Their answers often cite Reddit as one of the sources.
And this isn’t just anecdotal.
A Detailed.com study shows Reddit dominates product-related search terms in Google’s new “Discussions and forums” feature.
Semrush research backs this up, saying Reddit is the most-cited domain in AI answers.
In short:
Reddit now sits at the heart of your customers’ decision-making.
From the first flicker of curiosity to the final purchase, chances are good they’ll hit Reddit along the way.
Reddit Influences Buyer Trust
People trust Reddit more than your polished marketing.
The open grievances and the unfiltered praise make Reddit feel real in a way your ad copy never can.
Be honest:
How often do you tack “reddit” onto a Google search? I do it all the time. And Semrush data proves I’m not alone.
That’s Reddit becoming the internet’s social proof engine.
As Rob Gaige, Reddit’s Global Head of Insights, says:
“91% of people who discover a product on another platform are passing through Reddit to validate the claims they’re finding elsewhere.”
In other words, buyers don’t just take your word for it. They take Reddit’s.
Reddit Gives You an Edge Competitors Can’t Easily Copy
There’s no copy-paste trick when it comes to Reddit marketing.
Like you, your competitors have to put in the time to learn the culture and earn their keep.
That’s why the earlier you start, the stronger your position becomes. Every month you engage, you’re stacking credibility that shortcuts can’t match.
Yes, some try to game the system. And that might work briefly.
But eventually, Reddit’s algorithms, volunteer moderators, and the community’s BS detector flush them out.
(And with spam on the rise, the rules are only getting stricter.)
The Reddit Marketing System to Build Karma & Cred
Forget Reddit SEO “hacks,” like slipping links past moderators.
That’s short-sighted thinking.
Here’s the thing:
Reddit’s power isn’t clicks. It’s credibility and influence.
Earn it inside Reddit, AND it reverberates into search results and AI answers.
You don’t earn that trust with Reddit marketing tricks.
You earn it by contributing and becoming part of the community.
Here’s how.
(Shoutout to Ken Savage of Launch Club AI, a Reddit marketing agency, for sharing his insights from the trenches.)
Step 1: Build a Profile That Says “Redditor,” Not “Marketer”
The best way to optimize your Reddit profile? Do nothing.
A shiny, over-engineered profile from a Reddit newborn is a dead giveaway: You’re here to take, not give.
Sure, change your avatar if you like. But, resist the urge to polish.
Instead, keep it plain:
Leave the bio blank
Don’t link to your site or socials
Forget the “curated” look
Let your engagement history do the talking
Take ItsWahl, a plumber’s profile. You don’t see business links or calls-to-action. But scroll through his comments and post history, and you instantly know what he does.
That’s the beauty of Reddit. Reputation builds itself.
The profile follows.
Username tip: Just pick something forgettable. Maybe it’s an old gaming handle, a random word combination, or your pet’s name plus some numbers. The more unremarkable, the better.
Step 2: Get Fluent in Reddit Before You Speak
In your first week (or two) of Reddit marketing, don’t post. Just watch.
Study the culture and pay attention to tone and the little quirks of how people interact.
Why?
Because that look-at-me energy that Instagram and LinkedIn reward is exactly what gets you mocked or banned on Reddit.
It’s the platform’s general code of conduct, which includes:
Remembering the human behind the screen
Using proper grammar and spelling
Assuming good intent until proven otherwise
Formatting posts and comments clearly
But here’s the twist:
Reddit isn’t one community.
It’s thousands of communities, called subreddits (subs), with their own rules and expectations.
What gets you praise in one can get you flagged in another.
For example, in r/Entrepreneur, you need 10 comment karma (Reddit points from helpful comments), and self-promotion is banned.
But in r/Pen_Swap, buying, selling, and trading is the whole point.
Think of it as two layers: global expectations and local rules.
Break either, and the community will remind you. Sometimes, not too gently.
So, before you comment or post, always check the subreddit’s rules. They’re pinned at the top or listed in the sidebar.
The Reddit Moderators (aka Mods) and Their Power
Moderators are the gatekeepers of subreddits.
They control how the community runs within Reddit’s sitewide rules.
You can see who moderates any subreddit by checking the sidebar and clicking “Moderators.”
And yes, they have powers. They can:
Remove posts or comments
Issue warnings
Ban users
Your mileage with mods will vary.
Most are fair and invested in building solid communities.
Others, less so.
As one Redditor put it, “picky and easily angered.”
What most people miss about moderators is this:
Many of them run communities with tens of thousands, sometimes millions, of members. Managing these subreddits takes an enormous amount of unpaid time and effort.
It’s really in your interest to make their jobs easier by:
Reading and following the rules
Contributing genuine value
Respecting their authority
Do that, and you’ll stay on their good side.
Ignore it, and you’ll learn just how much power they really have.
Reddit Language
Reddit speak is conversational and BS-free. Humor, sarcasm, and the occasional bit of self-deprecation are all part of the mix.
It’s also full of shorthand and in-jokes that longtime users expect you to know.
You don’t need to memorize them all, but it’s worth knowing the basics if you want your Reddit marketing to have legs.
Here are a few common ones.
OP: Original poster
ELI5: Explain like I’m 5
TL;DR: Too long didn’t read
TIL: Today I learned
OC: Original content
NSFW: Not safe for work
IIRC: If I recall correctly
FTFY: Fixed that for you
AMA: Ask me anything
Most of these you’ll pick up through context.
But it’s worth bookmarking the full list for reference.
Karma & Voting
Karma is Reddit’s point system.
(Or, as Reddit’s “welcome” guide calls it: fake internet points.)
You’ll see your karma score in your profile sidebar, split into post karma and comment karma.
Here’s why these “fake” points matter:
Karma is the closest thing Reddit has to a reputation score. It affects where you can post and how you’re perceived.
You earn it through upvotes. If people find your post or comment useful, they tap the arrow pointing up.
But there’s a flip side to this democracy.
The down arrow — the downvote — takes karma away.
It’s the community’s way of saying “this doesn’t add value.”
The most-upvoted posts and comments rise to the top. Which means more people see them and more people engage.
(And the cycle reinforces itself.)
Those top comments also tend to spread beyond Reddit through shares or even showing up in search results.
Side note: Karma isn’t a clean one-upvote, one-point system. Reddit muddies the math to stop spam. Your goal is to earn more upvotes than downvotes and stay out of the red.
Step 3: Choose Subreddits Strategically
The subreddits you join will decide how quickly (or how slowly) you earn Karma.
Aim for a mix of niche communities tied to your expertise, plus a sprinkling of subreddits on topics you genuinely enjoy.
The rookie mistake is jumping straight into the biggest subs, hoping for easy upvotes.
But big subs move very fast. Their rules are stricter, and mods are hyper-vigilant.
Take r/AskReddit, for example, which has over 57 million members.
To stand out in your Reddit marketing, you need perfect timing, luck, and genuinely compelling content.
Otherwise, your post just disappears.
So, it’s better to start with smaller subreddits. They move at a manageable pace and are often more forgiving while you learn the ropes.
