In a recent LinkedIn post, Rand Fishkin challenges the prevailing advice for brands aiming to gain visibility through AI-generated content citations. Fishkin, a prominent figure in the marketing and SEO community, suggests that current strategies might be misguided.
Fishkin highlights a critical finding from recent research into how AI models like ChatGPT and Claude generate citations. He points out that the AI often appears to have already identified the target brands it intends to reference before the citation process even begins.
“But new research suggests that much of the time, the AI tool **ALREADY KNOWS** which brands it’s searching for before the citations ever appear.”
Rethinking AI Citation Strategies
This observation, according to Fishkin, has significant implications for established SEO and content marketing tactics. For years, the conventional wisdom has been to actively pursue inclusion in AI-generated content by being present on platforms and in discussions where AI models are likely to draw information from.
Rand Fishkin argues that this advice may be less effective than previously assumed. He elaborates on the potential futility of these efforts, stating:
“Thus, all that advice to ‘get into LinkedIn articles!’ or ‘be present in Reddit threads!’ or ‘go where the citations in your industry are pulling from!’ might sit somewhere between potentially misleading and totally useless 👇”
The Pre-determined Nature of AI Search
Fishkin’s analysis suggests a more complex underlying mechanism in AI content generation than simply scraping for citations. The implication is that the AI’s internal processes might prioritize specific brands or sources based on factors beyond just their prevalence in publicly available text.
Understanding AI’s ‘Intent’
According to Rand Fishkin, this research indicates that AI models may not be passively discovering brands through citations but are instead actively seeking out and referencing pre-selected entities. This shifts the focus from simply being *cited* to understanding how and why a brand might be chosen for inclusion in the first place.
As Rand Fishkin notes, this could mean that traditional methods of optimizing for AI inclusion, such as broad content distribution or participation in online forums, might not yield the desired results if the AI’s selection process is more directed.
Implications for Marketers
The insights shared by Fishkin prompt a re-evaluation of how businesses should approach AI in their marketing strategies. Instead of solely focusing on appearing in AI-generated citations, marketers might need to explore deeper strategies for brand recognition and relevance that influence the AI’s initial search parameters.
Rand Fishkin’s post serves as a crucial reminder for professionals to critically assess the effectiveness of current trends and to adapt their strategies based on emerging research about AI behavior. The core takeaway is that visibility in AI-generated content might depend less on the *citations* themselves and more on the AI’s pre-existing awareness or selection of a brand.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Rand Fishkin on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on August 12, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →