Akamai has launched AI Brand Presence, a tool designed to optimize website content for AI search and agentic traffic. In a pilot test on its own site, the company reported an 85% increase in citations and a 364% surge in brand presence.
TL;DR
- Akamai's new AI Brand Presence tool optimizes website content for AI search and agentic traffic.
- Pilot results show 85% more citations, 364% increased brand presence, and 99% reduced data loads.
- The tool helps businesses control their brand narrative in AI-generated answers and monitor AI bot activity.
What happened
Akamai introduced AI Brand Presence on May 19, 2026, a product that reformats website content for large language models (LLMs) and AI agents, monitors AI bot activity, and adds edge security. The goal is to improve brand visibility and control in AI-generated answers.
Akamai piloted the technology on its own global website, serving an AI-ready version alongside the human version. This resulted in a 99% reduction in data loads, an 85% increase in citations, and a 364% surge in brand presence for general searches. In ChatGPT, Akamai's presence jumped 133% compared to competitors.
Why it matters
As more users turn to AI for search and navigation, businesses risk 'digital invisibility' if they don't optimize their content for AI. AI Brand Presence helps businesses adapt to this shift and control their brand narrative in AI-generated answers.
The tool provides a single dashboard to reveal which AI models are visiting a site, what content they are consuming, and how those interactions turn into real traffic and customer engagement. This allows businesses to understand and influence how they are represented in AI ecosystems.
AI Brand Presence is part of Akamai's broader strategy to support the evolving AI ecosystem, where autonomous agents increasingly act on behalf of users. The tool is now available in limited availability through a phased rollout, beginning with select customers in North America.
Key facts
- AI Brand Presence optimizes website content for AI search and agentic traffic.
- Pilot results showed a 99% reduction in data loads, an 85% increase in citations, and a 364% surge in brand presence for general searches.
- In ChatGPT, Akamai's presence jumped 133% compared to competitors.
- The tool provides a single dashboard to monitor AI bot activity and track how AI interactions turn into real traffic and customer engagement.
- AI Brand Presence is available in limited availability through a phased rollout, beginning with select customers in North America.
- Akamai observed a 300% annual increase in AI bot traffic.
- Studies have found that nearly 60% of searches now end without a click, highlighting the shift towards AI-mediated discovery.
- AI Brand Presence is part of Akamai's broader strategy to support the evolving AI ecosystem.
Context
The launch of AI Brand Presence comes as more users turn to AI for search and navigation, breaking long-established marketing funnels and introducing new risks around the veracity and visibility of information retrieved and shared by LLMs.
Akamai has been focusing on AI security research, bot-traffic analysis, Zero Trust segmentation, and large-scale AI infrastructure via its AI Grid launch across 4,400+ edge locations. The introduction of AI Brand Presence extends this strategy into AI-driven discovery and brand visibility.
The shift towards AI-mediated discovery is one of the most significant changes in digital history, according to Patrick Sullivan, CTO of Security Strategy at Akamai. Businesses face the risk of digital invisibility if they don't adapt to this shift and control their brand narrative in AI-generated answers.