Pinterest is rolling out Top of Search ads, a new ad format that places brands directly in the first 10 slots of search results and Related Pins, where nearly half of user clicks occur.
Shopping on Pinterest is inherently visual, and most searches on the platform (96%) are unbranded according to Pinterest. That makes the top of search results a prime spot for discovery – and for brands to reach consumers who are open to new products.
Why we care. Pinterest’s Top of Search ads put your products in front of shoppers at the most valuable moment: when they’re actively browsing but not yet brand-committed. With nearly all searches unbranded, the format offers a powerful way to win new customers and outperform competitors. Early testing shows significant performance lifts, making it a high-return opportunity for brands looking to drive both visibility and conversions.
How it works. Top of Search ads ensure a brand’s products are featured where shopping journeys often begin. The new format also includes a brand-exclusive ad unit that highlights an advertiser’s catalog, giving products prominent placement over competitors.
Early results. According to Pinterest:
Top of Search ads have driven a 29% higher average CTR compared to standard campaigns.
Top of Search ads are 32% more likely to attract new clickers.
Wayfair, an early tester, reported a 237% CTR lift in just two weeks compared to its typical campaigns.
Between the lines. For advertisers, Top of Search ads offer a way to intercept undecided shoppers earlier in their journey, effectively turning Pinterest’s visual-first search into a new performance channel.
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Wondering why your site’s not ranking or showing up in large language model (LLM) results, even though your content is solid?
The answer might be backlinks. Specifically, the lack of high-quality ones.
Tools like ChatGPT and Google’s AI Overviews are starting to summarize answers without always linking to a source. That means fewer clicks, more brand mentions, and a big shift in how SEOs need to think about authority.
It’s important to remember, though, quality backlinks are still one of the strongest signals of trust and relevance even as search evolves. They play a key role in how Google evaluates which brands earn visibility and can increase the chances of a source being cited or surfaced in AI-generated answers.
If you want to show up in AI Overviews, earn brand mentions, or rank higher in organic search, you need a solid backlink strategy: one that’s built on quality, not shortcuts.
Let’s break down what that looks like in 2025, and exactly how to do it.
Key Takeaways
High-quality backlinks still matter, even in an AI-driven search world.
One link from a trusted, relevant source beats 100 weak ones.
Quantity and quality both have a place in your strategy, but quality should lead.
You can earn strong links through content, partnerships, and digital PR.
Smart SEO means earning links by adding value, not tricking Google.
Why Building Backlinks Is Important
Backlinks are votes of confidence for your site. Each tells Google, “Hey, this content’s worth checking out!”
Sites with more (and better) backlinks tend to rank higher. In fact, a study from last year noted that over 96% of websites ranking in Google’s top 10 positions had more than 1,000 backlinks from unique domains.
But—and this is a big one—not all backlinks are created equal.
Low-quality links from shady sites can hurt your content more than help. What you want are editorial, relevant, and trusted backlinks that align with your content and brand. These quality links can:
With that in mind, how do you know the difference between a high-quality backlink and a poor one?
What Makes A Quality Backlink?
High-quality backlinks check three boxes:
Relevance: The linking site is topically related to yours. Backlinks from respected tech blogs to your AI tool are good as gold.
Authority: The linking domain has strong credibility and trust. Think of industry publications, .edu sites, or even top-ranking competitors.
Natural placement: You’ve earned this link editorially. No one paid for it or jammed it into a comment thread.
As Alex Horowitz, Digital PR Specialist at NP Digital, explains: “A good backlink comes from a site with solid domain authority (DA 35+), consistent organic traffic of at least 1,000 visitors a month, and content that’s trustworthy and relevant to the client. A poor backlink opportunity usually is on sites with little to no traffic, low authority, or content that feels spammy or off-topic. If the link won’t add value for readers or align naturally with the brand, it’s likely not worth pursuing.”
There are other bonus factors to consider, too. Keyword-rich anchor text, used sparingly, can help. So does placement high in the page’s content. The signals are even better if the page linking to you has strong traffic or links.
Getting these links takes work, but the payoff lasts for a long time.
The Quality vs Quantity Backlink Debate
How many backlinks do you need? This is a common question, and the answer is every SEO’s favorite:
“It depends.”
Do you need hundreds of backlinks? Not really.
Would you like to earn hundreds of great backlinks? Absolutely.
Quality and quantity both matter, but quality always wins. Quantity helps build a diverse link profile, especially from mid-tier, niche, or enthusiast sites. Quality delivers the real authority, trust, and rankings boost.
The problem is when people and marketers chase quantity for the sake of it by buying links, trading links, or spamming blog comments. That behavior isn’t just unsustainable, it’s unwelcome. It’ll tank your reputation among those sites you want cachet from and won’t help your rankings long-term.
Tips to Build Quality Backlinks
We know backlinks matter. We know good backlinks matter. How do we get them?
Never fear. These 14 tried-and-true strategies can help you earn high-quality backlinks in 2025 and beyond.
1. Emphasize What Benefits the Site Gets
Asking specific sites to link to you can work, but it requires being strategic. When reaching out, make it about them, not you. Instead of asking, “Can you link to my blog post?” you might try a message like,
“Your readers might find this guide helpful. It includes a breakdown that expands on your section about [topic].”
Show them the value their audience will get. If it plugs into content already performing well for them, even better.
2. Write Relevant and Competitive Content
People don’t link to average content. They link to the best. That means standing out among the crowded pack. What does that look like?
Go deep. Cover the topic more thoroughly than your competitors.
Add visuals, statistics, and original research.
Include expert quotes or insights.
Match search intent. Don’t write a blog post when searchers want a product comparison.
No matter what you create, ensure your content reflects E-E-A-T: experience, expertise, authority, and trustworthiness.
You should be able to find several ways to make your content stand apart from the existing results, whether that’s creating a more in-depth and actionable article or citing research no one else has.
That’s the exact approach my digital marketing agency used to get 20 top-tier media links like CNBC and Retail Wire for one of our clients in the personal finance industry.
We created a data-driven asset that resonated with a large audience and was different from anything else out there. This allowed us to pitch to dozens of relevant media outlets that were more than happy to give us a link in return for a good story.
3. Prove Your Site Is Legitimate
Getting links is a lot easier if your website positions you as a professional, trustworthy, and legitimate organization.
There are several elements that signify trust, and I recommend including as many of them as possible:
HTTPS certification (as well as other certificates)
A branded domain
High-quality web design
Links to your social profiles
Contact information, including the address of your company
E-E-A-T signals like an about page, editorial standards, and author bios.
You can see I’ve got almost all of these elements in place in my website’s footer:
4. Make Your Pitches Short
Want to increase the response rate of your pitches? Practice brevity to make it easy for recipients to understand your pitch.
There are many single lines, and it’s easy to find and click on the links. The email is to the point, and there’s no question what it’s about.
Here’s my advice for making your pitches concise and clear:
Keep paragraphs to two sentences or fewer
Write no more than five sentences
Use bullet points and bold font to make it easy for readers to spot the key points
State what you are asking for clearly
5. Leverage Digital PR
Digital PR (DPR) may initially feel like a focus on building a personal brand, but that’s not the real focus. Instead, consider creating newsworthy stories for journalists, bloggers, and industry outlets to cover and link to.
This matters because PR campaigns can often land backlinks from the highest-authority sites; places like Forbes, TechCrunch, or industry trade publications are significant wins. Those links carry way more weight than dozens of smaller blogs.
Here’s how to use it:
Data-driven stories: Package up survey results or industry insights. Journalists love citing fresh numbers.
Expert commentary: Offer quick takes on trending news. Tools like HARO or Qwoted connect you with reporters in real time.
Unique hooks: Tie your brand to bigger conversations. For example, a fintech startup might publish a “State of Student Debt in 2025” report.
High-quality backlinks come when your story provides genuine value to readers and publishers. A strong DPR campaign earns more than mentions. You get citations that boost rankings.
6. Do an Original Study
Original research is often a backlink magnet. Why? Because everyone needs data to support their content, and they’d rather cite your study than come up with their own.
You don’t need to be a research firm to pull this off, though. Here’s how:
Run a survey with your customers or audience.
Use public datasets and analyze them in a new way.
Combine anonymized data from your own tools (if applicable).
For example, look at my agency’s route when building links for a logistics client. We used multiple, varying datasets to see how different roadside restaurants in America compared to one another for truck drivers and roadtrippers.
The trick is to tell a compelling story with your data, the kind journalists will want to write about. In our case, every driver wants to know the best place to stop, and the geo-specific nature of the report meant local news outlets could report on truck stops in their state.
