Link Building for AI Visibility: How to Get Cited in AI Search

AI visibility refers to your brand appearing as a source, reference or recommendation within AI-generated answers.

This includes:

• Google AI Overviews

• ChatGPT responses

• Gemini results

• Perplexity citations

• Bing AI answers

AI systems don’t rank pages in the traditional sense. Instead, they select sources they consider authoritative, trustworthy and relevant to the question.

While each platform works differently, AI models consistently rely on the same core signals:

• Authority of the website

• Brand mentions across trusted publications

• Topical relevance

• Consistent coverage across multiple sources

• High-quality editorial backlinks

In simple terms:
Brands that are widely referenced by authoritative websites are more likely to be cited by AI.

Authoritative backlinks remain one of the strongest trust signals on the web.

They help AI systems understand:

• Which brands are credible

• Which websites are trusted sources

• Which companies are associated with specific topics

Editorial backlinks from real publications send strong signals that your brand is recognised within your industry — increasing the likelihood of being surfaced in both search rankings and AI-generated answers.

AI doesn’t rely only on links.

Unlinked brand mentions also matter because they:

• Strengthen entity recognition

• Associate your brand with key topics

• Build authority across the web

• Increase the frequency your brand appears in trusted contexts

The combination of editorial backlinks and brand mentions is one of the most effective ways to improve AI visibility.

Brands that appear in AI answers typically have:

• Coverage on authoritative relevant websites

• Features in expert articles and roundups

• Mentions in “best tools”, “top agencies” or comparison content

• Consistent presence across multiple trusted domains

• Strong topical authority within their niche

This is exactly what strategic link building and outreach-led digital PR are designed to achieve.

1. Editorial Outreach-led Digital PR

Securing placements within high-authority publications through manual outreach and expert content.

2. Contextual Backlinks

Links placed naturally within relevant, topic-focused articles rather than directories or low-quality guest posts.

3. Consistent Brand Mentions

Building a broad footprint across multiple trusted websites.

Traditional SEO focuses on ranking your website.

AI visibility focuses on:

• Being referenced across the web

• Building brand authority

• Increasing citation likelihood

• Becoming a recognised entity within your topic

The strongest strategy supports both — improving search rankings while expanding your presence across authoritative sources.

RiSEO delivers manual, outreach-led digital PR that earns:

• Authoritative backlinks

• Contextual placements within relevant content

• Brand mentions across trusted publications

• Coverage on real websites (no networks or link farms)

Our campaigns are designed to strengthen the trust signals that search engines and AI systems use to evaluate, cite and surface brands.

The result: stronger search performance and increased visibility in AI-generated answers.

As AI becomes a primary way people research and evaluate options, visibility will depend less on individual rankings and more on brand authority across the web.

Businesses that invest in contextual backlinks and brand mentions today are building the foundation for both search performance and AI discovery.

If you want your brand to appear more often when people ask AI for recommendations, the first step is building authority where AI looks: trusted publications and expert content.

Learn more about RiSEO’s link building services or contact us to discuss a strategy for improving your search and AI visibility.