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    Quick answer

    To find brand mentions, combine Google search operators, Google Alerts and a brand monitoring or SEO tool, then check social platforms, forums, review sites and AI tools. To find unlinked brand mentions, filter those results for pages that name your brand without linking to your site, then contact the publisher to ask for a link.

    What counts as a brand mention?

    A brand mention is any time your brand name appears on another website, whether in a news story, a listicle, a review, a forum thread or a social post. A linked mention names your brand and links to your site. It can send referral visitors and pass authority to your pages.

    An unlinked mention names your brand without a link. It still builds recognition with readers, search engines and AI tools, but it passes no link authority. That makes unlinked mentions worth finding, because the publisher already knows and writes about you, and a polite request can sometimes turn the mention into a link.

    Why it is worth finding your brand mentions

    Knowing where your brand is named gives you information you can act on. Here are four reasons to look:

    • Reputation and sentiment

      Mentions show what people say about you, good and bad, so you can thank supporters, answer criticism and fix genuine problems.

    • Link opportunities

      Pages that name you without a link are practical link building opportunities, because the publisher has already chosen to write about you.

    • How AI tools see your brand

      AI tools learn about brands from what is written about them. Your mentions show the descriptions and associations those tools may pick up.

    • Gaps against competitors

      Finding where competitors are named and you are not shows which lists, reviews and publications to target next.

    For more on why mentions matter for search and AI, see our guide on how brand mentions work.

    How to find brand mentions: seven methods

    No single method finds everything. Combining a few free methods with one or two tools gives you a much fuller picture, so work through these seven in turn.

    Google search operators

    Search operators let you search Google for your brand while filtering out the pages you do not need. Replace “Your Brand”, yourdomain.com and the competitor details with your own.

    Search What it finds
    "Your Brand" -site:yourdomain.com Mentions on other websites
    "Your Brand" -site:yourdomain.com -site:facebook.com -site:linkedin.com Mentions outside your own social profiles
    "Your Brand" intitle:review Reviews of your brand
    "Your Brand" best OR alternatives Lists and comparisons that include you
    "Competitor" -site:competitor.com -"Your Brand" Pages naming a competitor but not you

    Google search operators for finding brand mentions

    Search operators give approximate results, so they will not surface every mention, and the result counts Google shows are estimates. Use the Tools menu under the search bar to filter results by date and focus on recent pages.

    Google Alerts

    Google Alerts is a free service that emails you when Google finds new pages matching a search. Set alerts for your brand name, your founders’ names and your main products, with quotation marks around each name so the alert matches the exact phrase. Alerts will not catch everything, but they are an easy way to hear about new coverage without searching by hand.

    SEO and backlink tools

    SEO platforms such as Ahrefs and Semrush include mention tracking and alert features alongside their backlink data. Because these tools also show which pages link to you, they are useful later on, when you want to separate linked mentions from unlinked ones.

    Brand monitoring tools

    Dedicated brand monitoring tools such as Brand24 and Mention track mentions across the web, news and social platforms, and send alerts when new ones appear. They suit brands that are mentioned often, or teams that need to respond quickly to comments and reviews.

    Social media and community platforms

    Many conversations about brands happen on platforms that general web searches do not cover well. Search Reddit, LinkedIn, X and the forums in your industry directly, using your brand name, product names and common misspellings. These discussions are where buyers ask each other for recommendations, so they are worth checking regularly.

    Review sites

    Check Trustpilot, your Google reviews and the review sites specific to your industry, such as software directories or trade listings. Reviews show how customers describe you in their own words, and review pages often name your brand alongside competitors.

    AI tools

    AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity can name your brand when people ask for recommendations. Ask them the questions your buyers ask, then note whether you are mentioned and which sources they cite. Our guide on how to check brand mentions in ChatGPT sets out the process step by step.

    How to find unlinked brand mentions

    Once you have a list of mentions, the next job is to find the ones without a link. This is how to find unlinked brand mentions in five steps.

    Step 1: Collect your mentions

    Use the methods above to gather every mention you can find into one list, with the page URL for each. Include results from alerts, tools, search operators and manual searches, and remove any duplicates.

    Step 2: Exclude pages that already link to you

    Filter out pages that clearly link to you already. A search such as "Your Brand" -site:yourdomain.com -"yourdomain.com" surfaces pages that name you without showing your web address. This is approximate, because a page can link to you without printing your domain, so treat the results as a shortlist rather than a final answer. If you use a backlink tool, compare your list against the pages it shows as linking to you.

