We might just have the answer. Bulldog’s been testing what really helps brands get seen in LLMs, and here’s how we’re showing up in the top dogs of AI.
The question on everyone’s lips. Just like Google, there’s no how-to guide for ranking in AI, but we’ve been testing what improves visibility. Although it’s early days, the good news is that those already working on their SEO are on the right track; the tactics aren’t too dissimilar for ranking in AI.
⚠️ Spoiler alert: brand mentions, authority links, and topical relevance make a real difference.
We picked apart how AI results are built by reverse-engineering answers, analysing sources, diving into industry reports, and testing a few ideas to see what might actually help brands rank.
We’re starting to appear in ChatGPT and other LLMs for key terms. At the same time, our Google visibility and pipeline has grown fast. B2B and SaaS brands seem to be benefiting the most as AI search rises. This data covers July to October, compared with the previous period.
16
brand mentions and listicle placements landed
51
high-authority, niche-relevant backlinks landed
56
domain rating average from backlinks
75%
increase in pages driving AI traffic
223%
increase in traffic from ChatGPT
137%
increase in new user sessions from AI platforms
242%
increase in traffic to key landing pages
New
clients landed from direct AI traffic sources
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How much of your traffic is AI-powered? This Looker Studio dashboard reveals how AI-driven users engage with your site, powered by your GA4 data.
We ran a small outreach test for EmailOctopus, scraping search results, reverse-engineering AI sources, and pitching to high-authority sites already ranking for their key AI terms. The result? Five solid listicle placements and valuable insights into how we can land listicles placements.
Head of client services
“I believe the basics are more important than ever: quality content, topical authority, and strong brand signals influence whether you’re cited in AI outputs. Ranking well in Google remains key, but being referenced through digital PR and backlinks is just as valuable.
Remember, AI search is highly personalised, making rankings harder to track, so it’s even more important to build authority, trust, and relevance. Generative search may change how people discover brands, but not what makes content worth discovering.”
Owner of Bulldog
“We know that Google is still the king for commercial search terms, but ranking in LLMs is a whole new game. We understand the basic fundamentals for ranking right now, but it’s still far too early for a definitive playbook. For now, focus on building branded backlinks, earning branded mentions, and getting featured in roundups and listicles.
Build your brand, drive branded search queries, land PR links. It’s nothing new, but these are exciting times – and with another channel that has zero ads, it’s a massive land grab.”
Don’t just take our word for it, others are also saying the same.
We build the strong, relevant backlink signals that search engines and AI trust most.
Your brand name featured on real sites, so AI starts to recognise and reference it.
Boost your visibility in AI search by leveraging the sources it most often references.
Turn your expertise into listicle content that AI loves to use as a source.
Pay-per-backlink pricing means zero upfront fees & zero risk. Only pay for the links that go live by the end of each month. Pay £300 for each mention or placement, and £150 for listicle articles we create.
Package 1
£1,800
per month
Package 2
£3,450
per month
The backlinks acquired over the past 3 months averaged a domain rating of 56.
The brands that win in Google are starting to show up in AI results too. Check out our AI & algorithms page for the latest insights and expert POVs, plus a few guides below to dive deeper into AI SEO.
Ranking in AI platforms, like ChatGPT, works differently from traditional Google, but the fundamentals are similar. AI models prioritise content from sites with strong authority signals, clear brand recognition, and topical relevance.
This is all gained through high-authority backlinks from trusted sites, brand mentions and listicle placements on real websites that AI systems reference, and structured content demonstrating genuine expertise.
No one can guarantee AI rankings, and anyone claiming otherwise isn’t being honest. AI platforms are constantly evolving, and there’s no official algorithm to reverse-engineer. What we can promise is a proven approach backed by real data.
We only use pay-per-backlink pricing: £300 per brand mention or placement that goes live, and £150 for listicle articles. Zero upfront fees, zero risk. Rather than chasing guarantees, we focus on building the signals AI platforms consistently recognise: authoritative backlinks, strategic brand mentions, and content demonstrating genuine expertise.
AI SEO takes a more manual approach than traditional link building.
The majority of links are branded partials rather than informational or commercial keywords; we’re building brand recognition, not chasing specific keyword rankings.
We also use different techniques, like listicle outreach, with a higher metric benchmark (50 DR upwards). Plus, we monitor and secure expert comments, which is a PR service you don’t typically get with standard link building packages.
We also create listicles on your blog (included in our service, not available in traditional link building packages) and report solely on AI-sourced traffic rather than focusing only on organic results.
You’ll appear on high-authority sites with DR 50+ and 2k+ traffic, primarily in the SaaS, business, and tech space. These are niche-relevant sites with strong authority that AI platforms trust and reference. Recent examples we’ve landed include:
We also target sites that feature listicles related to your industry, positioning you alongside other leaders in your space.
You can pre-approve sites before we secure placements, so you’re always in control of where your brand appears. We prioritise sites that match your niche and have the metrics that matter, both for AI visibility and traditional SEO benefits.
Most clients begin noticing initial improvements within 2-3 months, with more substantial results around the 4-6 month mark. In our recent testing (July to October), we saw a 223% increase in traffic from ChatGPT, 75% increase in pages driving AI traffic, and 137% increase in new user sessions from AI platforms.
Speed depends on your existing domain authority, industry competitiveness, and the volume of work. AI visibility tends to compound over time – each quality backlink and brand mention adds to your authority. We track everything through Looker Studio dashboards and regular manual searches, so you’ll always know where you stand.
We track success through custom Looker Studio dashboards that pull data from your Google Analytics and show traffic from AI platforms in real time: ChatGPT sessions, new users from AI sources, pages receiving AI traffic, and landing page performance.
We also conduct regular manual searches across LLMs and Google AI Overviews using your target keywords to see exactly when and how your brand appears in AI responses.
Core indicators include: brand mentions and listicle placements landed, high-authority backlinks acquired (with average domain ratings), percentage increase in pages driving AI traffic, growth in traffic from specific AI platforms, new user sessions from AI sources, and direct conversions or leads from AI traffic. You’ll receive clear monthly reports showing progress across all these metrics.
Absolutely. The tactics that improve AI visibility are the same fundamentals that make Google happy: high-authority backlinks from trusted sites, clear brand signals, content demonstrating genuine expertise (E-E-A-T), and topical relevance. When we secure a backlink or place you in a listicle on a site AI platforms reference, Google sees that authority, too.
During our testing period, whilst we saw a 223% increase in ChatGPT traffic, our overall Google visibility grew fast as well. You’re not choosing between AI visibility and Google rankings – you’re getting both.
Chat with Lee
Bulldog’s Head of Client Services
Book a time, and we’ll send a video meeting link.
No sales pitch; let’s chat about where you’re at.
Pick Lee’s brain about our services for 15 minutes.
If we’re a good fit, we’ll get started!
