Mention building agencies can be worth it if they deliver actual recommendations on pages that AI frequently cites. Most are not worth it because they charge flat rates for low-value mentions that do nothing for your AI visibility.
The market for these services has exploded since large language models became mainstream. At TJ Digital, we’ve helped clients improve their AI search visibility by securing recommendations on highly cited pages. We track about 50 high-intent prompts daily for each client across ChatGPT, Google’s AI Overviews, and Google’s AI Mode.
Here’s what I’ve learned about evaluating these agencies.
The Shift from Link Building to Mention Building
Link building agencies help place links around the internet pointing to your website. These backlinks help you rank in traditional search engines like Google.
Links still matter for AI visibility. But they matter less than they used to.
Brand mentions have become more important. More specifically, brand recommendations matter most.
Here’s why: when someone asks ChatGPT or Google’s AI for a product recommendation, the AI searches the internet for existing recommendations. Your brand needs to show up in those searches. This means getting recommended on pages that AI systems trust and cite frequently.
This shift created an entirely new agency model. Mention building services charge per mention they place for your brand around the web.
Red Flag: Flat-Rate Pricing Per Mention
Most mention building agencies charge a flat rate per mention. This pricing model is a major red flag.
Most brand mentions are effectively useless. Some brand mentions could be worth tens of thousands of dollars. Flat pricing treats them the same.
According to research on mention building, the right mention on a highly cited page can be worth significantly more than dozens of low-quality mentions. Yet flat-rate models charge $200 whether the mention appears on a top-ranked industry guide or a random forum comment.
Example comparison:
| Mention Type | Value | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Random Reddit comment | ~$0 | AI doesn’t cite it, users don’t see it |
| Top recommendation on highly cited page | $10,000+ | AI references it repeatedly, drives actual traffic |
| Forum name-drop | ~$0 | No context, no recommendation |
| Featured in industry guide | $5,000+ | Trusted source, frequently cited |
Flat pricing doesn’t account for this massive difference in value. It encourages agencies to spam low-value mentions just to meet a quota while charging you as if each mention delivers equal impact.
You don’t want to pay $200 for someone to leave a comment on a Reddit thread.
How to Evaluate Mention Value
Not all brand mentions are created equal. Here’s how to determine if a mention is actually valuable:
1. Is It an Actual Recommendation?
Your brand name appearing on a page doesn’t accomplish anything by itself. The mention needs to be an actual recommendation.
AI models analyze context and sentiment. A genuine recommendation signals to AI that your brand is a suggested answer. A neutral name-drop carries little weight.
Valuable recommendations:
- “Brand X is a great choice for [use case]”
- “We recommend Brand X for [specific need]”
- “Brand X outperforms competitors in [area]”
- Listed among “Top 5 Solutions” with supporting context
Useless name-drops:
- “Many companies like X, Y, and Z exist”
- Mentioned in passing without context
- Listed without any supporting detail
- Neutral reference with no endorsement
One genuine recommendation is worth more than dozens of name-drops.
2. Is the Page Actually Cited by AI?
The mention needs to be on a page that large language models cite when people ask for recommendations in your category.
This is part of what mention building agencies should offer – identifying these highly cited pages. But you need a way to verify they’re delivering on this promise.
How to Verify Agency Results
Agencies must prove that LLMs cite the pages where they placed your brand mentions. Here’s how to verify their work:
Use the Right Platforms
Only track large language models that people actually use. At our agency, we monitor three platforms:
- ChatGPT (OpenAI)
- Google’s AI Overviews
- Google’s AI Mode
Don’t accept results from obscure AI tools with minimal user adoption. These generate zero business value.
Test Realistic Prompts
The prompts you track must match questions someone would actually ask. This is critical for measuring real visibility.
Effective test prompts:
- “What’s the best project management software for remote teams?”
- “Top affordable SEO tools for small businesses”
- “Shopify vs WooCommerce for ecommerce startups”
- “How do I choose a marketing agency in [city]?”
Red flag prompts:
- Oddly specific phrases no one would type: “What’s the best blue widget management platform with API integrations for mid-market SaaS companies in the Pacific Northwest?”