As a result, we garnered over 1,400 shares, likes, and comments across social media, a massive amount for such a niche industry. We also won a host of new rankings like “best truck stop food”.
7. Create an Infographic or Original Image
Infographics aren’t dead. They’re just evolved. In 2025, they’re bite-sized knowledge hubs that provide real value to readers.
These visuals are often easier to share, embed, and link to than walls of text. A great infographic travels across social media and blogs and can even get picked up by news outlets.
Here’s how to do it right:
Use tools like Canva or Venngage to create professional designs.
Focus on one core statistic, process, or concept. Don’t cram everything in.
Include embed codes so other sites can easily share and link back.
Look at this infographic example from Venngage that talks about the psychological impact of font choices on audiences. It’s a pretty robust dive into the typography of several popular Netflix shows and how title choices can play with mood and genre:
This one’s simple, but it works. Companies love showcasing happy customers. When they feature your testimonial on their site, they usually link back to you. Here’s how to make it happen:
Reach out to SaaS tools, agencies, or vendors you use.
Offer a detailed testimonial that highlights specific results.
Make sure to include your full name, role, and website.
See examples below from MarketHire:
These links aren’t just filler. They come from trusted, established brands that want to show off real customer success. That credibility makes them high-value backlinks, and all you did was share your experience.
9. Link Externally and Then Reach Out
Linking out to other sites doesn’t mean you’re giving away visibility. The trick is to follow through. Here’s how this works:
Write a blog post and naturally link to a relevant site, tool, or expert.
Reach out to the site or personality and tell them they’ve been included.
Start a conversation. Eventually, they may return the favor with a backlink.
You can strengthen this strategy with your own internal linking. Google sees that your page is well-connected both internally and externally, boosting your crawlability and authority.
This is not an overnight backlink hack. Instead, it’s a trust-building move that snowballs into collaborations, mentions, and citations from quality sites.
10. Comment on Other Relevant Blog and Social Posts
Comments on blogs and social media posts are a great way to build relationships with people in your industry and occasionally snag yourself a backlink.
But before you start passionately commenting on posts and throwing out backlinks everywhere, let me explain something.
You might occasionally have an opportunity to include a backlink in your comment. However, the comment should primarily focus on building a mutual relationship with the author:
If you don’t know what to say, make the author’s day.
If you want to share a bit more, you can add some meaningful insight into the topic at hand.
If you want to craft a comment that merits a response from the author and helps build the relationship, add your own commentary to the discussion.
Here’s an example from Leanne Wong on how a comment can start a conversation that might lead to a backlink:
Whatever you do, add value with your comment. The more value you can add, the stronger your relationship will become— and that’s a recipe for a future backlink if ever I saw one.
11. Align Social Signals
If you’re serious about building out your link building strategy and rising through the ranks, then aligning social signals is a must.
Social signals communicate to search engines how active and updated your website is. The more active your website, the better your rankings. You’ll notice I link to all of my social profiles in the footer of this website and keep them all updated:
You may not have the time to leverage every single social platform. In that case, choose one or two that you can keep up with, and post at least once a day on the platforms you’ve chosen.
Check that all of the information on your social profiles matches the information on your website. The company name, address, and phone number need to be aligned to communicate to search engines that your website is up to date.
This is a simple but effective way to build your rankings with very little extra work.
12. Find What’s Newsworthy
Timing is everything. If you can tie your content to breaking stories or trends, you can increase your odds of earning backlinks from journalists and bloggers covering it. Seek out opportunities in the following spots:
Picture this: Google rolls out a major algorithm update, and an SEO agency could publish a quick analysis within 24 hours. Journalists writing about the update may cite that content, earning authoritative backlinks.
Prefer a real life example?
My agency used this tactic to get backlinks from sites like The New York Times and The Atlantic for our client in the entertainment industry. Competitor research told us that a rival website had a lot of high authority backlinks to a page where fans could watch a trending television show from our client. But the link sent users to a broken page.
Our strategy was simple. We contacted every linking publisher and asked them to swap the broken link for our client’s, letting fans actually watch the show.
13. Find Brand Mentions
People may already be talking about your brand but not linking to it. That’s low-hanging fruit.
“Hey [Name], thanks for mentioning us in your piece on [Topic]. Would you mind adding a link so readers can easily find the resource?”
These links are easy wins. The writer already trusts you enough to mention your brand—now you’re just helping readers (and your SEO) with a clickable source.
14. Look At Competitor Backlink Profiles
Your competitors’ backlinks are a roadmap for your strategy. If it’s working for them, it could work for you. But how do you start and what should you look for?
Use Ubersuggest, Ahrefs, or Semrush to pull competitor backlink reports.
Examine their homepage links, most-linked blogs, and referral domains.
Identify patterns: Are they earning links from industry directories? Guest posts? Data-driven reports?
Once you know what they’re doing, ask the big question:
Can I create something better?
If your competitor earned a link for “2024 Social media Trends,” why not publish a deeper “2025 Social media Playbook?” Provide more value. Pitch it to the same sites.
Competitor backlinks are more than insights. Use them as valuable opportunities for growth and wins.
Writing the Pitch to Get Your Backlink
Your content or idea may be strong, but the pitch determines whether you actually earn that backlink.
Today’s editors, journalists, and site owners are bombarded with outreach. Generic templates don’t cut it. A valuable pitch is:
Short and personal: Under 100 words, customized for the recipient.
Value-driven: Show how your resource improves their article or helps their readers.
Clear: Include the exact link and context—don’t make them dig.
Credible: Reference your expertise, unique data, or why you’re a trusted source.
Timely: Tie your pitch to something current—like a trending topic or recent update.
Here’s an example of a pitch that works in 2025:
Hi [Name], I really enjoyed your recent piece on [Topic]. I noticed you mentioned [related stat], and we just released a new study with fresh data on this in 2025. I thought it might add value for your readers. Here’s the link: [URL]. Would you consider including it?
This kind of outreach blends relevance, authority, and timeliness: the same qualities that make backlinks valuable in the first place.
FAQs
How to get quality backlinks?
Use digital PR, original studies, expert content, and smart outreach strategies. Focus on building real relationships and offering value, not tricks.
How many high quality backlinks do I need?
For those in competitive spaces like finance or software, more high-quality backlinks will help you stand out. But it’s not just about the overall total. A good benchmark for many key pages is 20-30 strong backlinks. This number can make a real difference. Even five to 10 backlinks from top-tier domains can beat out hundreds from low-authority sources.
What is a high quality backlink?
It’s a link from a trusted, authoritative site relevant to your content and placed editorially.
How can I leverage social media to build backlinks?
Promote your content, join conversations, and tag influencers. When people see and share your content, backlinks tend to follow.
Is it okay to pay for backlinks?
Technically, it’s against Google’s guidelines. Tread carefully and focus on sponsored content, not spammy link buys.
How do I approach website owners to request backlinks ethically?
Be personal, brief, and helpful. Show them why linking to your resource benefits their readers.
How can I identify websites that are relevant and authoritative for link building?
Look for sites in your niche with real traffic, strong content, and domain authority (DA). Tools like Ubersuggest or Ahrefs help.
Conclusion on How to Get Backlinks
If you focus on creating content worth linking to and getting it in front of the right people, you’ll earn links that matter. These links improve rankings, boost traffic, and build long-term authority.
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OpenAI is launching Instant Checkout inside ChatGPT to Plus, Pro, and Free users in the U.S.
Users will be able to buy products from Etsy sellers.
Purchases are powered by the new Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP), co-developed with Stripe.
How it works. Users search in plain language (e.g., “gifts for a ceramics lover”). Then:
ChatGPT returns product recommendations ranked by relevance, not payment.
If an item supports Instant Checkout, users tap “Buy,” confirm shipping and payment details, and complete the order without leaving chat.
Orders, payments, and fulfillment run through the merchant’s existing systems; ChatGPT passes information securely.
Merchants pay a small transaction fee; shoppers pay no extra cost.
Between the lines. OpenAI said products are ranked only by relevance – not sponsorship or whether Instant Checkout is enabled. Merchants remain the merchant of record, keeping control over fulfillment and customer relationships.
What’s next. Coming soon, according to OpenAI:
Multi-item carts.
Expansion to Shopify’s million-plus merchants (e.g., like Glossier, SKIMS, and Spanx)
More regions beyond the U.S.
Why we care. If AI chat becomes a mainstream way for people to discover products, OpenAI is now at the start of that purchase journey. For brands or businesses selling products, this could mean a new channel to optimize for – one that bypasses traditional search and funnels discovery straight into checkout.
How to sign up. Merchants can apply to have their products included in ChatGPT search results and enable Instant Checkout via ACP.
