Traditional SEO is no longer just about keywords and backlinks, it’s about how algorithms interpret sentiment, synthesize reviews, and decide what gets seen first. Reputation and visibility now share the same digital DNA, both determined by the signals machines detect, the narratives they assemble, and the authority they assign. This shift isn’t simply changing how brands are perceived; it’s transforming how they’re discovered. Traditional SEO still delivers visibility through ranked lists, polished reviews, and web presence, but it may no longer be the modern standard for relevance. For the millions of travelers who are now turning to GenAI, relevance is reshaped in real time, by combining public sentiment, personal preferences, and contextual nuance into one conversational answer.
Instead of static queries like “best resort near Tokyo” travelers now ask, “Where should I stay near Tokyo for four nights with ocean views, kid-friendly amenities, and a loyalty program that’s actually rewarding?” They expect one confident, personalized answer, not pages of sponsored options.
According to Accenture’s 2025 Consumer Pulse survey of 18,000 consumers, more than half are ready for GenAI to plan and book their trips from start to finish. Among active users, GenAI is already the #1 channel for travel discovery, outranking social media and OTAs. And 93% say they’ve used or would use AI to support purchasing decisions.
For travel brands, visibility is no longer enough. If you don’t show up as the answer, you may as well not exist. Reputation isn’t just indexed, it’s reasoned. Traditional SEO is being eclipsed by GenAI-driven relevance, where large language models determine which brands surface, how they’re framed, and whether they’re trusted. LLM optimization (LLMO) is fast becoming the new frontier, where reputation, discoverability, and conversion converge.
According to the SEO Sandwitch Report on AI in Tourism1, globally, AI adoption in tourism is projected to hit 78% by year’s end, with North America already at 68%. Nearly half of travel agencies now use GenAI to personalize itineraries.
The Takeaway
Reputation isn’t just evolving; it’s being actively rewritten. Not by people, but by machines trained to analyze patterns in our online behavior. GenAI is also reshaping SEO rules, turning static rankings into dynamic, conversational relevance. Constant and invisible, these models curate, amplify, and steer preference, becoming the hidden force behind many travel choices.
Reputation and SEO have fused into a single algorithmic gatekeeper, one that not only mirrors consumer behavior but actively shapes it. GenAI now decides what’s surfaced, what’s trusted, and what’s ignored. The mechanics of choice are shifting from human intent to machine-driven decision logic. And AI is watching.
For all of us, this begs the question, if AI is watching, then who is watching AI?
Watching the Watcher
Anyone reading this article will likely have had a brush with Generative AI — think ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot — at some point over the past 18 months. GenAI refers to artificial intelligence systems that can create new content, such as text, images, or audio, based on patterns learned from existing data. These models simulate human-like creativity by generating outputs that are original, context-aware, and tailored to user input.
Whether you're an occasional user or a power user, you’ve likely marveled at its fluency and speed. But GenAI is far from perfect. Its answers can reflect bias, contain factual inaccuracies, or even hallucinate entirely fabricated details in an effort to sound helpful.
For travel companies, where trust, personalization, and operational precision matter deeply, “watching the watcher” becomes essential.
As GenAI and LLMs reshape consumer engagement, travel brands face five critical challenges that call for deliberate solutions., and steer preference, becoming the hidden force behind many travel choices.
- ACCURACY AND HALLUCINATION RISK
GenAI is shaping travel through personalized itineraries, booking help, and local tips. But factual errors, like recommending a closed restaurant or misstating visa rules, can erode trust. Leading brands pair GenAI with verification systems to keep outputs accurate and current. - INTERPRETABILITY AND CONTROL
To stay on-brand, travel marketers guide GenAI to highlight priority destinations, match campaign timing, and reflect brand voice. The best setups embed booking logic and curated content, so GenAI aligns with business goals, not just user prompts. - PRIVACY, SECURITY, AND DATA USE
With sensitive data like passport details and loyalty profiles in play, GenAI must follow strict privacy protocols and transparent governance. Secure, compliant deployment is essential to maintain customer trust - BIAS, FAIRNESS, AND REPRESENTATION
Unchecked, GenAI can reinforce stereotypes, like honeymooners equals beaches, and luxury equals marquee cities. Travel brands can counter this by auditing outputs, refining training data, and ensuring diverse, inclusive recommendations - INTEGRATION AND REAL-WORLD UTILITY
GenAI drives the most value when embedded in booking flows, CRMs, and upsell engines. Integrated end-to-end, it can boost conversions,
loyalty, and operational efficiency — moving beyond smarter chats to smarter systems.
The Machine Loves Drama
Turns out, even machines love a scandal. Over dinner, a friend mentioned that early in her career she worked for the hairstylist Cristophe. In 1993, Cristophe gave President Clinton a haircut aboard Air Force One while it idled on the tarmac at LAX, triggering a media frenzy over alleged flight delays. Naturally, we asked Copilot about him.
The response? Thorough, accurate, and delivered with the kind of gleeful precision that suggests GenAI enjoys a good scandal as much as the rest of us.
Protecting the Narrative
The Cristophe example? A reminder that GenAI loves a scandal, and that your brand could be next. To stay ahead, travel companies must ditch generic models and deploy LLMO tools that train AI to speak their language, reflect their values, and drive their goals. LLMO means smarter outputs, sharper relevance, and full control over how your brand is prioritized in AI-driven discovery. From regional nuance to loyalty logic, it’s the difference between being mentioned and being chosen.
As machines now shape perception at scale, only machines can manage it. Human oversight can’t match the speed, volume, or complexity of LLM interactions. That’s why brands are turning to specialized LLMO tools to refine and safeguard their digital presence. InfluenceAI and Brandwatch are among those setting the standard.
In an era where search visibility and brand reputation are increasingly mediated by GenAI, LLMs are the new gatekeepers of brand visibility, a reality central to the InfluenceAI team’s stated vision for today’s competitive marketplace: “LLM powered applications like ChatGPT have become powerful intermediaries between brands and consumers — essentially replacing traditional SEM and SEO. The ability for brands to understand that impact, and in turn influence the engines themselves is a must have for brands in today’s hyper-competitive landscape.”
In today’s AI-driven travel market, reputation has shifted from being purely a matter of human perception to a product of algorithmic curation; amplified, reframed, and at times rewritten by machines. As GenAI emerges as the dominant channel for discovery, relevance is no longer set by static rankings — it’s shaped by dynamic, conversational logic. In this new reality, brand integrity and visibility are intertwined, both defined by the signals machines detect, the narratives they construct, and the authority they confer.
For travel brands, this shift demands more than visibility; it requires precision, control, and strategic oversight through LLMO. Without it, brands risk being misrepresented, overlooked, or mistrusted by the very systems travelers now rely on. The future belongs to those who not only show up as the answer but who train the machine to answer wisely.