    Step 3: Check each page for a link

    Open each remaining page and look for a link to your site, checking the body copy and any author or source notes. For a long list, a site crawler set up to search each page for your domain can do the checking for you, leaving only the pages with no link.

    Step 4: Prioritise

    Not every unlinked mention is worth chasing. Start with pages that are relevant to your business, on sites with genuine authority and readers, published recently, and where you are named in the main content rather than a comment or sidebar. These are the mentions where a link is most useful and a request feels natural.

    Step 5: Reach out to the author or editor

    Find the person who wrote or edits the page, usually through the author byline, the site’s contact page or a professional profile, and send a short, friendly request. The next section covers how to write it.

    The publisher has already chosen to mention you, so your request should read as a thank you rather than a demand. A few habits help:

    • Be polite and specific. Name the article and where your brand appears in it.
    • Thank them for the mention before you ask for anything.
    • Give the exact page to link to, so they do not have to look for it.
    • Make it easy. Keep the email short and the request simple.

    Here is a short template you can adapt:

    Subject: Thanks for mentioning [Your Brand]

    Hi [Name],

    Thanks for including [Your Brand] in your article “[Article title]”. We really appreciated it.

    Would you be open to adding a link to [URL] where we are mentioned? It would help your readers find us easily.

    Thanks again,
    [Your name]

    Set realistic expectations. Not every publisher will add a link, and that is fine. Some sites have policies against changing published articles, and some editors will not reply. The mention still has value, because it keeps your brand in front of readers and adds to how search engines and AI tools understand you. Send one polite follow-up at most, then move on.

    Find where competitors are mentioned and you are not

    Your own mentions show where you already appear. Your competitors’ mentions show where you are missing. Use the competitor search from the table above, "Competitor" -site:competitor.com -"Your Brand", along with your SEO or monitoring tools, to find lists and reviews that feature competitors but not you.

    Those pages are the listicle targets to prioritise. The publisher already covers your category and your competitors, so there is a clear case for including a relevant alternative. Make that case with specifics about who your product suits and what sets it apart. If you would rather a team pitched them for you, our listicle outreach service handles it.

    Want your brand in the lists your competitors already appear in?

    Explore brand mention link building

    How often to check for brand mentions

    Set up alerts in Google Alerts or your chosen tool for ongoing monitoring, so new mentions reach you without extra work. Alerts help you react quickly, whether that means thanking a writer, answering a review or asking for a link while the article is still new.

    Alongside alerts, do a full manual review monthly or quarterly. Run your search operators again, check social platforms and review sites, and ask AI tools your buyers’ questions. Monthly suits brands that are mentioned often or running active campaigns, while quarterly is enough for many smaller businesses. Whichever you choose, keep the same methods each time so you can see how your coverage changes.

    Frequently asked questions

    Start with Google search operators, such as your brand name in quotation marks with your own site excluded, and set up Google Alerts for your brand, founders and products. Then search Reddit, LinkedIn, X, industry forums and review sites directly, and ask AI tools your buyers’ questions. That is how to find brand mentions without spending anything, although a paid tool may find more.
    A linked mention names your brand and links to your website, so it can send visitors and pass authority to your pages. An unlinked mention names your brand without a link. It still builds recognition with readers, search engines and AI tools, but it passes no link authority. Both are useful, and an unlinked mention can sometimes become a link after a polite request.
    Collect your mentions using search operators, alerts and tools, then remove the pages that already link to you. A search that excludes your own domain and web address helps, although the results are approximate. Check the remaining pages by hand or with a site crawler, then prioritise relevant, recent pages. That is how to find unlinked brand mentions worth contacting the publisher about.
    Often, yes. The publisher already knows your brand and chose to mention it, so a short, polite request is reasonable. Not every publisher will add a link, and some have policies against changing published articles. Focus on relevant, authoritative pages where you are named in the main content, send one follow-up at most, and remember the mention has value either way.
    Set up alerts for ongoing monitoring, so you hear about new mentions soon after they are found. Then do a full manual review monthly or quarterly, running your search operators again and checking social platforms, review sites and AI tools. Monthly suits brands that are mentioned often or running active campaigns, while quarterly is enough for many smaller businesses.
    Yes, although not through a report. AI tools do not publish lists of the brands they mention, so you check by asking ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity the questions your buyers ask, then noting whether your brand is named and which sources are cited. Our guide on how to check brand mentions in ChatGPT explains the process step by step.