Let’s talk about the relationship between linking and AI overviews. How does being mentioned by others feed into how you build the brand and in turn see a boost in visibility in AI search.
More and more people are asking AI tools like ChatGPT for recommendations. Things like "who offers beginner pottery classes near me?" or "can you suggest an acupuncturist and massage in Manchester?" In a recent BrightLocal interview, Tim Kahlert, CEO of the SEO agency Hypetrix, shared his thoughts on this, and it prompted this post. His point is that these tools don't simply take a business's word for itself. They look at what other people are saying about you.
That means your own website might carry less weight than you might expect. What counts for more is what sits off the website: your customer reviews, mentions in local news, and the "best of" lists and roundups that other people publish. When an AI tool decides who to recommend, those are the places it tends to look.
What this means for guest posts and outreach
Guest posting used to be mostly about collecting a link back to your site. These days it can do something more useful, it can build the brand. A guest post, an interview or a feature in someone else's newsletter can help build the story of who you are and what you do, in a place your future clients already trust. The goal is for your name to turn up, clearly and consistently, alongside the thing you're known for. Think of it as being talked about in the right rooms, rather than just collecting links.
Of course, it’s not perhaps as simple as it sounds. Getting included in local roundups and industry lists is hard, and even Tim, who has run an agency for over five years, says he hasn't fully solved it. The links that carry weight are the ones that are earned and built through relationships and relational marketing.
What you can do about it
The good news is that most of this comes down to things that feel quite natural once you start. Ask happy clients for reviews, and make it easy for them to do so - send them the Google Business Profile review link. Be specific about what you do and who you do it for, so that when someone does write about you, they describe you accurately. Get to know the people who write local roundups, run newsletters or host podcasts in your world, and look for genuine ways to be useful to them before you ask for anything. Say yes to the interview, the collaboration or the guest spot when it's a good fit.
I spent years as a wedding and event florist, and the work that grew my business always travelled through relationships. A happy couple would tell a friend, a venue would mention me to someone new, a photographer would tag me in a post. This is the same idea, just with a new audience, because the AI tools are in effect listening to those same conversations.
If you'd like help working out where your business could be showing up, and how to build a few of those mentions in a way that feels natural, that's something I can help with as part of my monthly support. You can find out more at clareashbrook.com.
