Win More AI Citations: Live Webinar with Ahrefs' Constance Tan

What Happened

In late September, Search Engine Journal hosted a live webinar titled AI Cites Your Brand. Now What? Turn AI Visibility Data Into Actions featuring Constance Tan, Product Marketer at Ahrefs. The session, streamed on YouTube and promoted via @sejournal and @hethr_campbell, focused on a growing reality: most marketing teams now measure AI visibility, but few have a strategy to improve it.

During the two‑hour event, Tan explained how AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews now surface brand mentions, citations, and local facts. She highlighted that while dashboards and metrics are readily available, the real challenge lies in translating those numbers into tangible tactics that win more citations and improve search relevance.

Attendees got a live walkthrough of Ahrefs’ AI visibility dashboard, a step‑by‑step guide to interpreting data, and practical tactics to influence AI answer generation.

Key Details

• Measurement Stage Is Ending – The webinar emphasized that simply tracking AI citations is no longer enough. Businesses must now act on the data.
• AI Visibility Metrics – Tan identified the most valuable metrics: Citation Count, Citation Quality Score, AI Answer Placement, and Share of Voice in AI Overviews. She warned that raw mention counts can be noisy.
• Data Interpretation – Participants learned how to filter noise, prioritize high‑impact citations, and set realistic goals (e.g., increasing citations by 20% in the next quarter).
• Tactics to Win Citations – The session covered:

- Optimizing local schema markup to feed structured data into AI.

- Building high‑quality backlinks from industry‑specific directories.

- Engaging with community Q&A sites and ensuring consistent NAP data.

- Leveraging Ahrefs’ “Citation Builder” feature to automate outreach.

• Live Q&A – Attendees asked about AI answer length, the role of user intent, and how to keep data up‑to‑date.

The webinar also provided a recording for those who couldn’t attend live, ensuring that the knowledge is accessible to a wider audience.

What It Means For Your Business

For local and small businesses, AI citations are the new frontier of digital visibility. When AI tools pull up your brand in an answer box or a knowledge panel, it signals trustworthiness to both users and search engines.

Why this matters:

• Higher Click‑Through Rates – AI answer boxes often appear at the top of SERPs, driving traffic without additional clicks.
• Authority Boost – Consistent citations from reputable sources reinforce your brand’s authority, which can positively influence traditional search rankings.
• Competitive Edge – Many competitors are still stuck in the measurement phase. By actively pursuing citations, you can outpace them in AI‑driven discovery.

Implementing the tactics shared in the webinar requires a focused effort: audit your existing citations, fix inconsistencies, and systematically outreach to high‑authority sites. Ahrefs’ tools can streamline this process, turning raw data into actionable insights.

Next Steps:

1. Run an AI visibility audit with Ahrefs.

2. Identify the top 10 citation gaps.

3. Prioritize outreach to local directories and niche blogs.

4. Monitor changes in AI answer placement monthly.

By following these steps, your business can move from merely being seen by AI to actively shaping the information presented to potential customers.

Key Highlights

• Measurement alone is insufficient; action is required.
• AI visibility metrics must be filtered for noise.
• Practical tactics include schema optimization and targeted outreach.
• Ahrefs provides tools to automate and track citation wins.

FAQs

• What is an AI citation?

An AI citation is a mention of your brand or business in the answer boxes or knowledge panels generated by AI tools like ChatGPT, Google AI, or Perplexity.

• How often should I update my citation data?

Ideally, review your AI visibility dashboard monthly to spot trends and adjust outreach strategies promptly.

• Can I influence AI answers directly?

While you can’t control AI’s internal algorithms, improving your structured data, backlink profile, and brand consistency helps AI pull accurate, authoritative information.