Rankings and listicles
We identify the "best…" and "top 10" pages AI engines cite in your category, then contact their publishers so you get listed.
Authority and citations
GEO authority: be present in the sources AI engines read
To be recommended by ChatGPT, Claude or Google AI Overviews, your brand must appear in the sources they read: rankings, comparisons, Reddit, YouTube, LinkedIn articles, Google Business Profiles and reviews. Archipel builds this authority, a pillar of AI search optimization, without ever buying backlinks.
Updated
77%
of Claude’s reads: third-party listicles and comparisons
2%
only: agencies’ own pages
#1
source of Google AI Overviews: YouTube
0
paid backlinks, ever
The finding
AI engines believe what others say about you
Your website says you are the best; every website says so. Generative engines know it and look for confirmation elsewhere. In our September and October 2026 measurements on the "GEO agency" category, 77% of Claude’s reads were listicles and comparisons published by other sites, and only 2% were the agencies’ own pages.
The same pattern holds elsewhere: ChatGPT cites ranking sites heavily, Perplexity picks up "top" articles, and Google AI Overviews relies first on YouTube, then on LinkedIn articles, Sortlist and Reddit. In GEO, authority is not measured in number of links: it is measured in presence in the right sources.
Our levers
The sources we work for you
Comparisons
"X vs Y" and "alternatives to…" pages: we get you into the comparisons that come right before the buying decision.
Discussion threads are among the sources of Google AI Overviews and of engines that read the open web. We build a useful, transparent presence there.
YouTube
The #1 source of Google AI Overviews in our measurements. We design videos that answer your buyers’ questions.
LinkedIn articles
Long-form articles published on LinkedIn are read by Google AI Overviews and Gemini. We write them with your executives and experts.
Google Business Profile and reviews
For local queries, your Google Business Profile and customer reviews directly feed Gemini and AI Overviews.
Method
How we earn a citation
- 01
Map the sources
In Profound or Peec AI, we list the pages each engine cites on each of your business prompts.
- 02
Spot the gaps
Rankings where your competitors appear and you do not, incomplete comparisons, Reddit threads without a serious answer.
- 03
Prioritize
We start with the sources cited on your "Main Activity" prompts, the ones where you must be first.
- 04
Act
Outreach to publishers, content for your social channels, videos, profile optimization. Every action is logged in your tracking.
- 05
Measure
We check whether the updated source surfaces in the answers, and whether your rank improves on the target prompts.
By engine
Which source for which AI?
| Engine | Sources that weigh most | Our priority |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Ranking sites, Bing index | Get into the cited rankings |
| Claude | Third-party listicles and comparisons (77% of reads) | Comparisons and listicles |
| Google AI Overviews | YouTube, LinkedIn articles, Sortlist, Reddit | Videos, LinkedIn, Google Business Profiles |
| Perplexity | "Top" articles, recent cited sources | Up-to-date rankings, in-depth articles |
| Copilot | Bing index | Sources well indexed in Bing |
Our stance
Why we never buy backlinks
Buying links means paying for a page nobody reads, on a site AI engines do not cite. Generative engines do not count links: they read pages and keep the ones that carry authority in your category. A sponsored post buried in a link farm adds nothing to your AI visibility and can damage your SEO.
We prefer to contact the publishers of the rankings where you are missing, with real arguments, and to produce content that deserves to be picked up. It takes longer to set up, but every citation earned keeps working for you over time.
Our secret method
Satellite sites
On top of this work on existing sources, we have a method built in-house: satellite sites. We do not explain it publicly and it is reserved for our clients. What we can say is what it produces: in some categories, brands go from invisible to first on ChatGPT in one week.
It is part of our GEO program when your category lends itself to it; we discuss it with you at the debrief of your free GEO audit.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How do you get listed in the rankings AI engines read?
First identify the rankings and comparisons cited by ChatGPT, Claude or Perplexity on your prompts, then contact their publishers with solid arguments. That is what Archipel does, without buying links.
Do backlinks help AI search optimization?
Not directly: AI engines do not count links, they read pages. What matters in GEO is being present in the sources engines cite. Archipel never buys backlinks.
Does Reddit matter for AI search optimization?
Yes. Reddit is among the sources our tracking tools surface, especially for Google AI Overviews, and it is read by engines that crawl the open web. A useful, transparent presence in the right threads can weigh on the answers.
Why is YouTube important for Google AI Overviews?
In our September and October 2026 measurements, YouTube is the #1 source of Google AI Overviews, ahead of LinkedIn articles, Sortlist and Reddit. A video that answers a buying question can be picked up directly.
Do Google reviews count in GEO?
For local queries, yes: your Google Business Profile and its reviews feed Gemini and Google AI Overviews when a user looks for a provider nearby.
What is the satellite-sites method?
It is a method built in-house by Archipel and reserved for its clients; we do not detail it publicly. In some categories, it takes a brand from invisible to first on ChatGPT in one week.
Shall we get started?
Free GEO audit: your rank on ChatGPT, Claude and Google AI Overviews, your competitors and your first actions. Reply within half a business day.