Your LinkedIn content is shaping what Google says about you

Our blog post last week, Fewer clicks, more answers: The new Google search, focused on Google search’s shift away from a link-first model to a proactive AI-response engine. Important changes that could soon make website visits obsolete. So, it is timely that a new study by Semrush has found that LinkedIn is one of the most cited domains across AI models. 

Looking at URLs cited by three AI models - ChatGPT Search, Google AI Mode and Perplexity - in response to prompts including business topics, the study found that the professional social network was the second most cited domain in answers, and for Google AI Search Mode specifically, LinkedIn was cited in 14.3% of responses.

In total, 89,000 LinkedIn URLs showed up, with AI responses not only using LinkedIn content but also mirroring the wording in that content, meaning that LLMs directly recited what the posts and articles said.  

Here’s what this mean for your brand’s LinkedIn strategy:

• Employ a mix of articles and posts in your LinkedIn content plans: articles are more in-depth, structured and explanatory – meaning LLMs can form better answers from the text.
• Post answers to your audience’s questions: research what relevant topics your target audience is searching for and give LLMs easy-to-use content that they can use in responses.
• Don’t rely solely on brand content: thought leadership content from expert employees and senior leaders also showed up in cited content, with some models preferring people over companies.
• Treat LinkedIn as a new content hub: whereas you might have previously used LinkedIn to drive traffic to your website, it’s now important to think beyond clicks and human readers to ensure LinkedIn is a repository for your latest brand positioning, expertise and content. 

And most importantly, integrate your digital and wider comms strategies. AI models don’t only cite LinkedIn, media coverage in top tier and industry relevant publications, awards, employee advocacy and your website are also important sources for LLMs. By adopting a fully integrated comms strategy, your brand will be most accurately represented in AI responses.

To audit your AI presence and build your AI search strategy, get in touch with SEC Newgate’s Digital team.