Online reviews and forums have long been a pain point for organizations.
There’s the Google Review from a dissatisfied customer. The Reddit discussion where total strangers discuss their experiences. The industry-specific forum where someone asks, “Has anyone ever dealt with this brand?” Are they annoying? Absolutely. Are they imperfect? Certainly.
But that’s the issue. You cannot ignore them now. It is negligence.
In the age of AI, reputation is built online. If you search ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini or Google AI to ask whether your brand is trustworthy, the AI will not just scan your company’s own website for the information it needs. The AI will scan the public record. It will search through news media, websites, local business directories, social media profiles, reviews and user-generated conversations.
It’s basically looking at the whole room.
And that includes the Reddit room.
Reddit Isn’t Just a Side Chat Anymore
Reddit isn’t just a place where people argue about the best cordless drill, the best diapers or which restaurant is totally overrated. It has also emerged as a huge resource for real-time human insights about brands and services for search and AI companies. Reddit has signed content deals with Google and OpenAI, which increases the influence of user-generated content when machines interpret information from the web.
So, the age-old excuse “It’s just people online” is no longer really viable.
People online are now shaping how AI will summarize, present and even repeat things.
You Don’t Have to Be the Host of the Party to Attend It
Companies get complacent here. “If I can’t stop or stop the discussions, I can’t care about them,” is their thinking.
No.
Just because you can’t run the party doesn’t mean you don’t want to know what people are talking about when you’re not there. The reviews and forum discussions tell you what your customers say about you and your offerings, if anything, when you’re gone. Are people unclear about how your product works? Where does your customer service fail? What’s your competitor’s advantage? What words are people using to describe your brand?
Why does that matter? Because AI search looks for patterns. If enough people say you are slow, expensive, reliable, helpful, unclear or industry-leading, those words will become part of the signal cloud around your brand.
Not all of that signal will be true. Some will be outdated. Some will be just plain trash. But you cannot wish it away by ignoring it, so that AI search cannot locate it.
Leaders should…
Try searching their own name or brand name in a search engine with the terms “reviews” or “Reddit.” Try searching for “Is [company] a scam” or “What’s the best [type of product]” and what comes up when you ask an AI search tool for an answer. Look at who is cited in the article. Read through the comments, forgetting your pride and ego for a moment.
Then, adjust where needed. Fix whatever mistakes are mentioned. And publish better, proof-based messaging through your owned, earned and paid channels.
And then there’s the big picture…
Your online reputation is no longer just what you say about yourself.
It’s also about what others say, the content being aggregated and then what AI summarizes.
Ignore that, and you may as well let the rest of the internet write your own narrative without you.
Is AI Telling the Right Story About Your Brand?
As an AI PR agency, TrizCom PR helps brands understand what the internet is already saying before AI turns it into the answer everyone sees.
If you are not monitoring reviews, Reddit conversations, media coverage, search results and AI summaries, you are not managing your reputation. You are guessing.
TrizCom PR can help you audit your online reputation, identify the language shaping public perception and build a stronger communications strategy across owned, earned and paid channels.
Because in the age of AI, your brand story is being written with or without you.
Let’s make sure it is accurate, credible and impossible to ignore.
Until Next week -
Keep on Keeping on!
Jo
Everyone has a story. Let TrizCom PR tell yours!
About the Author:
Jo Trizila – Founder & CEO of TrizCom PR
Jo Trizila is the founder and CEO of TrizCom PR, a leading Dallas-based public relations firm known for delivering strategic communications that drive business growth and enhance brand reputations as well as Pitch PR, a press release distribution agency. With over 25 years of experience in PR and marketing, Jo has helped countless organizations navigate complex communication challenges, ranging from crisis management to brand storytelling. Under her leadership, TrizCom PR has earned recognition for its results-driven approach, combining traditional and integrated digital strategies to deliver impactful, measurable outcomes for clients across various industries, including healthcare, technology and nonprofit sectors. Jo is passionate about helping businesses amplify their voices and connect with audiences meaningfully. Her hands-on approach and commitment to excellence have established TrizCom PR as a trusted partner for companies seeking to elevate their brand and achieve lasting success. Contact Jo at jo@TrizCom.com.