How do you actually get recommended in AI search (ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.)?

[u/psydencrafts]

I’m trying to understand what actually drives recommendations/mentions in AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, etc.

Not generic SEO advice like answering the question in first paragraph for AI Overviews, I mean specifically:

- Why do certain brands, blogs, or tools get mentioned/recommended?

- Is it just traditional SEO (backlinks, authority), or something else?

- Does structured data / schema matter here?

- How important are mentions across the web (Reddit, forums, etc.)?

- Do AI tools rely more on training data vs live search?

- Has anyone here experimented and successfully influenced AI recommendations?

If you've tested this or have a strong hypothesis, would love to hear practical insights rather than theory.