Do links move rankings? Practical limits

E969: How digital PR, brand mentions, and earned media are becoming some of the most important drivers of visibility across Google and AI search.

Chris Panteli of Linkifi returns to the show!

We go deep into how journalists actually source experts, why most HARO and expert quote pitches fail, and how real media coverage influences rankings, reputation, and LLM visibility - even when there is no backlink.

Chris also breaks down the systems his agency uses to build relationships with journalists, filter opportunities at scale, and turn a single media placement into long-term coverage across multiple publications.

This is a practical conversation focused on what is working right now - not recycled link building advice and not tactics that stopped working years ago.

Topics covered: - Why brand mentions are becoming as powerful as backlinks for AI search visibility - How Google, ChatGPT, and Perplexity build trust through consensus and coverage - The difference between SEO digital PR and authority PR - How expert quotes lead to podcast features, op-eds, and major media placements - Mistakes that get HARO pitches ignored or journalists to blacklist sources - Why fake AI personas are creating new verification challenges for journalists - How to build journalist relationships instead of chasing one-off placements - Using CRMs, alerts, and follow-ups to turn one mention into ongoing coverage - Real examples of coverage leading to ChatGPT referrals and organic growth - How agencies use AI to categorize journalist requests and filter opportunities - Why smaller niche publications can be more valuable than high-DR general sites - The role of reputation management in modern SEO and AI visibility - How local businesses can earn press coverage through newsjacking and local expertise - Practical ways to pitch local journalists even if you are not a PR professional

Chris also shares how his team uses custom systems to monitor journalist requests, manage outreach without spamming, and maintain quality while scaling expert quote placement.

For local businesses, consultants, and founders, the discussion around local media coverage and news-driven outreach offers one of the most overlooked opportunities to build authority, trust, and conversions.

If you are trying to understand how visibility works beyond traditional backlinks - especially inside AI systems - this episode provides a clear look at the mechanics behind earned media and authority building.

⭐️ Contact Christopher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-panteli/ ⭐️ Christopher Panteli on 𝕏: https://x.com/Linkifi_ ⭐️ Christopher Panteli's agency: https://www.linkifi.io/ ⭐️ Tier-one media coverage cheat sheet: https://go.linkifi.io/press-coverage-cheat-sheet-page

💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/

00:00 Agency Growth Since HCU 01:06 What Makes Linkifi Different 02:15 Two Core Offerings 05:09 Brand Mentions And AI Visibility 10:26 Reputation Management Demand 13:01 Do Links Move Rankings 15:44 Case Studies And LLM Referrals 16:33 Best Platforms For Expert Quotes 17:32 Stop Using AI Spam Responses 20:57 Deplatforming To Direct Journalist Relationships 22:28 Systematizing Journalist Relationships 25:43 Team Size And Hiring For PR Talent 27:42 Gifting Journalists Ethics And Ideas 31:20 Biggest HARO Mistakes Authenticity 38:57 Read The Query And Match Bias 43:24 Custom GPTs For Client Compliance 44:17 Digital PR Versus Link Building 46:34 Landing Tier One Features Case Study 49:51 Follow Up Cadence And CRM 53:14 AI Filtering And Airtable Workflow 58:16 Reddit And Blacklists For Quality 01:03:52 Hyperlocal PR And Newsjacking 01:15:11 Press Releases And Pitch Quality 01:17:34 Wrap Up And Where To Find Chris

The Edward Show. The #1 search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/

#searchengineoptimization #linkbuilding #backlinks #publicrelations