Etsy and Shopify sellers are already eligible and don’t need to apply.
OpenAI is onboarding merchants on a rolling basis through an online application form.
Different from Google. OpenAI is taking a different approach than Google’s agentic search capabilities. Whereas OpenAI is going all the way to completing purchases on behalf of users, Google (for now at least) is letting users take the final conversion action.
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TikTok is introducing a new ad solution, Travel Ads powered by Smart+, designed to help brands connect with travelers during the discovery and booking phases.
Why now. Travel is one of TikTok’s fastest-growing verticals. According to internal TikTok data:
66% of users say the app is their most helpful source of travel inspiration.
Users are 2.6x more likely to book after searching on TikTok.
How it works. Travel Ads leverage TikTok’s travel intent model and catalog integration to automatically serve personalized creatives at scale. Smart+ AI powers campaign setup, creative generation, and delivery optimization, aiming to convert discovery into bookings seamlessly.
Why we care. TikTok Travel Ads put hotels, flights, and destinations in front of a massive audience already using the app for trip planning, with two-thirds calling it their top source of travel inspiration. Smart+ AI tools then streamline setup and optimization, helping brands scale personalized ads that influence bookings at the earliest, most impactful stage.
The details:
Ads can showcase hotels, flights, and destinations using dynamic, visually rich formats.
Advertisers can choose among:
Single video ads: A hero video paired with personalized travel cards (hotel name, flight route, price).
Catalog video ads: Auto-built from product catalogs with tailored calls to action.
What they’re saying. David Hoctor, TikTok’s head of US verticals for travel and gaming, said:
“Travel on TikTok goes beyond the For You feed, unlocking real-life travel experiences. Every swipe can be a step toward conversion.”
Between the lines. By integrating catalog feeds with intent signals, TikTok is pitching Travel Ads as a direct competitor to Google and Meta in the lucrative travel advertising market, where inspiration and conversion increasingly overlap.
In episode 325 of PPC Live The Podcast, I sat down with Inderpaul “Indi” Rai, group account director at WeDiscover, to explore the lessons learned from mistakes, team dynamics, and the evolving role of automation and AI in paid search.
Indi, a veteran with over a decade of experience in AdTech, MarTech, SEO, analytics, and multilingual paid search, shared candid insights on how errors can shape careers and client relationships.
Embracing mistakes to grow
Indi opened up about one of the most significant mistakes in his career: an automated budget feature in Search Ads 360 went unchecked during his holiday, resulting in the U.S. account overspending by a substantial amount.
Despite the magnitude of the error, the client’s response was surprisingly supportive – they recognized it as an honest mistake and collaborated to mitigate the impact.
Key takeaway. Mistakes are inevitable, but transparency, a calm response, and collaborative problem-solving can turn potential disasters into learning opportunities. Indi emphasizes that experiencing and managing errors is essential for personal and professional growth.
The importance of team communication and handover
Indi reflected on how the overspend could have been avoided with better team preparation:
Ensuring critical information isn’t solely in the manager’s head.
Documenting handovers thoroughly and leaving room for junior team members to step in effectively.
Establishing multiple layers of oversight to prevent single points of failure.
He stressed that team members should feel empowered to act and communicate when issues arise, even if the manager is unavailable. In his experience, the junior team caught the overspend themselves and waited for Indi’s return rather than panicking – a testament to clear communication and a supportive team culture.
Lesson for managers: Maintain composure during crises, focus on solutions over blame, and ensure your team knows their role in resolving issues.
Automation and AI: Tools, not crutches
The discussion turned to automation and AI, where Indi shared practical advice:
Treat AI as an assistant, not a replacement. Blind reliance on AI can lead to errors, especially if users don’t understand the subject matter.
Always validate outputs and run rigorous testing before implementing AI-driven changes. He cited an example from his past work rewriting product descriptions: AI produced repetitive, generic content that wasn’t an improvement over the original, highlighting the need for careful oversight.
Automation can enhance efficiency but requires clear rules, regular checks, and accountability to prevent mistakes like unmonitored budget overspend.
Insight. Automation amplifies efficiency but cannot replace thoughtful human oversight and strategic decision-making.
Client relationships matter
A recurring theme in Indi’s story was the importance of cultivating strong client relationships. The supportive response of a previously “difficult” client revealed that mutual respect, trust, and proven value can turn challenging situations into opportunities for stronger partnerships.
Lessons in leadership and mindset
Indi also shared broader reflections applicable beyond PPC:
Resilience matters: he likened his career journey to Rocky, emphasizing that success isn’t about avoiding hits but about how you respond and keep moving forward.
Learning through experience: setbacks are essential; they teach you to handle pressure, improve processes, and grow professionally.
Balanced guidance: leaders should manage crises calmly, focus on facts, and support their teams without panicking.
From mistakes to momentum
The conversation underscores that mistakes are not the end – they are a catalyst for learning, collaboration, and improvement.
From automation missteps to client communication, Indi’s insights provide a roadmap for PPC professionals aiming to thrive in a fast-evolving industry.
Whether refining handovers, managing automation, or responsibly leveraging AI, the core lesson remains the same: anticipate errors, respond calmly, communicate clearly, and use each experience to build stronger teams and smarter processes.
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Thanks to AI-generated answers, CTRs are failing fast, and even page-one rankings no longer guarantee clicks. Google’s top organic results saw a 32% CTR drop after AI Overviews launched, plummeting from 28% to 19%. Position #2 fared even worse, with a 39% decline. Meanwhile, 60% of searches in 2024 ended without clicks; also, the projections show zero-click searches could surpass 70% by 2025. What does this mean for measuring success?
AI-generated answers are drastically reducing CTRs, with top rankings seeing significant declines in clicks.
Traditional SEO metrics are no longer sufficient; marketers should adopt AI-powered SEO metrics to measure influence and visibility.
Six new metrics, including AI brand mention rate and semantic relevance score, provide insights into AI-driven search success.
Businesses must optimize for Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) by ensuring content clarity and authority for AI responses.
Tracking AI visibility and implementing structured data are essential for maintaining brand relevance in an AI-first search landscape.
The era of measuring SEO success purely through traffic metrics is coming to a standstill. AI systems like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode deliver instant answers; therefore, brand visibility increasingly happens without clicks. Marketers will turn to AI-enabled discoverability metrics that capture actual influence.
This guide explains why it’s important to go beyond CTR. It reveals six AI metrics that predict success in AI-driven search, plus strategies to measure and optimize your visibility when clicks disappear.
How does this disrupt traditional SEO?
Google’s AI Overviews (and similar features on Bing, etc.) generate a concise, multi-sentence answer at the top of the results page. These summaries cite source links, pulling content from high-ranking pages and knowledge panels. To the user, this is convenient: you get an instant answer without scrolling.
For marketers, however, it means the user’s query can be resolved on-page. From the publisher’s standpoint, these overviews satisfy search intent without generating a click, effectively extending the trend of zero-click searches. In other words, the page may be used (quoted in the answer) but not clicked.
AI Overviews significantly accelerate zero-click behavior. A finding suggests that zero-click searches jumped from ~24% to 27% year-on-year in early 2025. A Bain survey reports that about 60% of searches end without users clicking through to another site.
In practice, organic listing CTRs are under siege. Top-ranked pages are losing share because AI answers capture attention. We see that Google’s new summarization features are faster and more convenient, which might mean that these become the default way people search, shifting discovery away from traditional blue links.
Evidence of a drastic CTA decline
Multiple independent studies show massive CTR drops wherever AI summaries appear. Recent industry data paints a stark picture of CTR decline across prominent search positions:
Position
2024 CTR
2025 CTR
Decline
1
28.0%
19.0%
-32%
2
20.8%
12.6%
-39%
3-5 Average
15.2%
12.5%
-18%
This data, compiled from over 200,000 keywords across 30+ websites, coincides directly with Google’s aggressive AI Overview expansion. From just 10,000 triggering keywords in August 2024, AI Overviews now appear for over 172,000 queries by May 2025. In practical terms, a top-ranking page that used to draw nearly three out of 100 searchers now gets under one.
Paid search is hit, too. In one study, paid CTR roughly halved in queries with AI Overviews: dropping from 21.27% without an AIO to 9.87%. In other words, even ads share the fate of organic results, AI answers grab a lot of the click-through “real estate.”
These shifts mean many queries that once sent healthy website traffic now keep users on the SERP. In short, AI Overviews are dragging down CTRs significantly across positions and query types.
