Brand Beats Rankings, AI Overview Influences & Holistic SEO
SEO TL;DR #61 03/03/2025
This week sees another development in the ongoing battle for AGI, with Perplexity teasing its own browser called Comet. Google’s Co-founder is urging its employees to work a 60-hour workweek to stay competitive, while at the same time, Google is being sued over AI Overviews for hurting traffic and revenue. Life was undoubtedly easier for Google back in the 2000s…
General SEO
Brand Beats Rankings: Why Trust Matters More Than Position
A new survey shows that 59% of Americans click on brands they know in search results, even if they’re not ranked #1. Searchers are twice as likely to click on a familiar brand than the top-ranked result.
49% of Americans trust organic search results more than paid ads.
Older generations care about compelling headlines, while younger users rely more on reviews and star ratings.
52% still say Google is their most trusted source of information, despite concerns about its dominance.
This reinforces what Google and SEOs have been saying for years: that brand really is the most important ranking factor.
💡 Takeaway. Brand is essential for SEO because the search landscape has changed to prioritise brand, and SEO can influence what potential customers think about a brand. As consumers become smarter, brand loyalty decreases, and more people are willing to learn about new, smaller companies. Ignoring branded SEO opportunities means missing chances to gain a competitive advantage.
Here's what publishers can do:
Own your branded search results: Monitor what ranks for your brand name and work on positive PR, partnerships, and reputation management.
Create value, not just rankings: Informative, engaging content builds trust and keeps your brand top-of-mind (even if you’re not #1).
Leverage digital PR & thought leadership: high-authority backlinks and media mentions strengthen your brand’s credibility.
Consistent messaging across channels: ensure your content, social media, and search presence all reinforce the same brand identity.
Ranking is meaningless if users don’t trust your brand. Instead, focus on offering value, building brand recognition, and creating content that connects with your audience.
If people know and trust your brand, they’ll see your content, no matter where you rank.
AI X SEO
AI Search & SEO: Stronger Domains Get More Citations
Tieing in the last point on how high authority backlinks can strengthen credibility, a new study analysing 250,000 citations across 40,000 AI search responses reveals that AI engines like Google Gemini, ChatGPT, and Perplexity favour high-authority domains.
They also prefer ‘earned media’ (third‐party, editorial and affiliate sites) over user-generated content.
The TL;DR
Domain authority matters: Most cited sources had a DA of 40+, with top-tier domains (DA 80-100) making up 31.5% of all citations.
Earned media is king: AI search engines prefer third-party mentions over a brand’s own content.
UGC is on the rise: AI tools frequently reference Reddit, YouTube, G2, and LinkedIn for peer reviews and firsthand experiences, particularly during the research phase of the buyer journey.
💡 Takeaway. Like obsessing about being #1 organically, don’t obsess over where or how frequently you appear in AI search results. Recently, we’ve seen as many as 40 sources being cited, and as publishers, we have less and less control over this.
At the very least, you can take solace in the fact that if AI engines are referencing your brand, that’s a sign of trust and credibility - even if it doesn’t always drive traffic.
Instead, focus on building a strong, trusted brand with a mixture of traffic acquisition channels. Organic traffic aquisition should still be a priority, but the mix should also include referral traffic (through digital PR, newsletter, and earned media), organic social, paid traffic (PPC and social ads), and direct traffic.
General
Google Makes it Easier to Remove Personal Info from Search
Not necessarily SEO related, but something I thought worth sharing if you find, like me, your personal email and phone number constantly getting spammed! Google has redesigned its Results About You tool, making it easier to find and remove search results containing your personal information, like your phone number or address.
Sign up, and Google will automatically alert you if new results containing your info appear.
Click the three dots next to a result to check if it’s eligible for removal and submit a request in fewer steps.
If a webpage has been updated but Search still shows old content, you can now request a refresh directly from the search result.
SaaS SEO
The Importance of the SEO Product Manager
For the third week in a row, I’ve discovered new SEO Substackers (SeoStackers?) creating great content. I love how Substack is diversifying and has a place for everyone.
This article from
, argues that the future of SEO, especially for SaaS and enterprise businesses, lies in the rise of the SEO Product Manager.While traditional SEO tactics are still important, they are becoming less effective as Google increasingly prioritises user satisfaction and experience in its ranking algorithms.
To truly succeed, SEO professionals need the authority to influence product development and user funnels, ensuring they align with user intent and provide value upfront, even if it impacts immediate conversion rates. Read the full article below:
