- Branded web mentions had the strongest correlation with AI overview visibility, surpassing links and domain rating (DR).
- AI overviews favor language-based signals (mentions, branded anchors) over traditional link-based SEO factors.
- Even small brands saw visibility gains from minimal mentions, suggesting compounding value at early stages.
- Mentions are an output of brand-building but not the goal; focus on long-term brand visibility and narrative.
I’m joined by Louise Linehan, content marketer at Ahrefs, to talk about one of the most talked-about studies I’ve seen in a while: analyzing 75,000 brands to uncover what really drives visibility in Google’s AI Overviews.
Since it went live in late May, I’ve seen this research referenced everywhere in SEO and PR circles.
You may have seen this image circulating on LinkedIn or here on my blog.
And it makes sense: the findings don’t just matter for SEOs chasing rankings. They also highlight why digital PR, unlinked brand mentions, and brand building play such a significant role in shaping AI visibility. In fact, I believe many agencies are already using this study as evidence in their pitches (or at least I would.)
In this episode, Louise and I dig into the data, what sparked the study, and what it means for SEOs and PR pros navigating the AI era.
Resources mentioned
Here is the main study we mention in the piece: https://ahrefs.com/blog/ai-overview-brand-correlation/
Patrick Stox links piece: https://ahrefs.com/blog/links-matter-less-but-still-matter/
Louise also mentioned Cyrus Sheppard’s podcast, where we talked about creating a brand.
Timestamps
Here are some timestamps for following along:
00:00 – Intro
00:18 – Overview of the Ahrefs Study
01:47 – Inspiration Behind the Study
05:54 – Key Findings and Surprises
10:09 – Building a Brand vs. Building Mentions
12:28 – Strategies for Brand Building
18:00 – The Role of Links in AI Overviews
19:24 – Sentiment and Quality of Mentions
22:03 – Optimizing for AI vs. Traditional Search
24:17 – Final Thoughts and Takeaways
Vince Nero
Vince is the Director of Content Marketing at Buzzstream. He thinks content marketers should solve for users, not just Google. He also loves finding creative content online.
His previous work includes content marketing agency Siege Media for six years, Homebuyer.com, and The Grit Group. Outside of work, you can catch Vince running, playing with his 2 kids, enjoying some video games, or watching Phillies baseball.
