We’re now one of the few UK agencies partnered with AI Trust Signals, the AI trust and authority-building platform created by Marcus Sheridan and Patrick Moorhead. Here’s what that means for your brand.
What This Partnership Means for You
If you’re a drumBEAT client (or thinking about becoming one), here’s what’s new:
You get measurable insights into how AI perceives your brand. We can now show you exactly where your website stands across 19 specific trust signals (the elements that determine whether AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Google AI Overviews mention and recommend your business).
You get a clear roadmap for improvement. You’ll see your Trust Signals Score (e.g., 86%), which signals need strengthening, and a prioritised action plan showing exactly what you can do to improve.
You get ahead of the curve. Many businesses haven’t realised yet that being mentioned by AI is rapidly becoming as important as ranking on Google. The brands that build authority now will have a significant advantage.
This is particularly important for clients who are working with us on SEO or web development, where technical excellence and demonstrable authority directly impact your results.
What Is Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO)?
Generative Engine Optimisation (or GEO) is the practice of optimising your brand’s authority so that AI tools like ChatGPT mention and recommend you in their responses.
While traditional SEO focuses on ranking in search results, GEO focuses on being cited by AI as a credible source. It requires a fundamentally different approach built on measurable trust signals rather than just keywords and backlinks.
AI Brand Mentions Matter More Than Ever
The customer journey has changed dramatically, and most businesses haven’t caught up yet.
The traditional journey looked like this:
Search Google → click links → visit websites → compare options → decide
The new AI-driven journey looks like this:
Ask AI a question → get a direct answer with recommended brands → decide
Naturally, this shift has massive implications for businesses.
If AI doesn’t mention your brand or doesn’t have the right signals to recommend it, you’re invisible to a growing segment of potential customers.
It’s not enough anymore to simply have great content on your website. You need the specific, measurable elements that AI can recognise and use to confidently cite your brand as a credible source.
The challenge is that most businesses don’t know why some brands get mentioned by AI while others don’t.
That’s where trust signals come in.
What Are Trust Signals?
Trust signals are measurable elements that tell AI, search engines, and users that your brand is credible and authoritative.
AI models need this proof before they’ll cite or recommend you. Without it, even brilliant content can go unnoticed. Trust signals provide that proof through three distinct categories: technical integrity, content authority, and real-world validation.
The Three Categories of Trust Signals
1. Technical Signals: The technical integrity and machine-readability of your website. (This includes website architecture and crawlability).
2. Authority Signals: The expertise and credibility of your content. (This includes clear authorship and demonstrated subject-matter expertise).
3. Brand Signals: Real-world social proof and industry recognition. (This includes customer reviews and media mentions).
From Measurement to Improvement
AI Trust Signals gives you a clear roadmap for improvement through a systematic, measurable approach.
The Trust Signals Score
The platform calculates an overall score (for example, 86%) based on your performance across 19 signals. Each signal is scored as Low, Medium, High, or Pass/Fail, reflecting what AI models understand about your brand’s authority.
This score provides a clear metric that enables tactical recommendations for improving specific signals. You’re not guessing what to fix or where to focus; you have concrete data showing exactly which trust signals need strengthening and what impact that will have on your authority.
The Three-Phase Approach
AI Trust Signals works through a structured, three-phase approach designed to build sustainable authority:
Phase 1: Initial Diagnosis & Technical Fixes
The first phase identifies technical gaps preventing AI from properly understanding your content. This means fixing foundational issues blocking machine-readability, ensuring your site structure makes sense to AI, and implementing the technical elements AI needs to confidently cite your content.
Phase 2: Foundational Fixes & Strengthening
The second phase focuses on building authority signals through content depth and expertise, while also strengthening brand signals through social proof and recognition. This is where you build the substance behind your authority: comprehensive content and the real-world validation that makes AI trust your brand.
Phase 3: Ongoing Maintenance & Growth
The third phase ensures continuous monitoring and optimisation as AI models evolve and improve. Authority requires ongoing attention and adaptation to remain strong in the long term.
The Brands That Build Authority Will Win
Customers are already asking AI which brands to trust. The only question is whether your brand will be in the answer.
This partnership gives drumBEAT clients the framework, GEO tools, and execution to build authority that AI, search engines, and users all recognise.
Ready to find out where your brand stands? Get in touch.
The agencies that will matter most in the next five years won’t be the ones tracking AI mentions. They’ll be the ones building the authority that makes those mentions inevitable. drumBEAT understands that distinction, and that’s exactly why we’re proud to have them in our partner network.” – Patrick Moorhead
