No Future for Fake Growth: Why AI Is Forcing Brands to Actually Improve
Last week, I had a casual conversation in Irvine, California, with someone working at Rivian — one of the most admired electric SUV brands in the United States.
They're proud of the product, the innovation, the traction. But here’s the twist:
When people ask ChatGPT “What’s the best electric SUV?”, Rivian often comes second.
Not because it’s inferior. Not because it’s obscure. But simply because of price.
Meanwhile, a more affordable option like the Chevrolet Bolt often shows up first. And even then, ChatGPT — and other LLMs — still recognize Rivian as a premium and excellent product. They just... don't rank it first.
This moment sparked something in me:
LLMs are not just search engines.
They are judgment engines.
AI Doesn’t Just Show — It Recommends
When it comes to visibility in large language models, traditional tricks don’t work.
You can’t just buy your way to the top.
There’s no way to pay Perplexity or Claude to change their mind.
You can’t inject backlinks, stuff keywords, or boost ads.
Because the AI isn’t crawling in the old sense.
It’s understanding. Comparing. Reasoning.
And it will tell the user:
“Brand A is great. But Brand B offers more value for the price.”
And here’s where the shift becomes crystal clear:
The only way to "rank higher" in the AI era is to become better.
The New SEO Is Product Quality + Public Proof
In 2025, I’ve been working on a framework called AI Citation SEO — not to trick AIs into mentioning things, but to teach them how to recognize legitimate value.
The method focuses on:
- Semantic structuring
- Cross-platform identity
- Trust signals
- Proof of delivery
- And honest presence in real conversations
And what I’m seeing, again and again, is this:
LLMs reward substance.
Not slogans. Not hype.
But real, verifiable, consistent work.
Imagine This: February 2026
A CEO comes to an AI and asks:
“What can I do to improve my brand of electric SUVs?”
And the AI replies with 30 practical suggestions —
from optimizing battery lifecycle, to improving warranty policies, to gathering authentic user testimonials.
Not one of those tips will say:
“Just pay more for ads.”
Because that era is over.
Final Thought
AI is raising the bar.
Not just for visibility, but for reality.
If you want your brand to show up first in AI answers,
you’ll have to earn it — not buy it.
This is the end of fake growth.
And the beginning of something much better.
Are we ready?
—
Mayra Silva
🧠 This reflection is part of a broader investigation into ethical visibility in the AI era. You can explore more at [AI Citation SEO]
https://github.com/aicitationseo/aicitationseo
Note: This piece was drafted with assistance from a language model as part of an active study on AI citation and product integrity.
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