AI Overviews are the zero-click accelerator
Google’s AI Overviews represent more than a UI change because they reshape user search behavior. When AI Overviews appear:
Organic CTR drops 70% (from 2.94% in the previous year to 0.84% in 2025)
Paid CTR falls 54% (from 21.27% to 9.87%)
Featured content gets answered directly without requiring website visits
Major publishers report even more dramatic impacts. MailOnline found that CTRs plummeted to under 5% on desktop and 7% on mobile when AI Overviews were present, a blow to traffic-dependent business models.
These drops aren’t limited to one sector. Industries heavily reliant on informational queries (health, science, how-to guides, etc.) report the biggest hit. For instance, Semrush notes that sites in health and science categories see the most AI Overview inclusion and significant organic traffic losses.
AI Overviews primarily trigger informational and long-tail queries (definitions, tutorials, general knowledge), precisely the traffic that blogs, knowledge bases, and affiliate sites depend on.
The evidence is clear. Zero-click search is rapidly rising, and organic CTRs are falling wherever AI-powered answers are available.
What CTRs miss in the AI search era?
Traditional CTR metrics miss a big part of the picture: invisible brand exposure. Your brand may be mentioned in AI responses without generating a single click, highlighted in knowledge panels without direct attribution, or recommended through voice search on smart devices. Even AI-generated summaries from platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini draw on your content. These shape user perception without leaving a measurable trail.
The false correlation problem
High CTR no longer equals high visibility in AI systems. Consider this example:
Brand A ranks #1 organically, receives 500 monthly clicks
Brand B gets cited in 50 AI Overview responses, receives 50 clicks
Traditional metrics favor Brand A, but Brand B influences thousands more users through AI
This disconnect means businesses optimizing solely for CTR may miss massive audience reach in AI environments.
These numbers confirm the trend. A large (and growing) chunk of search queries never leads to an external click, instead being resolved by AI/Google. This doesn’t mean all organic traffic is lost; many queries (mainly transactional, local, or brand-specific) still send clicks, but the landscape is clearly shifting toward answering directly.
Six AI LLM optimization metrics
With traditional click metrics weakening, SEO must evolve. CTRs and ranks still matter, but they’re incomplete indicators now. We must measure how content performs within AI-generated answers, even when no one clicks. As Cyberclick observed, your content might be “cited, referenced, or sourced by AI systems”, which they call zero-click visibility, yet none of that shows up in Google Search Console or analytics. In other words, your page could be the knowledge behind an answer, building authority, without any direct traffic trace.
To account for this, experts recommend new AI metrics:
1. AI brand mention rate
Definition: Frequency of brand appearances in AI-generated responses across major platforms (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews).
This metric is critical because it has the strongest correlation with AI Overview visibility. The top 25% of brands receive over 169 monthly AI mentions, compared to just 14 for the next tier. Meanwhile, 26% of brands have zero AI mentions at all, revealing massive gaps and untapped opportunities in brand visibility.
How to measure:
Manual query testing across LLM platforms using brand-related searches
Custom monitoring scripts to track brand mentions in AI responses
Competitive benchmarking against industry leaders
Optimization tactics:
Create quotable, cite-worthy statistics and insights that AI systems prefer
Build topical authority through comprehensive content coverage
Increase web mentions across trusted, high-authority sources
Develop thought leadership content that positions your brand as an expert source
Pro tip: Yoast AI Brand Insights can help track and optimize your brand’s visibility across AI platforms, giving you actionable data to improve mention frequency and context.
2. Semantic relevance score
Definition: Measurement of content alignment with search intent through vector embeddings rather than keyword matching
This metric is critical because AI systems rely on semantic similarity rather than exact keyword matches when selecting content. It predicts the likelihood of being included in AI-generated answers across different platforms and measures how accurately content aligns with queries beyond surface-level optimization.
How to measure:
OpenAI Embedding API for content-query similarity scoring
Go Fish Digital’s Embedding Relevance Score tool for automated analysis
A/B testing content variations to identify the highest-scoring approaches
Topic clustering analysis to understand semantic relationships
Optimization tactics:
Focus on comprehensive topic coverage rather than keyword density
Use entity-based content strategies that connect related concepts
Optimize for question-answer formats that AI systems prefer
Create contextually rich content that covers user intent fully
Advanced strategy: Implement structured content hierarchies using clear H2/H3 sections that mirror how AI systems process information for responses.
3. Structured data implementation score
Definition: Percentage of pages with proper schema markup and AI-readable formatting
This is critical because AI systems strongly favor structured, machine-readable data over plain text. Schema markup improves AI comprehension, boosts the chances of being cited, and enables rich snippet appearances that reinforce visibility alongside AI Overviews.
How to measure:
Schema markup validation tools to audit implementation coverage
Percentage of key pages with relevant structured data types
Rich snippet appearance tracking across target queries
Technical SEO audits focusing on markup completeness
Optimization tactics:
Implement FAQ and HowTo schemas for informational content
Use comprehensive schema types (Organization, Product, Service, Review)
Create clean, markdown-friendly content formats that AI can easily parse
Optimize internal linking structure to support entity relationships
Note: Yoast SEO Premium includes advanced schema implementation features that can automate much of this optimization process.
4. Citation quality index
Definition: Quality weighting of attributed mentions and source links in AI responses
This index is critical because it fuels both traffic and trust within AI recommendation systems. Quality citations strengthen brand authority in LLM training, while linked references deliver three times more value than unlinked mentions.
How to measure:
Track citations with proper source attribution across AI platforms
Monitor the authority scores of sites that cite your content
Measure click-through rates from AI citations when available
Create authoritative, research-backed content that merits citation
Build relationships with industry publications and thought leaders
Optimize content for “cite sources” inclusion with clear attribution
Develop proprietary data and insights that become go-to industry references
Advanced tracking: Use tools like Brand24 or Mention.com to monitor unlinked brand citations that may influence AI training without generating trackable links.
5. Query match coverage
Definition: Breadth of related queries where your content appears in AI responses
Query match coverage is essential because AI systems favor comprehensive topical coverage over a narrow focus. And broader query coverage indicates higher entity authority. It also predicts inclusion across multiple AI response types and platforms
How to measure:
Topic clustering analysis to map query coverage
Competitive content gap analysis to identify opportunities
Query coverage mapping across your content portfolio
Definition: Average placement position of your brand/content within AI-generated responses
AI positioning score matters because earlier placement in AI responses gets far more attention. First-position mentions see up to three times higher engagement, and strong positioning directly boosts perceived brand authority.
How to measure:
Track the mention position across AI responses manually
Calculate the average placement across multiple queries over time
Monitor position trends to identify optimization success
Benchmark positioning against direct competitors
Optimization tactics:
Optimize content for primary source citation by AI systems
Build first-party research and proprietary data that AI prefers
Create definitive resources that become category authorities
Focus on expertise signals (author credentials, source authors)
Why CTR still matters (and how to optimize it)
Even as AI visibility metrics rise in importance, CTR still plays a crucial role. Clicks directly drive conversions and sales, making them essential for revenue. A strong CTR also signals clear content-query alignment, which boosts overall visibility. Over time, pages with consistently higher CTR often gain better placement in AI-generated citations, which creates an advantage.
CTR optimization in the AI era
Write for click-desire, not just keywords
Today, writing for click desire is more important than ever. Instead of focusing only on keywords, craft curiosity-driven headlines that promise insights users won’t find in AI summaries. Pair these with benefit-focused meta descriptions that highlight exclusive value, and tease proprietary data or tools that can only be accessed on your site.
Enhanced SERP presentation
Equally important is how your content presents itself in the SERPs. Comprehensive schema markup can unlock rich snippets, while optimized title tags and emotionally engaging meta descriptions help your results stand out. Structured snippets are also powerful for showcasing your unique selling propositions directly on the results page.
Mobile optimization
Finally, mobile optimization ensures that once users click, they stay engaged. Fast page load speeds provide immediate satisfaction, while scannable content structures make information easy to digest on smaller screens. Queries here often carry higher intent, making them a valuable source of qualified clicks.
Curious to know how AI sees your brand?
Unlock instant AI brand visibility insights, track mentions, and boost your authority with our Yoast SEO AI+ package.
Traditional SEO is shifting fast. With AI-driven search platforms like Google’s AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity shaping results, businesses now need to optimize for Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) or Answer Engine Optimization (AEO).
In simple terms: Instead of fighting for clicks on SERPs, the new goal is to have your content chosen as trusted source material in AI-generated answers.
What GEO/AEO means for your content
AI-powered search engines “read” and select content differently from Google’s classic algorithm. They prioritize:
Clarity & structure → short, factual sentences
Explicit answers → direct responses to common queries
Scannable formats → helpful headings, bullet lists, and one idea per paragraph
Here’s what many miss: AI Overviews strip away logos, design, and slogans. All that remains is text. That means your brand identity must live in your words.
