In the evolving AI landscape, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) campaigns require a fresh approach that prioritises building authority and influencing AI-powered search engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity. Backlinks remain a core factor for visibility in both Google and AI search engines.
Authority & Link-Building Strategies for AI-Driven SEO
Create Linkbait and Valuable Assets
Move beyond traditional long-form SEO content and focus on creating “linkbait” – assets specifically engineered to attract backlinks. These are not always keyword-targeted but are designed for utility, such as free industry insights, interactive quizzes, animated graphics, or data-driven studies. AI tools like ChatGPT can help generate linkbait ideas, especially for localised businesses, and Replet can even build fully functional calculators or small applications for as little as 25 cents in under five minutes. The key is to produce content that AI can’t easily replicate, often by leveraging firsthand experience or unique data.
Implement the Reverse Silo Strategy
Drive high-quality backlinks to these linkable assets first. This builds overall website authority, which then flows to your informational and commercial assets via internal links. This “rising tide lifts all ships” approach is a less risky method than directly building links to commercial pages and ultimately helps drive indirect revenue by improving the performance of your bottom-of-the-funnel pages.
Leverage Industry Events with Linkjacking
Stay informed about industry news and events to act as a “first mover” when significant changes occur. By quickly creating dedicated pages or micro-websites offering alternatives or analysis, you can acquire initial backlinks as algorithms favour fresh, timely content.
Build Genuine Expertise and Authority
AI systems like LLMs (Large Language Models) are increasingly adept at recognising and rewarding authentic expertise and content depth over mere keyword coverage. Content that covers edge cases, acknowledges complexity, and shares insights from real experience is favoured. Establishing a personal brand or having subject matter experts within your company can also naturally drive backlinks and overall website authority.
Rethinking SEO Measurement in the AI Era: Tracking LLM Visibility
In today’s AI-driven landscape, brand discovery often happens inside Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT or Google’s AI Overviews—before any click ever reaches your site. That “invisible influence” means traditional metrics (clicks, tracked conversions) underreport your true impact. Instead, shift your question from “How many clicks did we get?” to “How much authority did we build?”
Track “Influence Created,” Not Just Clicks
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Move from purely counting traffic to measuring probabilistic mentions and authority signals.
Ask: “Are LLMs citing our brand?” rather than “How many organic sessions did we drive?”
Spot the Signature of LLM Growth
Leverage LLM Visibility Tools
Tools like Semrush’s AI Toolkit or Invoke AI can help you track how often your brand is mentioned by different LLM models (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity) and analyse sentiment shifts. These platforms provide insights into your visibility score, positive sentiment, and market share against competitors.
Correlate Data for Real Impact
When you observe increases in LLM visibility, cross-reference this with spikes in branded search queries in Google Search Console to estimate the actual business impact. Map these trends to downstream conversions—sales calls, form fills, or direct visits—to quantify real ROI.
Embrace the Small Brand Opportunity
The LLM shift presents a significant opportunity for smaller brands. Almost 90% of ChatGPT citations come from long-tail results, meaning niche expertise can have the same citation potential as content from larger companies. Your speed in responding to trends and the community amplification of your insights can give you an edge over larger, slower-moving competitors.
LLMs curate answers based on relevance, factual clarity, and demonstrated authority—often pulling from beyond the first page of Google results. Strong backlink profiles remain a core trust signal for both traditional search engines and AI systems. By prioritizing “authority built” over “rankings achieved,” you ensure your content is not only visible in classic SERPs but also surfaced within the emerging, AI-first search experiences.