Side note: You can join as many subs as you want. Once you’ve built experience and have more time to contribute, you can always branch out to bigger subs.
How to Find Subreddits
My go-to method to find new communities is the Reddit search bar.
From the front page, type in your niche.
In the results, click “Communities,” and check two numbers:
Total members and currently online.
That ratio tells you how active a subreddit is.
For example, when I type “SEO” I see r/SEO with 421k members and 64 online, while r/seogrowth has 31k members with 16 online.
Even though r/SEO is bigger, I’d definitely consider also joining r/seogrowth as it’s more “alive.”
When you’re starting out, join 10–15 subreddits.
That’s enough range to test where you get traction. Over time, you’ll naturally narrow to 3–5 subs where you’re most active and recognized.
Getting the Lay of the Land
For your first 1–2 weeks, resist the urge to post. Just observe and absorb (aka lurking).
See which questions people ask repeatedly.
Go hang out in the comment sections. That’s where you’ll get a real feel for the community’s personality. You’ll pick up on how people joke, offer support, or tear bad ideas apart.
And above all: Read the rules.
They’re listed in the sidebar of every subreddit, and they can vary wildly.
For example, r/nutrition has a long list of guidelines to keep discussions science-based, while r/machinedpens has only three rules.
This is also the perfect time to gauge buyer sentiment about your brand or products.
I’ve used Reddit this way for years. And it’s helped me improve product page conversions, get better returns on Meta ads, and even given sales teams a clearer picture of buyer objections.
Take a hair supplement brand I worked with.
Their Meta ads had gone flat.
So, I spent hours in subreddits like r/haircare, r/hair, and r/hairloss scanning threads for brand sentiment and figuring out the deeper psychology behind purchase decisions.
Those insights fueled a creative refresh with new campaign angles, helping turn their Meta campaigns around.
Step 4: Join Conversations Without Being Annoying (The E.A.R.S. Reddit Marketing Framework)
Three hours a week of Reddit marketing is enough to make steady progress.
Here’s how to spend it using the E.A.R.S framework:
Explore: 5-10 minutes/day discovering threads
Add insight: 10–20 minutes/day reading, upvoting, and commenting
Respond: One 30-minute session/week writing and publishing
Share: 5-10 minutes/day amplifying your posts and comments
And no, your weekends aren’t part of the deal.
Side note: Three hours is a benchmark. In practice, it’s between 2-4 hours a week. Some weeks you’ll breeze through, others will take more. The good news is that the longer you do this, the quicker and easier it gets.
Explore: Find the Right Threads (5–10 Minutes/Day)
“Explore” is your foundation for quality and time control.
Your goal is to find 4-7 threads worth engaging in every day.
Get disciplined. This shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes.
Pro tip: Set a timer. Without one, it’s easy to slip into “just five more minutes” and somehow end up deep in r/oddlysatisfying watching hedgehogs take baths. (We’ve all been there.)
Here’s what to do:
Open a few of the subreddits you joined in the previous step.
Then, filter the threads by “Rising.”
This shows new posts starting to gain traction.
Get in early, and your comment is more likely to get noticed while the thread is still developing.
Next, cross-check with “Hot” to show the top posts.
As you scan both “Rising” and “Hot,” focus on threads where you can genuinely add value.
That means:
Answering a question with your knowledge
Filling in missing context
Clearing up a common misconception
Sharing a story from experience
Offering practical help to a “how-to” question
Top tip: Adjust your picks by subreddit size and activity. In large subs (over 1M members or 100+ posts/day), look for posts with 50+ upvotes and 15+ comments. In smaller subs, 5+ upvotes and a handful of comments are enough.
Add Insight: Write Comments That Get Upvotes (15–20 Minutes/Day)
“Add Insight” is the engine of your Reddit SEO strategy.
It’s your daily commenting session to build trust and visibility.
(And get those karma points climbing.)
Your goal is to leave 4-7 high-value comments a day. That’s it.
To leave comments, you have two options:
You can reply directly to the main post by clicking “Join the conversation.”
Or you can reply within a thread by clicking “Reply” under someone else’s comment.
The catch is:
What you say is only half the battle. How you format your comment decides whether people will give it the time of day.
(Because even the smartest insight dies as a wall of text.)
So, formatting matters. If you want eyes (and upvotes):
Break paragraphs early and often (but don’t go full broetry — that one sentence per line LinkedIn thing)
Use spacing to guide the eye
Bold key ideas when the subreddit allows it
Like this:
You can do all this using Reddit’s built-in comment editor.
Click the “Aa” icon in the comment box, and it will expand to show formatting options similar to Google Docs.
Now, comment with a purpose.
You want upvotes, and Reddit doesn’t give those willy-nilly. You get them by making the conversation better.
There are a few ways to do that.
The Explainer Comment
This is perfect when answering direct questions like “How do I…?” or “What’s the best way to…?”
Just give a direct answer with a bit of reasoning and extra info to support your answer.
The Gap Filler Comment
Use this when replies are missing something important.
Acknowledge what’s already been said, then add the missing piece.
The Shared Experience Comment
When the question overlaps with something you’ve been through, comment by sharing what you tried, what happened, and the key lesson.
The Source Comment
This is great for when a thread is full of assumptions, but you’ve got credible info.
Share the source and summarize in everyday language.
And if you’re the source, by all means join in the conversation.
The Case Study/Lived Experience Comment
Best for when you have real-world results to share: yours or someone else’s. Great for “does this actually work” questions.
Simply outline the situation, what you did, and the outcome.
The Checklist Comment
Sometimes, a checklist is all you need to be helpful.
This can be a step-by-step guide, tips, or just a few boxes to tick.
The Brand Comment
If your brand comes up in a thread, that’s a perfect opportunity to be visible in conversations about your brand.
Identify yourself and answer plainly.
Keep it useful, not salesy. Show that you’re listening and willing to help.
This works great when multiple people share similar problems. Tag them with u/ and put in the username after the slash
You can say “u/username above had the same issue. Worth comparing notes.”
Acknowledge + Build
Highlight a good point from someone else, then add your own idea. It builds goodwill while boosting your credibility.
Say something like:
“Great point, I hadn’t considered that angle. For anyone reading, here’s why it matters:“
Think Before You Reply
Not every reply deserves your energy.
Here’s a quick response matrix to help you decide what’s worth engaging and what to ignore.
If the reply…
Action
Example Response
Adds useful detail or perspective
Thank + expand
“Good point, thanks. I’d also add [extra detail]”
Corrects your point respectfully
Acknowledge + clarify
“Fair call. You’re right in general. I was thinking of [specific angle/context]”
Comes with mild sarcasm
Likely ignore
No need to reply. Better to save your energy than get pulled into a spiral
Is hostile or trolling
Ignore, downvote, report
(No response)
Share: Publish a Strategic Post (30 Minutes to 1 Hour/Week)
At some point, you’ll want to go beyond commenting and start your own threads.
There’s no magic karma number that unlocks this.
Each subreddit sets its own bar. Some require account age or karma, others don’t care at all.
The real question isn’t “Can I post?,” but “Should I?”
