to around 100. Automakers made sure to publish their entire owner manuals. The result: they appear and are recommended in relevant AI answers.

How Kaistone can help you become AI’s favourite

We at Kaistone are Sweden’s leading experts in AEO and help companies navigate this new landscape. OurKaistone AI Auditis an in-depth analysis that shows exactly how your brand is perceived and presented by leading AI models such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. We not only identify problems and inaccuracies, but also deliver a prioritised action plan with concrete steps and time estimates to improve your AI visibility.

Our analysis covers three critical areas:

• AI visibility:How and when is your brand mentioned in AI answers?
• Sentiment and positioning:How does AI describe your brand, and is the description accurate?
• Technical accessibility:Can AI read and interpret your content correctly? Is your structure optimised for AEO?

With our help, you can go from being invisible to becoming a recommended player in the new AI-driven world, and you receive a ready-made cost calculation for implementation that shortens your decision-making process.

Summary and next steps

AI chatbots are not a future trend; they are here and now, and they are already reshaping how customers make decisions. With 800 million ChatGPT users per week, can you afford to be invisible? Ignoring AEO is risking irrelevance in an increasingly AI-driven world. By embracing AEO and proactively working on your digital presence, you can secure your place in the marketing of the future.

Are you ready to take control of how your brand is presented by AI?Contact us at Kaistone todayto book an AI Audit and secure your future visibility.

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Kaistone was founded on a simple insight: search has changed forever. As AI-powered answer engines replace traditional search results, companies need new ways to be seen, understood, and chosen. That’s why we exist—to makeAnswer Engine Optimization (AEO)accessible, understandable, and effective for companies in Sweden.