Field notes Research, essays, and reports from the practice

The Blog.

Original research on how AI engines pick which brands to surface — and the methodology we use to engineer that outcome for our clients.

SEO in 2026: What Still Works When AI Answers the Question

SEO is not dead. The optimization target split. For twenty years there was one target: rank in a list, earn a click.…

Why AI Cites Third-Party Sites 6x More Than Your Own Domain

AI answer engines cite third-party websites more often than brand-owned domains because independent sources provide stronger external validation. Instead of relying on…

How to Get Cited by Perplexity: Avoid Mistakes in 2026

Perplexity has become one of the most popular AI search platforms by providing direct answers with cited sources from the web. Instead…

AI Coverage Gaps: Where Your Brand Is Invisible to Buyers

AI search has changed how people research and buy products. Instead of clicking through multiple websites, users now ask tools like ChatGPT,…

How to Shift Content Investment by Query Intent in AI Era

Key Takeaways AI Overviews and zero-click search have cut the return on purely informational content. The click that funded that investment is…

Content Structure for AI Extraction: The Direct-Answer Lead

You can write a detailed article and still miss out on AI citations if the answer is buried halfway through the page.…

Google AI Overview: Master AI Search Visibility 2026

Google Search is evolving beyond traditional blue links with features like AI Overviews and AI Mode, which generate AI-powered answers by combining…

How AI Answer Engines Choose Their Sources

AI answer engines choose their sources by retrieving, evaluating, and comparing information before generating a response. Rather than selecting sources at random,…

Digital PR for AI Citations: How to Build Brand Authority That AI Mentions

Digital PR has long been measured by media coverage, editorial backlinks, and referral traffic. While those metrics still matter, AI-powered search is…