- Questions engineered to trigger your brand name
- Overly technical jargon that real customers don’t use
An agency can easily game results by showing you citations for weirdly specific prompts. What matters is showing up when real customers ask real questions.
Track a Core Set of Prompts
We identify about 50 prompts people are likely to search for in each client’s industry. We measure against those prompts daily.
This consistent tracking reveals patterns. A handful of pages get cited repeatedly for most prompts in any given category.
For example, in project management software:
- 5-10 pages might get cited across 40+ of your 50 test prompts
- These same pages appear whether someone asks “best project management tool” or “affordable project management for startups”
- Getting your brand recommended on these pages dramatically increases your AI visibility
This is why AI visibility tracking tools have become essential. They monitor which sources AI platforms cite most frequently in your industry.
The Value of Highly Cited Pages
Getting your brand recommended on a highly cited page can be worth thousands of dollars in visibility. But securing placement on these pages isn’t easy.
This difficulty is exactly why flat pricing per mention doesn’t make sense. A $200 mention on a random forum provides zero value. A $200 mention on a page ChatGPT cites 40+ times per day could generate significant business.
How to identify highly cited pages in your industry:
- Compile 50 realistic user queries about your product category
- Run each query through ChatGPT and Google’s AI search
- Document which webpages appear in the responses
- Identify pages that appear repeatedly (10+ times across your 50 queries)
- These consistently-cited pages are your high-value targets
Common types of highly cited pages:
- Popular “Top 10” or comparison listicles with high domain authority
- Comprehensive buying guides on established review sites
- Well-upvoted Reddit threads in relevant subreddits (10,000+ upvotes)
- Active Quora discussions with verified expert answers
- Authoritative industry association resources
Once you identify these pages, focus your efforts there. A single placement on a highly cited page outperforms dozens of mentions on pages AI never references.
What You Should Expect from a Mention Building Agency
A legitimate mention building agency delivers measurable outcomes. Here’s what to require:
Research and identification:
- Systematic analysis of 50+ realistic search queries in your industry
- Documentation of which pages AI cites most frequently (minimum 10 highly cited pages identified)
- Competitive analysis showing where competitors appear in AI results
Execution:
- Secured recommendations (not name-drops) on identified high-value pages
- Context-rich mentions that position your brand as a solution
- Transparent reporting on outreach efforts and placement success rate
Verification:
- Regular tracking across ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Google AI Mode
- Screenshots or reports showing your brand in AI-generated answers
- Month-over-month comparison of brand visibility improvements
Red flags to avoid:
- Flat-rate pricing regardless of page authority or citation frequency
- Results shown only from obscure AI platforms with minimal adoption
- Citations appearing only for oddly specific prompts no one would search
- Generic “brand mention” claims without verification of AI visibility
- Placement of random comments on forums without strategic value
The agency should provide quantifiable proof that their work increases how often AI platforms recommend your brand for relevant searches.
The Bottom Line
Mention building agencies can deliver significant value. The right mention on a highly cited page can transform your AI visibility and drive substantial business.
But flat-rate pricing models and easy-to-game metrics create opportunities for agencies to deliver worthless mentions at premium prices.
Before hiring a mention building agency, verify they can:
- Identify which specific pages AI cites most frequently in your industry
- Show your brand being recommended (with context and endorsement), not just mentioned
- Demonstrate results for prompts real customers actually use
- Justify pricing based on mention quality and page authority, not just quantity
- Provide ongoing verification that AI platforms cite your brand
At TJ Digital, we charge mention building at 1 credit per hour because the work varies dramatically. Some mentions require minimal outreach. Others demand significant content creation, relationship building, or technical integration. We track results using the same 50-prompt methodology outlined in this article.
If an agency can’t show concrete proof of AI citations for realistic search queries, walk away. You’re paying for impact, not just a count of mentions.
Ready to improve your AI search visibility? Contact TJ Digital for a free audit of your current AI visibility across ChatGPT and Google’s AI platforms. We’ll show you exactly where your brand appears (or doesn’t) for the searches that matter most to your business.