To stand out in AI-generated answers:
Use brand-specific language and stories
Strengthen authority with schema markup and citations
Make sure your brand’s voice and expertise come through clearly
This is where AI Brand Insights comes in. This feature will:
Track how AI assistants mention your brand.
Show how your business is represented in AI-generated answers.
Help refine your brand narrative in the age of AI search.
In short: GEO isn’t about SERP position alone; it’s about what AI “knows” and shows about your brand.
See how visible your brand is in AI search
Track mentions, sentiment, and AI visibility. With Yoast AI Brand Insights, you can start monitoring and growing your brand.
CTRs remain essential but insufficient for measuring true search success
AI brand mentions and citation quality predict long-term visibility better than traditional rankings
Structured data and semantic optimization determine inclusion in the AI-generated responses
Multi-platform visibility tracking is essential as search behavior fragments across AI tools
Ready to optimize visibility in AI search?
The transformation to AI-powered search is already here. Early adopters who implement comprehensive AI visibility measurement today will establish competitive advantages that build over time.
Start tracking your AI mentions immediately using the frameworks outlined above. Audit your content for AI-friendliness and implement structured data optimization. Most importantly, build authority through comprehensive topic coverage and citation-worthy insights that position your brand as an industry authority across traditional search and AI platforms.
The brands that thrive in the next decade will not be those with the highest CTRs; they will be the ones that understand how to build influence and visibility in an AI-first search world.
September marked seismic shifts for digital marketers. Google launched user-controlled preferred sources. TikTok’s search ads started delivering 2x purchase lift. AI tools cited Reddit more than Wikipedia. Meta rolled out culture-first targeting that actually works.
These aren’t incremental tweaks but major changes with how visibility works across every platform that matters.
Key Takeaways
Google’s “Preferred Sources” changes mean visibility now depends on user opt-in, not just algorithmic SEO.
Community platforms like Reddit are leading the way in LLM citations, AI trusts people more than publishers.
TikTok is officially a bottom-funnel platform. Search ads are driving 2x purchase lift.
Influencer marketing is evolving, from content partners to product creators and campaign co-leads.
LinkedIn is now delivering measurable B2B ROI and rewarding volume with visibility.
Generative SEO requires structured, comprehensive content and strong off-site signals to earn citations.
Google Gives Users More Control—And Publishers More Uncertainty
Google’s new “Preferred Sources” feature lets users choose which publishers they want to see in their Top Stories feed. Right now it’s only live in the U.S. and India, but the ripple effect could be global.
Why it matters: Google just changed the rules. Algorithm optimization isn’t enough anymore, users decide who gets seen. Publishers banking on SEO alone will lose traffic to brands that earn the opt-in.
What to do:
Add a “Make us your preferred source on Google” CTA to blogs, email footers, and resource pages.
Incentivize returning users through newsletters or community content.
Don’t assume visibility is earned by merit alone anymore. Earn the opt-in.
Google’s Spam Update Tightens the Screws
The August 2025 spam update started rolling out late in the month, and it’s still shaking things up. Cloaked content, hacked sites, thin AI pages, Google’s targeting them all.
Why it matters: Google’s first spam update in eight months targeted the obvious stuff, which isn’t a surprise. But I’m seeing legitimate sites get hit for “over-optimization.” Google’s tolerance for search-first content is shrinking fast.
What to do:
Audit your thin content and internal links for anything that feels “search-first.”
Replace AI filler with genuine perspective or proprietary data.
Watch for ranking drops that point to a need for quality upgrades, not technical fixes.
Why it matters: Meta isn’t hiding its priorities. This signals a possible shift to Reels-first UX across all devices. If it performs well on tablet, expect mobile and desktop to follow. Short-form video is becoming Instagram’s front door.
What to do:
Monitor Reels metrics for signs of boosted distribution.
Prioritize thumb-stopping video formats with strong hooks.
Keep visuals mobile-first, but prep higher-res assets for larger screens.
Focus Friend Hits #1—Influencer-Built, Not Just Backed
Hank Green’s Focus Friend, an ADHD productivity app, soared to #1 on the App Store—outranking ChatGPT, Threads, and Google itself.
Why it matters: This goes beyond just influencer reach. It’s a blueprint for product-led storytelling. When creators build tools rooted in their audience’s needs, they win big.
What to do:
Co-create with creators early, ideally pre-launch.
Think of influencers as collaborators, not just promoters.
Build products with shareability and emotional design.
Meta Leans Into Culture-Led Ad Targeting
Meta is expanding Reels trending ads, rolling out new Threads formats, and extending value-based bidding rules to brand campaigns.
Why it matters: Meta’s new targeting focuses on trending topics and cultural moments, not just age and location data.
What to do:
Build creative that aligns with trending topics or cultural moments.
Use value rules to allocate budget based on predicted conversion quality.
Test Threads ad formats before competition drives up CPMs.
Reddit is AI’s Most Cited Source
SEMrush analyzed 150,000 AI-generated responses and found Reddit is cited more than Wikipedia, YouTube, and traditional websites combined.
Why it matters: Generative AI tools trust communities over content farms. If you’re ignoring Reddit, you’re invisible to AI discovery tools.
What to do:
Audit where your brand shows up in Reddit conversations.
Engage authentically in niche threads—don’t spam.
Use Reddit as a visibility play for both SEO and LLM inclusion.
Top Strategies for LLM Visibility: Structure, Schema, Mentions
Organic Labs analyzed over 10,000 LLM responses to crack the code on AI citations. The winning formula: clear content structure (FAQs, bullets), schema markup, and consistent brand mentions across the web.
Why it matters: This moves generative SEO (GEO) out of theory and into actionable strategy. We have data-backed tactics now that marketers can start putting into action.
What to do:
Add FAQs, bullets, and concise summaries to long-form content.
Use schema to identify key entities and page context.
Build brand mentions through digital PR, digital citations, and guest content.
TikTok Search Ads Deliver 2x Purchase Lift
TikTok isn’t just an awareness tool anymore. Their Search Ads are now driving 2.2x lift in purchases for enterprise advertisers, with 86% of Gen Z searching on the platform weekly.
Why it matters: Search volume is up 40% year-over-year. TikTok has become a discovery engine where intent meets inspiration—users search out of curiosity and convert through creativity.
Target curiosity-driven keywords, not just branded terms
Create discovery-moment content that answers “how” and “why” questions
Influencers Join Super Bowl Creative Teams
Brands are integrating creators into Super Bowl 2026 campaigns, not just for amplification, but for strategy, storytelling, and on-site activation.
Why it matters: Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that creators are just media buys. They’re narrative architects who bring human relevance to big-budget campaigns.
What to do:
Involve influencers in campaign strategy and creative development, not just content promotion
Use them across the full event cycle: pre-launch buzz, live coverage, and post-event storytelling
Think bigger than social amplification. Creators can handle on-site activation and audience engagement
AI Still Sends Users to Broken Pages
Ahrefs found that 1% of AI-recommended URLs lead to 404s. Google’s rate? Just 0.15%. AI assistants account for just 0.25% of site traffic compared to Google’s 39%, but their error rate is six times higher.
Why it matters: AI tools are already crawling and citing your content, whether you know it or not.
What to do:
Optimize your 404 page like it’s a landing page.
Create a comprehensive sitemap that helps AI tools find and reference your best content.
Don’t sleep on technical SEO, as it could be your AI safety net.
LinkedIn Rewards Brands That Show Up
Buffer analyzed 2 million posts and found that companies posting 11+ times a week get 16,000+ more impressions. But there’s bigger news: LinkedIn Ads now show 113% ROAS—the only platform delivering positive returns across the board.
Why it matters: Frequency doesn’t just maintain reach—it multiplies it. But quantity only works when paired with quality.
What to do:
Post 3–5 times weekly at minimum.
Blend thought leadership, employee advocacy, and industry reaction.
Prioritize value, not volume.
LinkedIn’s new CAPI integration and advanced conversion tracking let B2B marketers prove pipeline impact like never before. The platform rewards volume with visibility, but only if your content sparks professional conversations.
Final Word: Visibility Is About Trust, Not Just Tactics
It’s not enough to rank. Or go viral. Or show up in someone’s inbox.
The playbook changed in September. Visibility now spans platforms, algorithms, user preferences, and AI models. And each one has its own logic, signals, and expectations.
Google wants trust. LLMs want structure and mentions. Social wants stories. Users want relevance. None of it works in isolation.
