Context
Use this skill as part of the GEO audit cycle or as a standalone off-page authority builder. LLMs disproportionately cite sources from Reddit, Quora, G2, Wikipedia, and editorial press. Building a mention footprint on these platforms directly increases AI citation probability, separate from traditional link building.
Procedure
- Audit existing brand mentions using search operators ("brand name" -site:owndomain.com) and platform-specific searches on Reddit, Quora, G2, LinkedIn, and industry publications.
- Categorize by source type: linked editorial, unlinked mention, forum post, review platform, social media, press coverage.
- Score each source by GEO citation value: LLMs are known to cite Reddit, Quora, G2, Wikipedia, and editorial press above most other sources.
- Identify unlinked mentions convertible to links via outreach (author contact, content update request).
- Benchmark competitor mention volume and source distribution on the same platforms.
- Design mention acquisition plan: which sources to target, what content or participation strategy earns mentions organically.
- Set up tracking methodology for ongoing month-over-month measurement.
Output Format
# Brand Mention Audit: [Brand] — [Month YYYY]
## Summary
- Total mentions found: [X]
- Linked mentions: [X]
- Unlinked mentions: [X]
- Forum mentions (Reddit/Quora): [X]
- Review platform mentions (G2/Capterra): [X]
- Editorial press: [X]
## Mention Inventory
| # | Source URL | Source Type | GEO Value | Linked? | Date | Sentiment |
|---|-----------|-----------|----------|---------|------|-----------|
| 1 | | Editorial/Forum/Review/Social | High/Med/Low | Yes/No | | Pos/Neu/Neg |
## Competitor Comparison
| Source Type | [Brand] | [Competitor A] | [Competitor B] |
|-----------|---------|---------------|---------------|
| Reddit threads | | | |
| G2 reviews | | | |
| Editorial press | | | |
| Quora answers | | | |
| LinkedIn mentions | | | |
## Unlinked Mention Conversion Targets
| URL | Content Context | Outreach Angle | Contact Method |
|-----|----------------|----------------|---------------|
| | | | |
## Mention Acquisition Plan
| Platform | Strategy | Content Type | Target Volume/Month | Owner |
|----------|----------|-------------|---------------------|-------|
| Reddit | Contribute expert answers in relevant subreddits | Comment/Post | | |
| G2 | Encourage verified customer reviews | Review | | |
## Tracking Setup
- Search operators to run monthly: [list]
- Alerts to configure: [Google Alerts, mention monitoring]
- Review cadence: [monthly/bi-weekly]
QA Rubric (scored)
- Source quality scoring (0-5): GEO citation likelihood assessed per source, not just domain authority.
- Competitive benchmarking (0-5): like-for-like comparison on same source types.
- Conversion specificity (0-5): outreach angles are credible and non-generic.
- Acquisition plan actionability (0-5): platform-specific strategies with clear execution steps.
Examples (good/bad)
- Good: "Brand has 3 Reddit mentions in r/marketing but Competitor A has 12. Strategy: contribute 2 expert answers per week in r/marketing and r/SEO threads about GEO, referencing brand case studies where relevant."
- Bad: "Get more mentions online." (no platform, no strategy, no measurement)
Variants
- Audit-only variant: inventory existing mentions and competitor benchmark without acquisition plan.
- Full-cycle variant: audit + acquisition plan + monthly tracking setup + outreach templates.