entrepreneurs. With experience

Backlinks are one of the oldest concepts in SEO, but according to recent search volume data from Exploding Topics, the concept is trending once again. This surge in interest stems from a rapidly changing search landscape where marketers are watching decades-old assumptions about rankings, clicks, and authority being challenged by AI Overviews, zero-click searches, and the growing influence of entities and brand signals.

The best-performing brands aren’t just getting mentioned in AI search. They’re also earning direct link citations. There are two ways your brand can show up in AI search: a mention or a citation. A mention happens when the AI platform names your brand in its answer but doesn’t include any links. A citation happens when it directly links to your content as a source. While AI mentions build familiarity and feed into future searches, citations drive direct traffic and immediate conversions.

Marketing has always been about being one step ahead — anticipating what customers want before they know they want it. But with the rise of agentic AI, that edge is no longer just possible; it’s becoming the new baseline. Unlike traditional AI tools that respond to prompts and wait for the next instruction, agentic AI acts. It plans, decides, and executes multi-step tasks with minimal human input. Your customers search everywhere. Make sure your brand shows up.