That depends on softer factors:
How well you know the community
How much you understand its culture
How much you’ve already contributed in comments
For context, I’ve posted with less than 50 karma when I had a genuine question.
That’s different from posting to build visibility or reputation, where the bar is much higher.
Ken Savage recommends getting a karma score of 500 before posting anything that mentions your brand:
“I’ve never been removed for anything above 500 karma. You can usually get that in two to four weeks of 20 minutes per day, five days a week, commenting. The core principle is to be authentic and provide detailed, thorough answers to people’s questions, as if you were getting paid for it.”
Once you’re ready, focus on posts with weight.
That means content that has a real shot at earning upvotes and visibility. These topics often come from:
Your top-performing comments
Recurring questions people ask you
Threads where the same issues keep surfacing
Once you’ve got a promising topic, package it in a format Reddit loves.
Here are some of the best.
Case Studies
Great for credibility-building. Walk readers through a real experience: yours, your customers’, or someone else’s.
Set up the problem or situation, explain step by step what you did, and share the outcome. Close with a clear takeaway.
Lessons Learned & Common Mistakes
This format works when your goal is to teach.
These posts show where you went wrong and how you fixed it: the “what I wish I knew” or “what I learned” stories.
To make this work, frame the mistake or lesson clearly, share the story behind it, and then give a practical fix.
Keep it simple.
One mistake per point makes it more relatable and easier to apply.
For example, if you’re a financial advisor, your topic could be “the budgeting mistakes I see most in new families and quick fixes that help.”
Discussion Prompt
Discussion prompts flip the spotlight back to the community and get people talking.
(Exactly what you want to happen in your Reddit marketing playbook.)
They work best when you give people a chance to share their stories.
Keep the question short and specific, and follow up in the comments to keep the thread going.
Some examples include:
Teachers: What’s one low-cost classroom supply you can’t live without?
What’s the best cleaning hack you’ve found for fur all over the house?
What’s the most surprising product you’ve found through ecommerce AI search?
Checklists & Step-by-Step Tips
Checklists help people self-diagnose and improve.
They work best when Redditors in the community are often worried they’re “doing it wrong” and want a quick way to check.
For example, if you’re in the beauty niche, you can post a topic on “a 4-step test to see if your skincare routine is helping or hurting.”
Then, break the process into 3–7 simple checks and explain why each one matters.
Here’s a Redditor who nails this format.
Myth-Busting
Myth-busting posts are always welcome on Reddit, especially in spaces where misinformation spreads fast.
Lead with the myth people believe and then refute it with proof or experience.
For example, a good topic in personal finance could be “the 3 biggest myths about credit scores and what actually improves them.”
Behind-the-Scenes
These posts pull back the curtain and show how things work.
They get a lot of upvotes because people love insider knowledge, especially when it reveals details they wouldn’t otherwise see.
Set the context, share the surprising or little-known details, and close with why it matters.
If you’re launching a new product, for example, you could show how it’s made and the trade-offs you wrestled with.
Free Resource
Offer something the community can actually use.
Spreadsheets, calculators, templates, swipe files, SEO checklists, mini-guides, code snippets.
Basically, the stuff people would normally charge for, but you’re cool enough to give away.
A few things to keep in mind:
Experiment with timing to find the best time to post. Generally, early weekday mornings and early evenings outperform weekends, but test for your specific communities.
Stick around after you post. Reply to comments and amplify good responses to help the thread grow.
Repurpose smartly. If a post lands, adapt it for 2–3 related subreddits. Tweak the angle and tone for each community. Plus, space them a few days apart to avoid looking spammy. Also, always check the subreddit rules. Some subs ban cross-posting or set timing restrictions.
Reddit Best Practices: How to Talk About Your Brand Without Getting Banned
Big caveat up front:
Don’t even think about promoting your brand until you’ve built karma and credibility.
Jumping in too early is the fastest way to get downvoted.
Once you’ve established trust, here are three ways to bring your brand into the conversation.
The Profile Discovery Method
This method keeps your brand mentions off your comments and lets your profile do the “selling.”
Your comments are focused on helping, and you let curious readers click through if they want to know more.
Pro tip: Once you’ve built some credibility, you can add a short professional bio or link your site/socials in the designated profile fields. Established Redditors do this on their profile.
The Expertise Sharing Method
This approach uses your role or business as context for why your perspective matters.
It signals credibility without sounding like a sales pitch.
Important: Don’t force it. If your comment works just as well without the brand mention, cut it. If not, Redditors might call that self-serving. No bueno for your karma.
The Direct Mention Method (Use Sparingly)
This Reddit marketing method involves naming your brand or product in comments. It’s a risky approach. So, make sure it adds to the conversation.
The key is balance:
Don’t make it an ad, and don’t act like your product is the only solution.
Ways You Can Lose Karma (& Trust)
Now, let’s talk about the fastest ways to torpedo your reputation and send your karma into free fall.
In short, things not to do.
Posting Like You’re on LinkedIn
Polished “thought leadership” and humblebrags are vomit-inducing on Reddit.
What’s modus operandi on LinkedIn reads as braggy here.
Keep it casual, conversational, and other-focused. Always.
Karma Farming
Yes, you can farm karma with memes and throwaway comments.
But that’s empty calories. It might get you numbers, but it won’t get you credibility.
And if you’re not building relationships and contributing to the community, you’re missing the whole point.
Link-Dumping for Quick Clicks
Dropping bare links or thinly disguised self-promo is Reddit’s oldest sin.
If your post exists just to drive clicks, expect downvotes.
Side note: Even if you play by the rules, downvotes happen. Bots filter posts. Mods nuke comments for reasons you’ll never know. That’s just Reddit being Reddit. Let it go and move on. You’ve only got three hours a week to spend here.
Stop Marketing, Start Belonging
This Reddit marketing strategy isn’t about farming karma.
Sure, you’ll earn enough to look legit and stop tripping newbie filters.
But the real win is this: You’ll start thinking like a Redditor.
And you’ll shed the marketing reflexes that get you downvoted and booted off threads.
With that, you become a trusted Reddit local.
And that’s when the ripple effect kicks in. You get seen more on Google. And through LLM seeding — where AI models pull from sources they trust — you also influence AI answers.
Bottom line: Play Reddit right and you etch your brand in a positive light into the internet’s DNA.
http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png00http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png2025-09-23 12:49:002025-09-23 12:49:00Reddit Marketing in 3 Hours/Week: From 0 Karma to Real Cred
A controlled test compared three nearly identical pages: one with strong schema, one with poor schema, and one with none.
Only the page with well-implemented schema appeared in an AI Overview and achieved the best organic ranking.
The results suggest that schema quality – not just its presence – may play a role in AI Overview visibility.
Schema, AI Overviews, and the need for proof
AI Overview visibility is becoming increasingly important to businesses.
One debate within the SEO community has stood out: Does adding schema improve the chances of being cited in an AI Overview?
Schema was created to make webpages more machine-readable, and it has even been shown to help large language models – like Microsoft’s – better interpret content freshness.
