Since large language models (LLMs) exploded onto the scene in 2022, we’ve seen a steady shift in how consumers are researching brands and products online. According to a report from Yext, nearly two-thirds (62%) of consumers trust AI to guide brand choices, matching traditional search during key decision-making moments.
“Consumers can now buy straight from LLM recommendations without visiting a brand website or doing a traditional keyword search,” says Kate De Marco, Strategy Director at Perceptive. “Generative search is fundamentally rewriting the path to purchase.”
The linear, multi-step process using Google and brand websites is quickly giving way to the one-stop-shop LLMs that are fully automated and driven by AI recommendations. The path to purchase is more compressed, more personalised, and more proactive; users are not having to do the same kind of “legwork” they once did to research a brand.
So, in this brave new world, how do brands ensure LLMs recommend their products and services to consumers?
1. Know what people are saying about your brand
According to Bain and Co, roughly 80% of consumers now rely on “zero-click” results—AKA generative AI summaries—in at least 40% of their searches. Moreover, roughly 40% to 70% of LLM users use the platforms to conduct research and summarise information (68%).
The days of potential customers reading a handful of reviews about your business as part of weighing up their purchase decisions are fading fast. The LLMs of today are capable of drawing reviews and online customer conversations about your business from across the internet and surface that as part of their recommendation without customers ever seeing the original source.
“As more potential customers turn to AI summaries and LLM recommendations, it’s becoming more and more important to know what your customers are saying about you and your brand,” says Kate.
It’s not just direct feedback brands need to be aware of. It’s also what consumers are saying about your brand out in the wild, from reviews to online forums, social media and more.
“The voice of your customer is important more than ever, not just when they are directly giving you feedback, but wherever they are talking about you,” says Kate.
However, given the volume of reviews and online mentions of your business, monitoring, managing and influencing what is being said about your brand can feel—and be—overwhelming. This is where leading-edge customer listening platforms can step in. With their help, brands can capture and manage direct and indirect feedback both from your customers and wherever consumers are talking about you online.
2. Deliver on experience
Another strategy for ensuring your brand receives positive mentions in a generative search is to deliver on experience. When we say “experience”, we mean the whole kit and kaboodle, everything from the buying journey and the products and/or services you sell through to communications, events, sponsorship, post-purchase support, warranty and more. Experience is not limited to just your current customers; it is every interaction a consumer has with your brand—and also, your employees' experiences.
As influential author and marketer, Marty Neumeier, famously said: “Your brand isn’t what you say it is. It’s what they say it is.”
Ensuring you deliver exceptional and consistent experiences across every touchpoint helps build promoters of your business and drive word of mouth. In turn, this helps your organisation’s reputation. The better your reputation, the greater the likelihood your brand will be surfaced in generative searches and AI summaries.
“Reputation management is becoming increasingly important, along with taking actions to improve what consumers say about you,” says Kate.
A watch out: make sure expectation and experience align.
It’s all well and good to make promises, but does your brand actually follow through? Mismatched expectation and experience is a major cause for customer dissatisfaction.
Moreover, research has found the disconnect between expectation and reality is a major problem in New Zealand with 72% of Kiwi consumers saying brands don’t keep their promises.
“There’s a significant gap between what brands promise and what customers actually experience,” says Kate. “For New Zealand organisations, closing this gap could be a significant point of difference for a brand looking to boost its reputation, stand out in a competitive market, and increase its discoverability.”
3. Leverage your promoters
In terms of quick wins, this may be the easiest and simplest solution for organisations to implement. Asking promoters of your brand to leave reviews on third-party sites, such as Google Reviews or Trustpilot, is an excellent way to build your brand’s reputation.
This is something that can be incorporated into your Voice of Customer surveys when a customer gives your business a good Customer Satisfaction rating or Net Promoter Score.
“The trick is to make it really easy for promoters to share reviews of your organisation,” says Kate. “So, the platform you choose for your Voice of Customer programme is hugely important in this regard.”
4. Close the loop on your detractors
On the flip side of encouraging promoters to promote, it is also important to respond to detractors and address the reason(s) why they rated or reviewed your organisation poorly. This includes negative reviews from direct feedback in your Voice of Customer surveys and on online review sites, such as Google Reviews.
“Rather than let a bad review remain unactioned, show that your organisation is listening and taking steps to rectify the issues the customer experienced,” says Kate.
Moreover, if the negative review is dealt with promptly, you could win back a customer.
To achieve this, it’s important to have a clear process and people in place to respond to any negative feedback that comes to the organisation’s attention. Moreover, we're already seeing the next generation Voice of Customer programmes enabling businesses to drive commercial results with real-time interventions to identify, respond and retain at-risk customers.
5. Tailor content to your customers
While brand research and decision-making might be happening away from your website, the content you publish can still be surfaced in an LLM’s search and recommendations.
For this reason, it’s important to understand what influences your customers' decision-making across their journeys and tailor content to take the effort out and weigh consideration towards your solutions.
“It’s about understanding your customers and the types of questions they’re likely to ask,” says Kate.
Read more: Understanding your audience [free guide]
Making the most of generative engine optimisation
The way consumers are shopping online is changing. As the trend of zero click searches grows, along with consumers' ability to purchase without ever visiting a website, Voice of Customer is playing an increasingly important role in experience and reputation management to drive AI recommendations for brands. The winners of this seismic shift? Brands that excel at customer experience and place the customer at the heart of everything they do.
Want to evolve your Voice of Customer programme for more powerful actionable intelligence? Book a free consult with our CX experts.