Start with three moves: Set up Preferred Sources CTAs this week, audit where your brand appears in Reddit discussions, and test TikTok Search Ads if you’re in retail or direct-to-consumer. The brands moving first on these changes will own the advantage while others catch up.
This is the new search. It’s happening everywhere. And your brand needs to be ready for it.
http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png00http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png2025-09-25 19:00:002025-09-25 19:00:00September 2025 Digital Marketing Roundup: What Changed and What You Should Do About It
Brand mentions are a form of social proof, and they carry more weight than many marketers realize.
They work because people trust what others say about you more than what you say about yourself.
Search engines are starting to act the same way.
When your brand gets mentioned online, even without a link, it sends a strong signal. It tells Google you’re credible. It tells AI models you’re relevant. And it influences how your brand gets pulled into AI summaries and what search engines consider credible.
So, if you’re only chasing backlinks, you’re missing part of the SEO equation.
In this article, I’ll break down what brand mentions are, why they matter for SEO and large language models (LLMs), and how to get more of them.
Key Takeaways
Brand mentions, linked or unlinked, build trust with both Google and AI models.
Search engines treat mentions as implied links, which support rankings and authority.
Large language models (LLMs) use brand mentions as signals for credibility in AI Overviews and generated answers.
Digital PR, guest posting, and thought leadership are proven ways to earn high-quality mentions.
Tools like Google Alerts, Brandwatch, and Mention help you track where and how often you’re mentioned.
What Is a Brand Mention, and Why Do You Need Them?
A brand mention is any time your business, product, or domain name gets referenced online. It doesn’t need a link to carry value.
Mentions show up in blog posts, podcasts, review sites, and even Reddit threads. These are known as implied links: non-clickable references that tell Google your brand matters. For example, Asana is mentioned (but not linked to) in this article about project management tools.
Search engines use mentions to connect your brand to key topics and measure your credibility. A steady stream of mentions from trusted sites strengthens your authority and signals that you’re relevant in your space.
Mentions also help with AI discoverability. Large language models use brand references to learn which companies to trust. The more often your brand appears in high-quality content, the more likely you are to show up in AI-generated answers.
The benefits don’t end there. Mentions also build brand recognition, drive referral traffic, and often lead to backlinks over time.
If you’re building a visibility strategy, brand mentions need to be part of it. They’re a core signal of authority in both traditional SEO and AI-powered search.
Implied Links and Google
The key thing to know about brand mentions? Google treats them as implied links.
Trusted references, even without a hyperlink, strengthen your credibility and relevance in the algorithm’s eyes. They’re extra signals that help Google connect your brand to topics and decide if you should rank.
LLMs rely on them, too, scanning unlinked mentions across reputable sources to figure out which companies belong in AI-generated answers.
The takeaway? Think of mentions not as background chatter, but as authority signals that influence rankings and AI results.
How Search Engines and LLMs Process Brand Mentions
As we’ve established, search engines and LLMs rely on signals that help them understand how your brand fits into the broader digital ecosystem.
How Google Processes Brand Mentions
Google’s algorithms crawl billions of web pages to find context around specific entities. When your brand name is mentioned, even without a link, Google uses that data to:
Associate your brand with key topics
Measure how often and where your brand is discussed
Evaluate the credibility of sources that mention you
These signals contribute to an entity profile that shapes how Google understands your brand. That profile helps determine whether your content is a good match for user queries. Take a look at the Knowledge Panel that pops up when you enter my name.
If you are mentioned consistently on high-authority, topic-relevant pages, your chances of ranking increase regardless of whether you earned a backlink.
How LLMs Process Brand Mentions
Large language models do not crawl the web in real time. Instead, they are trained on massive text datasets that include web pages, articles, transcripts, and public databases.
When your brand appears frequently in quality sources, LLMs begin to associate it with specific topics, qualities, and relevance. That’s how you get:
Included in AI-generated responses
Suggested as a resource in conversational tools
Recognized as a relevant entity in related topics
See some of the brand names mentioned in the AI Overview below.
Just like Google, LLMs reward consistent, high-quality brand visibility. Mentions lay the groundwork for trust and inclusion.
While backlinks are still useful, brand mentions are more likely to appear in AI-generated responses. That’s because LLMs extract entities and context from plain-text references, not just hyperlinks. Check out how Ubersuggest gets namedropped along with several other tools in the ChatGPT answer below.
Even without links, brand mentions increase the likelihood of being cited in tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google’s AI Overviews, or Bing Copilot.
Mentions help models “learn” that your brand is relevant to a topic. The more consistently you appear across reputable sites, the more likely you are to become part of the model’s output when users search for solutions.
The Role of Brand Mentions in an SEO Strategy
Most SEO strategies focus on content, backlinks, and technical fixes. But brand mentions for SEO are just as important.
Think of them as the connective tissue between your content and the broader web. They help search engines confirm that you’re a real entity doing real work, and that people are talking about it.
Mentions complement what you’re already doing. If you’re investing in content marketing, digital PR, or thought leadership, you’re likely earning mentions already. Now it’s time to track and amplify them.
The bottom line is this: Brand mentions don’t replace traditional SEO efforts. They strengthen them. And in an environment where visibility is increasingly AI-driven, you can’t afford to overlook them.
Find Sources for Brand Mentions
Once you start earning brand mentions, the next step is knowing where they show up.
Most brands get mentioned more than they realize. It could be a blog reference, a podcast quote, a casual shoutout on social media, or a Reddit discussion.
The key is to track these mentions consistently so you can measure your reach, spot missed opportunities, and even turn unlinked mentions into backlinks.
Here are a few tools that can help you find, monitor, and manage brand mentions across the web.
Google Alerts
Google Alerts is a free, simple tool that tracks brand mentions across indexed web pages.
You can set up alerts for your brand name, product, domain, or even competitor names. When a new mention appears, you’ll get an email notification.
To set one up: 1. Go to google.com/alerts. 2. Enter your brand name in quotes (e.g., “Neil Patel”). 3. Click “Show options” to customize frequency, sources, and region. 4. Hit “Create Alert.”
You can create multiple alerts to monitor different products, team members, or brand terms.
It’s not the most advanced tool, but it’s great for catching early mentions and easy wins.
Mention
Mention is a real-time media monitoring tool that tracks brand mentions across websites, blogs, forums, and social media platforms.
It offers far more data than Google Alerts, with filters to segment mentions by sentiment, platform, or influence level.
You can set alerts for your brand, product names, executives, or even keywords your audience cares about. Mention also assigns influencer scores, helping you identify which mentions are worth acting on.
It also lets you respond to mentions directly inside the platform, making it easy to engage or follow up when it matters.
While it’s a paid tool, the extra visibility is worth it, especially if you’re running a content or PR-driven strategy.
AnswerThePublic
AnswerThePublic isn’t a traditional mention-tracking tool, but it’s one of the best for discovering how people talk about your brand (or brands like yours) online.
Enter your brand name or a relevant keyword, and you’ll get a visual map of real user questions, comparisons, and search phrases.
This helps you spot indirect mentions and gaps where people are asking about your product category but not naming you yet.
You can use this data to create content, launch PR pitches, or see how people discuss competitors in public conversations.
It’s especially helpful if you’re building a strategy around long-tail mentions or brand positioning.
Hootsuite
Hootsuite is best known for social media management, but its monitoring features make it a strong tool for tracking brand mentions across multiple networks.
You can set up custom streams to monitor your brand name, product terms, or campaign hashtags in real time.
For SEO teams, this means you can track how often your brand is mentioned, what context it’s being mentioned in, and whether those mentions are trending positive or negative.
Brandwatch is especially useful if you’re running large-scale PR campaigns, managing multiple brands, or need to report on brand visibility over time.
How to Get Brand Mentions
If you want more people talking about your brand, you need to give them something worth talking about.
Earning mentions is about showing up in the right places, with the right message, at the right time.
Here are five proven ways to earn more brand mentions across blogs, media, social, and communities.
Guest Blogging
Guest blogging still works, when you do it right. Forget the old tactics of mass-pitching templated posts to low-quality blogs. Instead, focus on targeting high-authority, niche-relevant sites where your content can actually deliver value.
Here’s how to approach it:
Start withUbersuggest. Type in a topic your audience cares about. Then go to the Content Ideas report to see top-performing articles related to that topic.
Let’s use social media marketing as an example topic.
Make a list of 25 to 50 potential sites that already publish similar content and get solid engagement. Prioritize blogs with real audiences.
Maybe you want to create a blog post titled Must-Listen Social Media Podcasts for 2025. The fourth listing, businessgrowth.com, is a good website to target, as one of its top-performing pieces of content on this subject is The Best Social Media Books for Your Holiday Reading. It’s similar to what you want to pitch.