That makes it tempting to assume schema is a best practice for AI visibility.
Still, AI Overviews are the result of complex and layered processes.
It’s difficult to draw firm conclusions from logic alone or from limited glimpses into one part of a model’s behavior.
That uncertainty is what motivated us to run a controlled experiment.
In earlier work, Molly analyzed 100 healthcare sites and found a slight correlation between schema use and AI Overview visibility. But the correlation was not statistically significant, and the analysis had two limitations: it didn’t assess the quality of the schema, and because it wasn’t an experiment, site differences in content, structure, and audience couldn’t be controlled.
At the same time, Benjamin’s experiments showed that ChatGPT retrieved information more thoroughly and accurately from pages with structured data. Those findings pointed to schema’s role in AI visibility, but they didn’t address Google’s AI Overviews.
With those perspectives in mind, we decided to collaborate on a test that would build on Molly’s earlier analysis and extend Benjamin’s experiments into Google Search – focusing directly on whether schema quality plays a role in AI Overview visibility.
We built three single-page sites to compare schema directly:
One with well-implemented schema.
One with poorly implemented schema.
One with none.
Aside from schema, the pages were kept as similar as possible, with keywords chosen to match in difficulty and search volume.
After publishing, we submitted all three for indexing to see whether they would rank – and, more importantly, whether any would appear in an AI Overview.
The result: Only the page with well-implemented schema appeared in an AI Overview
The page with well-implemented schema was the only one to appear in an AI Overview.
It also ranked for six keywords in traditional search, reaching as high as Position 3.
Rank 3 was the highest conventional search rank achieved by any page in our experiment, and it was also the query that triggered the AI Overview appearance.
The page with poorly implemented schema ranked for 10 keywords and peaked at Position 8, but none of its queries surfaced in an AI Overview.
The page with no schema was crawled by Google within minutes of the others, but was not indexed.
Without indexing, it didn’t rank for any keywords and could not appear in AI Overviews.
Methodology: How we controlled for variables and defined ‘good schema’
To isolate schema as the variable, we kept everything else about the test pages as consistent as possible – from keyword choice to site setup.
Keyword selection
We used Ahrefs to choose three keywords with identical metrics. Each returned an AI Overview at the time of selection:
“How much does a marketing team cost.”
“What are common elements in the promotional mix.”
“Data pool vs. data lake.”
Metrics (Ahrefs)
Keyword difficulty: 3
Monthly search volume: 60
Traffic potential: 20
We also chose keywords that were qualitatively similar and within the same general industry (marketing/martech).
Site build controls
All three were single-page sites deployed on Vercel, with the following constraints applied consistently:
No JavaScript.
No custom domain name or homepage.
No sitemap.
No robots.txt file.
No canonical tags.
Schema treatments
To create a page that exemplified a solid implementation of schema best practices, we included:
Complete Article schema with all required fields.
FAQ schema for common questions.
Breadcrumb navigation schema.
Proper date formatting.
Author and publisher information.
Educational level and audience targeting.
Related topics and mentions.
Word count and reading time.
We deliberately introduced errors into the poor schema page, including:
The third site was built without any schema at all.
All three sites were submitted to Google on Aug. 29 and crawled the same night.
Interpreting the results: Promising, but inconclusive
We don’t consider these results to be absolute proof that well-implemented schema plays a role in AI Overview presence.
However, the story is clear: the page with well-implemented schema was the winner in our small, carefully controlled test. It achieved the best organic rank and was the only page to appear in an AI Overview.
We don’t see any obvious alternative explanation for why this happened, either.
Unseen variables could have muddied the waters, and there’s always the possibility that our results were simply a coin-flip-style fluke of the Google algorithm.
As a follow-up, we plan to de-index the pages, create new pages with identical content, and then swap the schema.
We want to see if putting schema on the “no schema” page gets it indexed and ranked. That would be a very compelling result indeed.
Appendix
For those who want to review the test materials directly, here are the URLs of the sites and supporting documentation:
https://i0.wp.com/dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Google-AI-Overviews-data-pool-vs-data-lake-MyzdfU.webp?fit=1600%2C862&ssl=18621600http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png2025-09-23 12:00:002025-09-23 12:00:00Schema and AI Overviews: Does structured data improve visibility?
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How Rallio helps brands gain visibility in AI-powered search
Savvy marketers are focusing on generative engine optimization (GEO) to gain visibility in AI-powered search engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and more. A principle of GEO is to prioritize relevance, engagement, and authority, and that’s precisely how Rallio helps boost visibility.
Social signals: Rallio generates content that drives likes, shares, and comments, increasing engagement with your brand.
Local SEO: By focusing on localized posts and employee-driven content, Rallio boosts visibility in local search results and Google’s Map Pack.
Authority: Rallio ensures consistent, high-quality content across platforms, which signals trust and authority to search engines.
Reputation: Managing and responding to reviews effectively enhances local SEO and reinforces brand credibility.
If your brand is leveraging GEO strategies, Rallio can be your secret weapon to boost engagement, relevance, and authority, helping you stand out in search results.
Ready to see Rallio in action? Get instant access to our free demo
Take the first step toward transforming your brand’s online presence with Rallio. Get instant access to our free demo video here.
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Google Ads rolled out a beta feature that lets app marketers apply Seasonality Adjustments to Smart Bidding, giving advertisers more control during short, high-impact events like flash sales or product launches.
Why we care. App campaigns often see sharp conversion swings during promotions, but Smart Bidding typically learns reactively. This beta gives them the ability to proactively boost bids during predictable conversion spikes, ensuring they capture maximum value from short-term promotions and avoid leaving revenue on the table.
How it works:
Works across all App campaign bid strategies.
Best for short, intense periods (1–7 days).
Not meant for minor fluctuations (Smart Bidding already accounts for those).
Bottom line. Advertisers now have a lever to prevent missed opportunities during critical promotional windows, making Smart Bidding more predictable when the stakes are highest.
First seen. This was announced by Qais Haddad, senior app growth manager at Google, on LinkedIn.
Google’s documentation says advertisers can only add 5,000 keywords to a campaign-level negative keyword list. But one advertiser has reported successfully adding more – raising questions about whether this is a glitch or an unannounced update.
Why we care. Negative keyword lists are critical for advertisers, helping them cut wasted spend and prevent ads from showing on irrelevant searches. A higher limit could be a welcome change for large accounts managing thousands of exclusions – but only if Google confirms it’s intentional.
Driving the news. Stan Oppenheimer, paid search specialist at Dallas SEO Dogs, spotted a search campaign with more than 5,000 negatives (i.e. the published limit).
Oppenheimer flagged the issue to Google, asking for clarification and for the official help docs to be updated.
Between the lines. If this is more than a glitch, it could be part of Google’s broader push to standardize campaign limits across formats. But the lack of clarity leaves advertisers unsure whether they can rely on the higher cap.
What’s next. Until Google confirms, advertisers should proceed cautiously – and assume the official 5,000-word cap still applies to search campaigns.
