Lessons from AI startup mistakes

AI-generated responses prioritize brand mentions over traditional link citations for business impact. Thomas Peham, CEO and co-founder of Otterly.AI, demonstrates how strategic brand positioning in AI answers drives higher attention and conversion potential than conventional SEO linking strategies. The discussion reveals why optimizing for product mentions in commercial queries delivers superior business outcomes compared to content-based link acquisition, and explores the fundamental shift from link-centric to mention-centric optimization strategies for AI search visibility.