On this week’s episode of the Niche Pursuits Podcast, Chris Pantelli and I discussed earned links, high PR links, trust signals, visibility in LLM, and what it takes to get cited by AI overview in search today. This conversation focuses on a big change happening online: A strong media mention can support traditional SEO, strengthen brand trust, and improve the odds that AI systems recognize and refer to your business.
Chris was the perfect guest for this conversation as this was his third appearance on the podcast, and he brought the same depth and focus as always. His agency, Linkify, is now approaching half a decade in business, which gives him a useful perspective on Google updates, the release of AI tools, and the recent shift toward AI-powered search experiences.
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Why does earned media matter right now?
A key takeaway from the interview was that links are no longer the whole story, even though they still matter. Chris made the case that earned links, branded mentions, and trust signals now work together in SEO and AI-powered search.
That’s why this topic feels so timely. The same coverage that can help your rankings can also improve how language models interpret your brand and whether your company comes up in AI-generated answers. Some reasons that matter more now:
- Earned links still carry strong SEO value
- High PR links can strengthen perceived authority
- Brand mentions can strengthen trust even without a link
- Trustworthy citations can influence AI observations and LLM recommendations
- A placement can support search, visibility and brand recall at the same time
Chris described this as a rare overlap. Instead of adopting separate strategies for SEO, AI, and brand building, earned media can support all three.
How earned links support search and AI visibility
The best result is not just a backlink from a major site. This is a mention in an authoritative third-party publication that describes your company in a way that helps search engines and AI systems associate your brand with a topic, service, and trusted source.
This is where earned and high-PR links still stand. Placement on a high-authority site can help with traditional SEO. However, it can also create the kind of third-party validation that larger language models rely on when they decide which brands to cite.
Chris framed it as part of a larger trend toward online brand survival. Businesses that want to keep growing need more than rankings. They need to be talked about from sources that search engines and AI systems already trust. Signals that matter in that environment include:
- Editorial backlinks from established publications
- Branded mentions on trusted media sites
- Frequent mentions of your company in third-party sources
- A clear connection between your name, your business, and your area of expertise
- A coherent description of what your company does
That stability becomes a key trust signal. If the web repeatedly associates your brand with a topic area, it becomes easier for AI systems to repeat that association.
Why trust signals matter for LLM and AI overview
One of the strongest parts of the interview was Chris’s explanation of how LLMs handle information. He broke it into two parts.
- training data side: If an LLM has already absorbed enough information to answer a question, he or she will not need to pull new sources at all.
- recovery side: When he needs to search the web or rely on external information, he still has to choose what he trusts enough to quote or recommend.
This is where trust signals become so important. If your business is mentioned on reputable sites, those mentions can shape how AI systems evaluate your brand, both in what they already “know” and what they choose to display live.
Chris used the example of businesses that move into a new market or adopt a new identity. If the Web still describes them based on an old version of the brand, LLMs can keep repeating that old view until enough new trust signals emerge.
Here’s why earned coverage matters beyond rankings:
- It can help shift the narrative around a brand.
- This may affect the way your expertise is classified.
- This can improve your chances of being cited in AI-generated results.
- This can create a stronger connection between your business and your area.
- This can help your name appear in recommendation-style questions.
This is a big deal for brands competing in crowded spaces. Getting mentioned on the right sites can shape what AI observations say about you months after the article goes live.
Why do high PR links still have a special role?
Chris has been involved with tier-one media links for a long time, and he explained that they still hold a special place. He called them the “crème de la crème” because they can deliver multiple levels of benefits at once.
A high PR link from a trusted publication can help with classic SEO authority. Additionally, surrounding mentions can act as a brand signal for LLM visibility and AI citations.
This is what makes earned media so attractive right now. A single placement can combine link value, topical relevance, brand association, and third-party trust, to name a few other tactics. The strongest placements often include:
- full name of specialist
- Company Name
- Company function or specialty
- A quote related to a relevant topic
- A clickable link when the publication allows it
Chris explained that when those pieces appear together, they provide a neat package for both search engines and LLMs to read. It tells them who the person is, what company he or she represents and which company they should connect with.
Why has AI made pitching both easier and harder?