What are Google saying. “The threshold remains 5,000 keywords per negative keyword list, but there may be some cases in which lists a bit over the limit are accepted.” Ginny Marvin, Google Ads Liaison, confirmed on X:
A trial many expected to fizzle has delivered a bombshell: Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled Google illegally monopolized digital advertising, setting up a remedies phase that could force major changes to its ad tech stack. But with Google already losing ground in ad tech and the web fragmenting into retail media, walled gardens, and AI-native platforms, the remedies may feel like too little, too late.
Why we care. The DOJ wants to unwind Google’s dominance by weakening its ad exchange (AdX) and prying open its auction logic. Publishers and advertisers argue this could level the playing field. If auction logic is opened up and interoperability enforced, advertisers may see more competition, better pricing, and greater transparency. But if the remedies stall or prove symbolic, the status quo remains – while spend continues shifting toward walled gardens and retail media networks.
Zoom in:
The DOJ’s asks. Strip AdX from DFP, open-source auction logic, and revisit divestiture if competition doesn’t improve.
Google’s counter. Interoperability with rival ad servers, no “first look” or “last look” privileges, and scrapping unified pricing rules—without divestiture.
Witnesses. Executives from DailyMail.com, AWS, PubMatic, and Index Exchange will testify against Google, while Google leans on its own engineers and Columbia University experts.
Between the lines. Even if the court forces remedies, Google’s grip on display ads has already slipped as advertisers shift spend into walled gardens and AI-driven platforms. The ruling could end up more symbolic than transformative.
What’s next.Testimony runs Sept. 22–30, with a ruling expected in 2026. Until then, the ad industry is bracing for a decision that could either shake up—or barely dent—the future of the open web.
For years, backlinks have been the gold standard for building authority, driving link juice, and climbing up the SERPs. But with the rise of Generative AI, the search landscape is shifting. Instead of chasing endless links, visibility now also depends on something more intelligent: AI citations. This evolution means your brand can show up in front of wider audiences, even without a massive backlink profile.
The question is, when it comes to AI citations versus backlinks, how do they differ, and does one outweigh the other? In this blog, we’ll break down both, explore their role in building authority, and uncover whether AI citations are the future of digital visibility or just another layer to your SEO strategy.
What are backlinks?
Backlinks are simply links from one website to another. Think of them as digital recommendations: when a reputable site links to your content, it signals to search engines that your page is trustworthy and valuable.
For example, below is a screenshot from a Zapier blog post that links to the Yoast SEO plugin landing page in the blog.
Zapier blog post has linked to the Yoast SEO plugin page
Backlinks aren’t new; they’ve been around for more than two decades. In fact, links were introduced back in 1998 as part of Google’s original PageRank algorithm, making them one of the oldest forms of online citations. Since then, they’ve remained a core ranking factor, shaping how websites compete for visibility.
The PageRank Citation Ranking research paper
Today, backlinks are still considered one of the strongest signals for building authority. Many brands invest in link-building strategies to secure high-quality backlinks, from being cited in well-written pieces to building relationships that earn natural mentions.
Why backlinks matter?
Backlinks are not just about search rankings, but they influence almost every aspect of your website’s visibility and growth. Here’s why they remain essential:
Improve rankings by acting as one of Google’s most important signals, especially when they come from authoritative domains
Drive referral traffic that is often highly targeted and more likely to engage with your content
Boost authority and credibility by showing search engines that trusted sites vouch for your content
Help with faster indexing by guiding search engine crawlers to discover and prioritize your pages
Provide semantic understanding by giving Google context through anchor text and linking page content
What types of backlinks work best?
Not all backlinks are equal, and the ones that matter most usually have these traits:
They come from trusted and authoritative websites
They include your target keyword or a variation of the target keywords in your anchor text
They are topically relevant to your niche
They are ‘dofollow’ links that pass link equity
Backlinks remain important for SEO, but as search evolves, they’re no longer the only way to build authority. This is where AI citations enter the picture.
AI citations are references, attributions, or direct links to your content, brand, or product that appear within AI-generated answers. Unlike traditional backlinks that live inside web content, AI citations are shown within AI search results or summaries. They often appear as clickable source cards, numbered footnotes, or links listed below an AI overview.
For example, when Google AI Overviews quotes websites in the AI search box, it cites the original sources that provided the information.
Some other examples of AI citations are:
ChatGPT cites your brand or content as part of its generated answer
Bing Copilot highlights your product as a recommended solution to a user’s query, even if it doesn’t include a direct link
Perplexity.ai lists your research as a supporting source beneath its summarized response
Why AI citations matter for visibility?
AI citations are becoming critical for brand exposure because they align with how people now consume information online:
Search is becoming prompt-driven, which means users type questions or prompts instead of keywords. If AI picks your content to cite, you’re instantly visible to that audience
Discovery is moving from clicks to context. Users may not always visit your website, but being cited ensures your brand becomes part of the answer itself
AI is becoming your audience’s first impression. In many cases, people see the AI summary before they see the actual search results. Appearing as a cited source makes your brand part of that first interaction
Citations boost credibility and authority. When an AI tool references your content, it signals to users that your site is trustworthy enough to be part of the response
Types of AI citations that influence brand visibility
Not all AI citations look the same. Here are the key forms that shape how your brand is discovered:
Name-drop mentions drive brand visibility
When AI directly mentions your brand or product in its response, such as in a recommendation or ‘best of list, you gain instant visibility in front of users without them needing to click further.
Source references build credibility signals
These citations work like the ‘works cited’ section in AI outputs. Tools like Gemini, Perplexity, or Google AI Overviews may display your URL in the list of sources at the bottom of the response. Even if you’re not in the main summary, you benefit from the authority signal.
Quoted passages establish expert authority
When AI pulls exact wording from your content and attributes it to you, it elevates your position as an expert. This type of citation places you in prime digital real estate, signalling leadership in your niche.
Synthesized mentions shape brand narrative
Sometimes AI blends your insights into its summary without naming or linking back to you. While harder to measure, your content still influences the narrative and reinforces brand authority in indirect ways.
AI citations are already reshaping how visibility works in search. Just as backlinks defined SEO two decades ago, citations in AI search are now shaping brand perception by influencing what users see, trust, and remember about your business.
How are AI citations and backlinks different?
So, now that we have an overview of AI citations and backlinks, let’s see how backlinks and LLM citations differ from each other -`
Aspect
Backlinks
AI/LLM Citations
What they are
Hyperlinks from one website to another, long used as a ranking factor in SEO
Mentions, attributions, or references included in AI-generated answers, sometimes with clickable links
Visibility
Usually embedded within web content and not always visible to the average reader
Front-facing and displayed in AI overviews, chatbots, or search snapshots, making them highly visible to users
Trust impact
Boosts site authority indirectly through improved rankings and referral signals
Builds direct credibility by being presented as a trusted source in AI answers or summaries
Selection factors
Determined by domain authority, anchor text, and contextual relevance
Google AI Overviews, citing your blog
Examples
A news site links to your product page in an article
Link building strategies, such as outreach, partnerships, and content marketing, to earn quality backlinks
SEO focus
Link building strategies, such as outreach, partnerships, and content marketing, to earn quality backlinks
Creating structured, high-quality, and easily digestible content that AI systems can cite
Effect
Improves rankings and drives referral traffic over time
Enhances brand visibility, authority, and recall directly in AI-powered search experiences
How to earn both?