Pitch content that fills a gap. From there, visit each website, read the guidelines carefully, and follow the rules. Make sure you know exactly what the blog wants. Review their existing articles. What’s missing? What’s outdated? What fresh angle can you offer?
Include natural brand context. You don’t need to force a link. A casual mention of your brand as part of a relevant example or tip is enough.
Finally, promote the heck out of your post. Go social, email people, do whatever it takes.Every live guest post becomes another opportunity for people and platforms to talk about your business.
Launch Social Campaigns Built for Sharing
Want organic mentions across X, Reddit, LinkedIn, and beyond? Create campaigns people want to join. The right social campaign can make a huge difference.
Great campaigns are interactive, emotional, and aligned with what your audience is already doing.
Once you have a thorough understanding of your audience, create a campaign that capitalizes on their interests.
Make sure your campaign has clear-cut objectives, and make sure you choose the right platform for the right campaign.
After you have the baseline information, these tactics make great starting points:
Run a user-generated content challenge. Ask people to share photos, workflows, or tips related to your product. Incentivize with visibility rather than just prizes.
Create branded hashtags that are easy to remember and invite participation. Track these through tools like Hootsuite or Brandwatch.
Build real-time engagement. Respond to posts, reshare creative entries, and feature participants. This increases visibility and encourages more organic mentions.
Social media moves fast. When you nail timing and context, brand mentions follow naturally.
3. Use Digital PR to Earn Media Mentions
PR isn’t just for huge companies. Digital PR makes it possible for startups and solo founders to get featured in major publications, podcasts, and niche blogs.
Think of it as link building’s cousin: Instead of chasing backlinks directly, you’re landing coverage that earns you credibility and visibility in the form of implied mentions.
Here’s how to get started:
Sign up for HARO (Help A Reporter Out), Featured.com, or Qwoted. These services send daily prompts from journalists looking for sources.
Respond quickly. Reporters work on tight deadlines. Give short, quotable responses that make their job easier.
Don’t over-promote. Lead with value, and let your brand name appear naturally in your title or quote attribution.
Even without a backlink, appearing in articles in niche trade outlets or contributor-friendly sites like Forbes or TechCrunch gives your brand SEO value through implied mentions.
Deliver Experiences Worth Talking About
Customers talk about what stands out. If your onboarding is frictionless, your support is personal, or your product actually solves a real problem, people will mention you. In reviews. On Reddit. In tweets. In YouTube comments.
To maximize these customer service moments:
Ask happy customers to share their experiences. It doesn’t need to be a testimonial, just a screenshot or a quick post.
Monitor brand sentiment and UGC through review sites and brand monitoring tools. You’ll uncover mentions you didn’t know existed.
Respond. Publicly. Engaging with brand mentions, even untagged ones, builds community and visibility.
This is the long game. But it pays off with a steady stream of positive, authentic brand mentions over time.
If you have truly great support and guide your customers, you’ll get rave reviews all over the web.
You can also monitor your mentions on review sites like Yelp.
If you get positive feedback, thank the customer. If you get negative feedback, try to reconcile the situation.
It’s a simple tactic, but it brings big results.
5. Partner with Influencers and Creators Who Actually Use Your Product
Influencers aren’t limited to big names in the B2C space anymore. In fact, micro-influencers and niche creators can deliver more brand value than big names, especially if they’re embedded in your industry.
Here’s how to collaborate with these influencers strategically:
Identify creators who already align with your space. Look for podcast hosts, Substack writers, YouTubers, or LinkedIn voices who talk to your audience.
Offer them value. That could be early access, behind-the-scenes insights, or co-branded content.
Don’t force a script. Let them reference your brand in a way that fits their tone and audience.
These types of mentions often feel more real, get shared more often, and are more likely to be picked up as brand signals in search or AI-generated content.
Turn Mentions Into Links
I know what you’re thinking: “Didn’t you say Google is moving away from links?”
That’s true. But it hasn’t happened yet.
As of right now, high-quality backlinks still matter. They still influence your rankings in the SERPs.
The first step is to find an unlinked mention using one of the tools I showed you. Hootsuite, Google Alerts, Mention, or Brandwatch all work well.
Next, use Ubersuggest to check the domain score of the site:
After entering the domain and clicking “Search,” you’re taken to the Traffic Overview with the following data:
Domain Authority
Organic Traffic
Backlinks
Top Pages
If the site has a good score (generally 40 or higher), contact the site and ask them nicely to change the mention into a link.
You should either contact the site owner or, if the mention is in an article, the author of the content.
Simple works fine. Try something like this:
Hi [Name of site owner or content creator], I saw you mentioned my site in [name of article or content here]. Just wanted to say thanks for the mention. If it’s not too much trouble, would you mind linking to our homepage here: https://example.com? Either way—appreciate the shout-out. Sincerely, [Your name]
That’s all there is to it. No pressure. Just a friendly ask.
Most site owners and authors will be happy to take a few seconds and give you a link, especially if they already mentioned you positively.
You don’t have to use this technique for every single brand mention you find.
Focus on creating more brand mentions and turning some of the strongest ones into backlinks when it makes sense.
Brand Mentions vs. Brand Sentiment
Brand mentions don’t just feel good; they should move the needle.
If you’re investing in digital PR, guest content, or influencer outreach, you want to know if those mentions are actually paying off.
Here are a few smart ways to track the return on investment (ROI) of brand mentions:
1. Monitor Changes in Branded Search Volume
Use tools like Google Search Console, Ubersuggest, or Semrush to track whether more people are searching for your brand name or products over time. A spike in branded searches often follows strong media or influencer coverage.
2. Analyze Referral Traffic
Go to your analytics platform (like Google Analytics) and check referral sources. See which blogs, media outlets, or social posts are sending you traffic, even if they didn’t include a link.
3. Track Backlinks from Mention Campaigns
Not every mention includes a link up front. But if you’re running outreach or thought leadership campaigns, keep an eye on Ahrefs or BuzzSumo to see which mentions eventually earn backlinks.
4. Measure Lead Quality and Mentions in Sales Conversations
If your sales team uses a customer relationship management (CRM) platform, check notes and call transcripts for brand mentions from prospects. Ask: “How did you hear about us?” or, “Have you seen us mentioned anywhere recently?”
5. Set Baselines and Compare Month Over Month
Track your number of mentions, brand reach, and visibility in AI results. Tools like Profoundcan help you benchmark how often and where you’re showing up specifically in AI results.
FAQs
What is a brand mention for SEO?
A brand mention for SEO is any time your brand name appears on another website, even if there’s no hyperlink. Google uses these mentions (also called implied links) to assess your brand’s credibility, relevance, and authority in search results.
How do you get brand mentions?
You earn brand mentions by showing up where your audience is. That includes writing guest posts, getting quoted in articles, collaborating with influencers, delivering great customer experiences, and running campaigns that get people talking online.
Conclusion
Brand mentions aren’t just good for your reputation. They can boost your rankings, increase visibility across the web (indirectly increasing visibility in AI tools), and drive more traffic over time.
This strategy isn’t too complicated. Anyone can do it, and it works best when you already have a great product or useful content to share.
If you track your mentions, run campaigns to earn more, and turn high-value mentions into links, you’ll start seeing results.
It won’t happen overnight. But over time, it adds up.
Mentions help people find you, trust you, and talk about you in all the right places.
Add this to your SEO strategy, and you’ll get more out of the work you’re already doing.
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For the first time, Search Central Live is coming to Dubai on October 21, 2025!
After events in Europe, Latin America, and Asia, we’re continuing our mission to help
you enhance your site’s performance in Google Search, live in Dubai, UAE.
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OpenAI just dropped a hint that could reshape digital advertising forever. They’re exploring ads on ChatGPT.
Right now, ChatGPT doesn’t run ads. But OpenAI’s CFO recently confirmed they’re considering advertising for non-paying users as a way to monetize their massive free user base. With over 800 million weekly users asking high-intent questions regularly, this could become one of the biggest new ad opportunities since Facebook launched business pages.
Here’s what matters: ChatGPT users aren’t passively scrolling. They’re actively seeking solutions. What does this mean for marketers?
It opens up a potentially powerful new channel to reach highly engaged users who are already in problem-solving mode. And just like search or social ads, it could become a staple in your paid strategy.
Let’s break down what we know, what we can guess, and how to get ready.
Key Takeaways
OpenAI is exploring ChatGPT ad options to monetize free users, potentially creating a massive new advertising platform.
ChatGPT advertising will likely integrate directly into conversations, making ads feel more natural than traditional display formats.
Early ad formats may include sponsored responses, product recommendations within answers, and context-driven placements.
Businesses should start preparing now by optimizing for AI visibility through better content, stronger authority signals, and structured data.
Even without paid options, brands can already improve their chances of being mentioned in ChatGPT responses through smart SEO strategies.
What Do We Know About ChatGPT Ads So Far?
The short answer? Not much, but enough to get excited.
Sam Altman previously called ads a “last resort,” but that was before ChatGPT’s infrastructure costs skyrocketed. Running AI at this scale isn’t cheap.
The financial reality is pushing them toward advertising. And honestly, it makes sense.
ChatGPT’s user behavior is perfect for ads. People ask specific questions like “What’s the best project management software for remote teams?” or “How do I fix a leaky faucet?” This is what we would consider a high-intent query.
Compare that to social media, where users may be scrolling mindlessly through content. ChatGPT users come with problems they need solved. That’s advertiser gold.
Recent reports suggest OpenAI is testing different monetization approaches, including partnerships with publishers and potential sponsored content integrations. While they haven’t confirmed an advertising timeline, the infrastructure for targeting and personalization already exists within their platform.
The user base numbers tell the story. ChatGPT reached 100 million users faster than any consumer app in history, and that number has only grown since then. That’s a lot of advertising inventory waiting to be unlocked.
What Might ChatGPT Ads Look Like?
Nobody knows for sure, but we can make educated guesses based on other AI platforms and ChatGPT’s interface.
Sponsored Responses: Think Google Ads, but conversational. Instead of clicking a blue link, users might see a sponsored answer at the top of ChatGPT’s response, clearly marked as an ad. For example, someone asking “best CRM for small business” might see a Salesforce-sponsored response before the organic recommendations.
Native Product Mentions: This could be subtle. ChatGPT might naturally weave brand mentions into its answers, similar to how it currently references tools and services. The difference would be that some of these mentions are paid placements.
Contextual Recommendations: The AI could suggest specific products or services based on the conversation context. Ask about marketing automation, and you might see HubSpot mentioned alongside technical advice. We can see how this might play out in Google right now, where AI overviews and paid ads sit alongside each other.
Targeting Capabilities: ChatGPT already personalizes responses based on conversation history. Ads could use similar signals:
Query intent (what the user is asking about)
Conversation context (previous questions in the thread)
User behavior patterns (topics they frequently discuss)
Industry focus (B2B vs. consumer queries)
Pricing Models: Expect familiar models with AI twists:
Cost-per-click (CPC): Pay when users click on your sponsored links
Cost-per-engagement (CPE): Pay when users interact with your ad content
Subscription packages: Monthly fees for guaranteed mention opportunities
Performance-based pricing: Pay based on leads or conversions generated
The auction system will probably reward relevance over pure bid amounts, similar to Google’s Quality Score. ChatGPT won’t want to serve irrelevant ads that hurt user experience.
What ChatGPT Ads Mean For The Paid Media Landscape?
This isn’t just another ad platform. It could fundamentally change how advertising works. Let’s talk about why.
The Intent Advantage: ChatGPT captures intent differently than search engines by describing problems and solutions in natural language. That gives advertisers richer context about what people actually need.
Instead of bidding on “CRM software,” you might target conversations about “managing customer data across remote teams.” More specific, higher intent, better results.
Budget Reallocation: Smart marketers will test ChatGPT ads by shifting budget from other channels. Google Ads might lose some search volume as users turn to AI engines for answers. Social media budgets could move toward conversational platforms.
Screenshot suggestion: Pull up any major digital advertising spending report from eMarketer or Statista showing platform distribution. This visualizes how ChatGPT could disrupt current ad spend allocation.
Competitive Response Google won’t sit still. They’re already testing ads in their AI Overview results. Microsoft will push Copilot advertising harder. Meta might accelerate their AI assistant features. ChatGPT’s success will force every major platform to evolve their ad offerings.
The biggest impact might be on content marketing. If ChatGPT starts citing fewer sources in favor of sponsored answers, organic content creators will need new strategies to maintain visibility.
Are ChatGPT Ads The Right Fit For Your Business?
The opportunity is exciting, but it’s not universal. Businesses should weigh their target audience, funnel stage, and goals.
Who might benefit most:
SaaS: Those solving niche problems where buyers ask “what’s the best tool?”
E-commerce: High-consideration products like electronics, fitness equipment, or B2B supplies.
Education: Online courses and certifications.
Professional services: Law, finance, healthcare, and marketing.
Who might not:
Brands selling impulse-buy, low-cost items.
Niche industries with limited digital demand.
User Demographics and Behavior: ChatGPT’s user base tends to skew younger and more tech-savvy than average. If your customers are primarily older or less digitally engaged, this platform might not deliver strong ROI initially.
Budget Considerations: Early adopters often pay premium prices on new platforms. Plan to test with smaller budgets initially while the auction dynamics stabilize. Think of it like Facebook ads in 2008—high potential, but expect to learn through experimentation.
How You Can Prep For Ads on ChatGPT
Smart marketers start preparing before the platform launches ads. Here’s your playbook:
Map Customer Questions: Use tools like AnswerThePublic, Google’s “People Also Ask” feature, and your customer support logs to identify common questions your audience asks that could end up being entered into ChatGPT.
Develop Conversational Ad Copy: Start writing ads that sound natural in conversation. Instead of “Buy Our CRM Today!” try “For remote teams managing customer data, many companies choose [Your CRM] because it integrates with existing workflows.”
Audit Your Brand Authority: ChatGPT pulls information from authoritative sources. Strengthen your presence on:
Industry publications and news sites
High-authority directories and review platforms
Academic or research publications in your field
Influential podcasts and media mentions
Test Conversational Marketing Now: Experiment with chatbot marketing on your website or social media. This gives you practice with AI-style interactions before ChatGPT ads launch.
Prepare Attribution Models: Conversational ads might not follow traditional customer journey tracking. Users might mention your brand to colleagues or search for you later without clicking directly through ChatGPT. Plan for longer attribution windows and multiple touchpoint tracking.
Build Your Knowledge Base: Create comprehensive FAQ sections, detailed product documentation, and thorough how-to guides. The more authoritative content you publish, the more likely ChatGPT will reference your expertise.
Getting Your Business Featured on ChatGPT Without Ads
Strengthen Your Content Authority: Focus on E-E-A-T signals (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). Publish detailed guides, case studies, and research that demonstrates deep knowledge in your field.
Optimize for Conversational Queries: Write content that answers questions the way people actually ask them. Instead of targeting “email marketing best practices,” create content around “how to write emails that people actually open.”
Build Relevant Brand Mentions: ChatGPT values brand mentions and links from trusted sources. Earn coverage from industry publications, news sites, and authoritative blogs in your space.
Use Structured Data: Implement schema markup on your website to help AI systems understand your content structure. FAQ schema, product schema, and organization schema can all improve your chances of being referenced.
Monitor Your Brand Mentions: Set up Google Alerts for your brand name and key executives. This gives you baseline data for how your brand is being discussed.
FAQs
Does ChatGPT have ads?
No, ChatGPT doesn’t currently run ads. OpenAI has acknowledged they’re exploring advertising as a revenue option, but no timeline has been announced. The platform remains ad-free for now.
Are ChatGPT recommendations sponsored?
Not yet. ChatGPT’s current recommendations come from its training data and real-time web access. No paid placements exist in the system today, though that may change as advertising features develop.
How can I get my business mentioned in ChatGPT?
Focus on building content authority through strong SEO, earning backlinks from reputable sources, and creating comprehensive content that answers user questions. While you can’t directly control it, ChatGPT is more likely to reflect information from well-established, authoritative sources.
Will ChatGPT ads work like Google Ads?
We don’t know the exact mechanics yet, but expect similarities in auction-based bidding and CPC pricing. The key difference will be conversational ad formats instead of traditional search result listings.
Should I shift budget from Google Ads to ChatGPT?
Not immediately. Wait for the platform to launch advertising features and establish performance benchmarks. When it does launch, test with small budget allocations before making major shifts from proven channels.
Conclusion
ChatGPT advertising isn’t live yet, but the foundation is being laid. Smart marketers are already preparing for what could become a massive new customer acquisition channel.
The opportunity is significant because ChatGPT users exhibit high-intent behavior in a conversational environment. That’s different from any existing ad platform and potentially more valuable than traditional search or social advertising.
Start building your authority now through better content, stronger industry connections, and optimized ChatGPT visibility. These investments will pay off whether you eventually run paid ads or simply want to improve your organic mentions.
Need help preparing your brand for AI-driven marketing? NP Digital specializes in emerging channel strategy and can help you build authority across all AI platforms.
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