AI has made it easier to send more pitches, which means journalists now have to deal with more noise than before. Chris described the progress clearly. In the early days, AI tools were clumsy and weak, but they helped speed up small tasks. Today, the problem is different because sophisticated AI writing can make thousands of pitches clean, simple, and nearly identical.
This creates a difficult environment for anyone trying to secure coverage. Journalists are sorting through more reactions, more fake authority and more slimy comments. Here are some of the current challenges he mentioned:
- Journalists have been suppressed under AI-assisted outreach
- Many reactions now seem similar
- Fake profiles have made journalists more skeptical
- AI detection tools are being used in some workflows
- Thin online identity can lead to distrust
Chris mentioned building tools like Pangram into part of the process, and he said some platforms can screen for AI-like submissions before a journalist even reads them. It raises the bar for those who want to stand out.
Why being trustworthy matters as much as being smart
A powerful thread throughout the episode was that earned media now depends on credibility at every level. You can’t just write a clever pitch and hope for the best. Chris talked about the harm caused by fake expert profiles and AI-generated personalities.
Because of this, journalists now pay more attention to whether a source appears genuine across the web. This means that your public presence matters. If you’re trying to earn mentions, your online footprint is part of the pitch even before you send the words. Here are some pointers that help build trust:
- Complete and reliable page
- Multiple active social profiles
- Compatible business and expertise details
- Podcast presence and industry characteristics
- Many photos and public references on the web
Consensus matters. LLMs rely on repeatedly provided, consistent information, so mixed or conflicting details can undermine your authority.
Why can local media be a faster path to earned coverage?
The smartest strategic section of the interview focused on local media. Chris argued that local coverage is one of the most overlooked paths to earned links, brand mentions and trust signals. For local businesses, the fit is obvious. A realtor, lawyer, plumber, or local service provider often has relevant commentary on stories that affect their service area.
What makes local media attractive is that it is often easy to break into. Chris notes that many businesses may only have five, 10, or 15 local publications worth targeting, making relationship building more manageable than setting up a national outlet.
These are the reasons why local media can work so well:
- Less competition than the national press
- Easy relevance to local experts
- Strong possibility of repeat coverage
- Useful Hints for Local SEO
- Good training ground for broader PR efforts
He also said it could extend beyond plumbers and lawyers. A founder with a visible business profile may be able to comment on local business stories, even if the company serves national clients.
Where AI Can Help Without Hurting Your Chances
Chris was not anti-AI. He drew a clear line between helpful use and lazy use. He said AI could be useful for brainstorming, background research and organizing information. What it shouldn’t do is prepare a final pitch that sounds like everyone else’s.
This distinction matters because AI works best as a support, not a replacement, for your expertise. If everyone uses the same tools to give the same type of answers, no one will stand out. Better use of AI in this process includes:
- Researching aspects of the story before answering
- Organizing Notes and Source Materials
- Reviewing topics in journalist requests
- Creating internal settings for human editing
- Reusing coverage after going live
It’s easy to overlook that last point. Chris emphasized that once you earn mentions, you should not let it end up on the publishing page.
Why should a mention get more visibility?
Chris closed with a point that deserves extra attention. Once you’ve earned coverage, keep using it. That means sharing it with your audience, posting it on social media, sending it to your email list, and turning it into additional trust signals where your audience already pays attention.
Thus an earned link or a high PR mention can continue to support brand growth after the first wave of attention subsides. He also shared a useful data point from Linkify’s own business. This year alone, the company has booked more sales calls by LLMs than in the last quarter or two of last year, including several calls per day.
This makes it easier to understand the opportunity:
- Visibility in LLM can turn into sales conversations
- Credible citations can influence future discovery
- Good coverage can continue to provide benefits even after publication
- Reuse across channels can increase returns on each win
final thoughts
This episode made a strong case that earned links are still one of the best assets a business can create, but their role has expanded. High-PR links, trust signals, visibility in LLM, and the chance to be cited by an AI observation now sit in the same conversation.
That’s why this topic matters so much right now. A business that earns credible coverage isn’t just helping its SEO campaign; It is also helping its brand. It’s building a strong case for why search engines, AI systems, journalists, and future customers should trust what that brand says.
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