Earning backlinks and AI citations doesn’t have to be two separate strategies. With the right approach, the same efforts that build traditional authority also make your content LLM crawler-friendly.
Here’s how to do it:
Create deep, original, and useful content
Go beyond rewriting what’s already ranking. Publish original research, case studies, interviews, or unique perspectives that others can’t find elsewhere. AI models pull from fresh, problem-solving content, and so do journalists and bloggers who link naturally.
Write for real questions, not just keywords
Search is shifting from keywords to prompts. Pay attention to what your audience is actually asking on forums, social media, and other platforms. Create conversational, direct answers to those questions. If your content aligns with user prompts, it’s far more likely to be both cited by AI and linked by humans.
Leverage structured data
Use schema markup (FAQ, HowTo, Article, Product) to help AI and search engines clearly understand your content. Proper attribution of authors and sources also increases your chance of being recognized as a credible reference. Structured, transparent content is ‘citation ready.’
Build relationships for natural backlinks
Backlinks remain relationship-driven. Connect with journalists, bloggers, and industry peers through guest posts, expert roundups, or collaborations. AI often mirrors human trust signals, so if authoritative voices link to you, AI is more likely to cite you too.
Focus on clarity and quotability
Make your content easy to lift and reuse. Use short, memorable statements, stats, or definitions that can be quoted word-for-word. Structured layouts like subheadings, lists, and bullet points make content easier to reference by both humans and AI.
Monitor, analyze, and adapt
Don’t just publish; instead, track performance. Use SEO tools for backlinks and platforms to monitor AI citations and understand AI brand perception. If competitors are cited for prompts you should own, study their structure and improve on it. Adjusting based on data helps you stay ahead.
The takeaway: With the right strategies, you don’t need separate plans for backlinks and AI citations. Clear, authoritative, and trustworthy content earns both and multiplies your visibility across search engines and AI-powered platforms.
Exploring Yoast’s AI features
Applying the right strategies for earning backlinks and AI citations is easier when you have the right tools. Yoast’s AI features combine SEO best practices with AI-powered enhancements to make your content clearer, more discoverable, and more effective.
Here’s how they can support your workflow:
Yoast AI Generate
Quickly create multiple, tailored titles and meta descriptions for your pages or blog posts. This ensures your content attracts clicks and stands out in search results. You can select from different options, tweak them to fit your brand voice, and preview how they’ll appear in SERPs.
Yoast AI Summarize
Turn long-form content into scannable, bullet-point takeaways in seconds. This may also help reduce bounce rates by giving readers immediate clarity on what your page delivers. It also makes your content easier for AI systems and Google’s AI Overviews to interpret correctly.
Yoast AI Optimize
Get AI-powered suggestions to improve SEO signals such as keyphrase distribution, sentence length, and readability. You can review, apply, or dismiss recommendations with one click, ensuring that optimization never comes at the cost of your unique editorial voice.
Together, these AI-powered features help you save time, improve clarity, and boost both human and AI-driven visibility, laying the foundation for stronger backlinks and more consistent AI citations.
Backlinks or citations: What truly matters for visibility?
Backlinks have been the backbone of SEO for more than two decades, helping websites climb rankings, build authority, and attract referral traffic. But the rise of AI citations is reshaping how visibility works. When AI systems like Google’s AI Overviews or ChatGPT cite your content, they place your brand directly in front of users at the moment of discovery.
The truth is, it’s not a choice between backlinks and AI citations. Both matter, but in different ways. Backlinks remain critical for SEO growth and authority, while AI citations are quickly becoming the new gatekeepers of brand perception and visibility. The winning strategy is to create content that earns both.
http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png00http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png2025-09-19 13:52:122025-09-19 13:52:12Everything you need to know about AI citations vs backlinks
Your SEO and PPC teams probably don’t share data. That’s problematic.
Organic traffic is slipping. CPCs are climbing.
And conversions aren’t keeping pace.
It’s not just the LLMs — the SERP itself has changed. In 2025, every query is a blended battlefield of ads, AI overviews, videos, shopping units, map packs, and organic links.
Yet, most teams operate with SEO and PPC in silos.
That doesn’t work anymore.
Because to users, there’s no “organic vs. paid search.” They just click what’s useful. And “useful” now shows up in more places than ever.
If you don’t align your channels, you end up with duplication, cannibalization, and wasted spend.
This guide will show you eight ways to bring SEO and PPC together — from sharing keyword data to sharpening targeting. So you can cut costs, capture more clicks, and drive higher ROI.
Let’s start with an often-overlooked but powerful way to combine your PPC and SEO efforts: spotting intent mismatches.
1. Analyze the SERP to Fix Poor PPC Ad Performance
When your PPC ads fail to convert, the problem might not be your targeting or creative — it could be that you’re bidding on the wrong intent entirely.
If the SERP is dominated by videos, tutorials, or how to guides, it signals that users are still researching — not necessarily ready to buy your product.
Without analyzing the SERP, you risk wasting ad spend on queries that will never convert.
Let’s use Squarespace as an example.
If they’re bidding on “website design” and conversions are weak, a quick SERP check would explain it:
Google surfaces a local pack of agencies for this term, which signals service-seeking intent — not DIY website builders.
Knowing that, they could cut the term and redirect spend to higher-intent queries.
2. Stop Wasting PPC Budget on Customer Support Terms
One of the most common (and costly) PPC mistakes is bidding on customer support queries.
Searches like “[YourProduct] login problems” or “[YourProduct] forum” signal that someone is already a customer trying to troubleshoot — not a prospect considering a free trial or demo.
Yet, many companies spend thousands every month sending these clicks to sales pages that rarely convert.
For example, if Squarespace analyzed their rankings for a term like “Squarespace login,” they’d see they already rank #1.
And those visitors almost never convert for one vital reason — they’re already customers.
Luckily, there’s an easy fix: Squarespace can exclude this and other support terms from its PPC campaigns.
Here’s how to do this for your own ad campaigns:
Start by finding support-related queries for your brand using a keyword research tool.
Enter your brand’s name in the top search bar and your brand’s URL in the purple search bar to personalize the data to your domain.
Click “Search.”
Manually scan the list (or use the “Include keywords” filter) to find support-related terms like “login,” “pricing,” “free trial,” “templates,” “support,” and “forum.”
Then, view the number highlighted in blue to the right of each term — that’s your current ranking.
Already ranking #1–3 for your most commonly searched support terms?
Organic SEO is doing its job, which means you can remove these terms from your PPC campaigns.
In other words, the closer the page matches what a searcher actually wants, the less you pay for each click.
Conducting keyword research can help you understand where you need a separate landing page. To start, use a keyword research tool to group organic keywords into clusters.
Then, map each keyword cluster to a dedicated PPC landing page.
This way, your ads always point to content that matches the searcher’s intent, while your Quality Score (and budget efficiency) benefits from the added relevance.
Squarespace is a good example of this.
Instead of sending every “website builder” query to one broad page, they build dedicated landing pages around different intents.
For example, a search for “portfolio website” leads to a page showcasing portfolio-specific templates, not a generic product overview.
4. Unify PPC and SEO Data to Decide When to Bid on Your Brand
Brand bidding is one of the biggest friction points between SEO and PPC teams.
The debate isn’t whether to bid on your brand — it’s when. Without unified data, teams make this decision based on assumptions rather than evidence.
The truth is somewhere in the middle — and the right decision depends on context.
So, instead of separating PPC advertising and SEO data, combine them to make a more informed decision.
Start by checking whether competitors are bidding on your brand with a manual search for your branded keywords.
For instance, a search for “Squarespace website builder” shows that Wix is also bidding on the term.
Want to automate this process?
Use a tool like Semrush’s Keyword Gap that lets you assess your site and your competitors’ sites for the top shared keywords (paid and organic) they use.
If you see your competitors bidding on your branded keywords, it makes sense to run ads to defend those clicks.
But if your competitors aren’t bidding, it’s time to check your organic coverage.
Do you already own most of page one organically for your branded terms?
If the answer is no, ads help fill the gaps.
If yes, you can safely test pausing.
Turn off your ads for branded keywords and see what happens.
Pro tip: If cutting ads also cuts traffic by [40%, they’re adding value. If drops hit 80%+, you’re just paying for what you’d get anyway.
Finally, consider the messaging value of your ads.
Even if you’re getting organic coverage, brand ads give you space to promote new features, discounts, or free trials.
So it might still be worth paying for them.
For example, Squarespace uses its paid ads on the term “Squarespace website builder” to promote its new AI website builder tools.
5. Prioritize High-ROI SEO Keywords by Analyzing PPC Data
A common SEO challenge is figuring out which keywords actually matter.
Ranking for broad terms might bring traffic, but not necessarily signups or revenue.
Without conversion data, it’s hard to know where to focus.
This is where PPC comes in. Paid campaigns don’t just generate leads — they generate fast, reliable data.
You can see which headlines win clicks, which keywords drive conversions, and what each click is worth.
Take the phrase “website platform for small businesses.”
If PPC data shows it converts four times better than the broader “website platform,” that’s the angle worth prioritizing in your SEO titles, H1s, and content strategy.
PPC metrics can even help you prove the business value of SEO — something every stakeholder loves.
Once you know a keyword’s conversion rate and customer value from paid campaigns, you can model the value of ranking for it:
SEO ROI = (Organic clicks gained × PPC conversion rate × Customer value) − SEO cost
Say a keyword costs $30K/month in ads, but ranking organically would capture roughly a third of that traffic.
That’s about $9K in “free” conversions every single month.
That’s the kind of math that gets buy-in from leadership.
You can use this same logic to estimate the value of refreshing existing content. Sometimes a simple update is worth tens of thousands in equivalent ad spend.
The takeaway?
PPC data gives you the proof points and the playbook to double down on the SEO opportunities that will actually pay off.
Algorithm shakeups create openings you can exploit if you move fast.
If a competitor drops from page one, don’t wait.
Publish or refresh your content to take over those keywords. At the same time, increase your PPC bids on the same terms while auction pressure is temporarily lower.
That one-two punch lets you capture traffic your rivals just lost before they even know what hit them.
Many stakeholders still think of SEO and PPC as competing, not complementary.
While leadership may be nervous to try a new, silo-free approach to search engine marketing, you can convince them in a couple of ways.
First, show them how SERPs have evolved.
AI Overviews, rich features, and rising CPCs mean the old “paid vs. organic” split doesn’t exist anymore.
Then, use this powerful three-step storytelling framework to convince execs to act.
Step 1: Explain what’s happening by describing the external shift. Example: “AI Overviews and rising CPCs are changing how people find us in search.”
Step 2: Show how it’s impacting you by tying the shift to your company’s results. Example: “Our paid CPCs are up 22%, and organic traffic for branded queries is down.”
Step 3: Highlight what you can do about it by presenting alignment as the solution. Example: “By aligning SEO and PPC, we can cut wasted spend on brand terms and reinvest in high-converting queries.”
Start small. Don’t push for a full overhaul on day one.
Instead, prove ROI by aligning on a single initiative — like deciding when to bid (or not) on branded keywords.
Once you’ve shown early results, it’s easier to get everyone aligned on their responsibilities.
Next, work with SEO and PPC teams to establish next steps for each team member to achieve closer alignment.
Here’s a role-based plan for what your teams should start doing now:
SEO/PPC Team Role
Primary Responsibilities
Action Steps to Drive SEO + PPC Alignment
SEO Specialists
Mine PPC data for ROI
Request PPC data to see which paid keywords actually drive results
Use that data to identify low-CPC, high-ROI terms worth pursuing in organic search
Share blog content and resources that PPC teams can repurpose for retargeting campaigns
PPC Teams
Flag costs and align content
Flag high-CPC keywords that SEO should try to rank for long-term to reduce reliance on paid
Align PPC landing page messaging with existing SEO pages so users get a consistent story
Promote educational content to cold audiences instead of conversion-focused ads
CMOs & Leaders
Measure blended performance
Set shared KPIs (e.g., revenue per SERP, blended CAC)
Merge data sources so SEO and PPC teams both have access to the same performance insights
Break down silos by running regular joint syncs between paid and organic teams
Agencies & Consultants
Prove value with unified reporting
Deliver blended strategy reporting that shows paid and organic results in one view
Use unified insights to demonstrate ROI and strengthen client retention or upsell
Educate clients on how the SERPs are changing and how alignment helps them adapt
Boost Your ROI with a Shared SEO and PPC Strategy
It doesn’t make any sense not to have SEO and PPC work together.
Keep the teams siloed, and you’ll waste budget, lose traffic, and fall behind as search evolves.
For your first move, start with a shared SERP review.
Map where you’re strong, where you overlap, and where the gaps are for the quickest path to better ROI from both channels.
Want to dig deeper?
Explore our guide to the best PPC tools to uncover the advanced data and insights you need to align SEO and PPC, cut wasted spend, and boost ROI.
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When shoppers are online, knowing which store to buy from can be a tough decision. The new store widget powered by Google
brings valuable information directly to a merchant’s website, which can turn shopper hesitation
into sales. It addresses two fundamental challenges ecommerce retailers face: boosting visibility
and establishing legitimacy. The widget helps you attract customers and encourage them to make a
purchase. Businesses using the store widget on their websites saw up to 8% higher sales
within 90 days compared to similar businesses without it.
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There are links (traditional SEO) and there are answers (Google AI Overviews, Bing Copilot, Perplexity, ChatGPT, Claude, etc.). In these answer boxes the engine summarizes the web and then names or cites a handful of sources. If you aren’t one of them, you don’t exist for a growing chunk of demand.
Most are just guessing.
Right now, on keywords that trigger an AI Overview, we are seeing a 12-20% drop in click-through rates for the classic organic results.
For marketers, this has created a terrifying black box. How do you rank inside an AI-generated answer? How do you measure your visibility? How do you influence what the AI says about your brand?
For the past year, my team and I have been obsessed with answering these questions. We didn’t just want to guess; we wanted to build the playbook for this new era of search.
Today, I’m excited to announce the result of that obsession: The AI Search Optimization Platform, now live inside Ubersuggest. This isn’t just another feature. It’s a new way to see, measure, and influence your brand’s presence in the world of generative search.
A Look Inside the AI Search Optimization Dashboard
Define Your Competitive Landscape
The first step is to give the AI Search Visibility platform the right context. This isn’t just about your domain; it’s about defining the specific market and conversations.
Your Website and Brand In the first two fields, enter your website URL and your exact brand name. The website is the digital asset we’ll be analyzing, and the brand name is the specific entity the tool will look for in AI responses. Being precise here is key to ensuring accuracy.
Your Core Topic This is the most critical input. In the “Topic or Main Keyword” field, define the primary battleground for your business. The goal is to be specific enough to get the most relevant prompts. For example, instead of a broad term like ‘marketing,’ a SaaS company might enter ‘email marketing automation for small businesses.’ This focuses the analysis on the high-intent questions your target customers are asking. The more specific your niche, the more specific should be your input.
Your Target Market Finally, select the Language and Location you want to analyze. This ensures the insights you receive are tailored to the specific geographic market you’re competing in, as AI answers can vary significantly by region.
Initiate the Analysis Once you click ‘Search AI,’ Ubersuggest begins its work. Behind the scenes, it’s simulating thousands of real user prompts related to your topic across the major AI engines, gathering the raw data needed to build your visibility scorecard.
Calibrate the AI by Confirming Your Prompts
After you define your landscape, Ubersuggest translates your topic into a list of real-world questions your customers are asking AI. This next step is a critical quality check to ensure the analysis is focused on the conversations that matter most to your business.
A modal window will appear titled “Confirm Your Prompts.” Inside, you’ll see a list of “Prompt Suggestions.” These are not just keywords; they are the high-intent questions that define the competitive battleground for your topic, often reflecting different stages of the user journey.
Review for Relevance Your job here is to quickly scan this list. Ask yourself: “Do these questions reflect the problems my customers have and the solutions I provide? Are these the conversations I absolutely need to be winning?”
If the prompts feel too broad or misaligned, it’s a sign that your topic in Step 1 was not specific enough. Use the
Once you’re confident that the prompts are relevant, click “Continue.” This confirms the targets for the analysis, and Ubersuggest will now proceed to gather and process the data for your main dashboard.
You will also be able to edit each prompt individually, so if there’s a small adjustment, you can do it yourself and make it more accurate for your company.
Find the Edge in the Data
After confirming your prompts, you’ll land on the main Overview dashboard.
It looks like a lot of data, but your goal here is to answer three simple questions in 60 seconds: Where do I stand? Who am I up against? And what are we all talking about?
The first numbers to check are your Brand Visibility and Industry Rank.
A Brand Visibility of 67.5% tells you that you’re in the conversation, but an Industry Rank of 1.19 tells you that you’re leading it. This is your baseline for everything else.
Now, look at the Top Brands Visibility chart. This isn’t just a graph; it’s a picture of your competitive landscape. You’ll instantly see which rivals are competing for the same AI mindshare. Use the Competitor Visibility trend line at the bottom to track if you’re pulling ahead or falling behind over time.
Finally, glance at the Top Prompts table. This shows you the exact questions that are driving the results you’re seeing. This isn’t just a list of keywords; it’s the voice of your customer translated into AI queries.
In just a minute, you’ve gone from flying blind to having a complete strategic overview. You know where you stand and who you’re up against.
Dive into the Prompts
Now that you have your high-level scorecard, it’s time to get your hands dirty. This is where the real strategy begins.
Click on the ‘Prompts’ tab to go from the “what” to the “why.”
For every single prompt, you can see your specific rank, your visibility percentage, and the full list of competitors that AI is mentioning.
Your goal here is simple: find where you can win.
Find the Low-Hanging Fruit: First, look for prompts where your Visibility is at 0%, but a direct competitor is listed under the ‘Brands’ column. This is your most immediate opportunity. It’s a relevant conversation, and your competitor is the only one showing up.
Next, find the prompts where your ‘Your rank’ is high and your ‘Visibility’ is 100%. These are your current strongholds. Your goal is to analyze the content that is winning here and protect these positions.
Execute Your Strategy
You’ve moved from the “what” to the “why,” and you’ve identified a high-value prompt that a competitor owns. Now, it’s time to take it from them.
This isn’t about just creating more content; it’s about creating better, more authoritative content and making sure the AI knows it.
First, create content that is more comprehensive, data-backed, and original. AI rewards originality, and since most content online is recycled, this is your biggest opportunity to stand out.
A great piece of content isn’t enough; AI needs to see it endorsed by sources it already trusts.
How to Win in the New Era of Search: Your AI Overviews + AI Mode Strategy
This platform isn’t just for reporting; it’s for building a strategy. We give you the playbook to WIN the answer.
Here’s what this data allows you to do:
Move from Keywords to Concepts: Stop optimizing for “best running shoes.” Start creating comprehensive content that answers prompts like “What are the best running shoes for someone with flat feet training for a half-marathon?” The AI values depth and expertise.
Manage Your Online Reputation Proactively: The AI is reading everything—reviews, articles, forum posts. The
AI Sentiment score gives you a direct feedback loop on your brand’s reputation and shows you where you need to improve.
A Foundational moment for AI search
Right now, we are in a foundational moment for AI search. The brands that actively optimize for AI visibility today will build a powerful, lasting advantage.
The AI models are learning. The brand associations they form now will become deeply embedded. Getting positive mentions and citations today is like building a brand monopoly for the future that will be incredibly difficult for your competitors to break down later.
Don’t wait until this is common knowledge. The window of opportunity is now.
Search Everywhere Optimization
And we’re starting with ChatGPT, but this is just the beginning of a much bigger vision we call “Search Everywhere Optimization.”
Our goal is to give you a single dashboard to understand user intent wherever it happens—not just Google, but across YouTube, TikTok, Amazon, and the app stores.
We’re building a future where you can see the top brands being mentioned on Google right next to the top brands being mentioned on ChatGPT for the same topic. We’re even integrating an “Exploding Topics” feature, so you can spot new trends and prompts before they become competitive.
Conclusion
The shift to AI-driven search is the biggest disruption to our industry in a decade. But with disruption comes opportunity.
The AI Search Optimization platform in Ubersuggest is your tool to seize that opportunity. It’s your map for navigating this new terrain and your compass for making decisions based on data, not guesswork.
Log in to your Ubersuggest account and check out the new AI Search Optimization tab today. The brands that win will be the ones who can measure what matters. Try the AI Search Visibility feature and start your free trial now.
http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png00http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png2025-09-16 19:48:432025-09-16 19:48:43How to Use Ubersuggest’s AI Platform to Get Named, Cited, and Chosen
