Backlinks shows domains whose articles ChatGPT and Google AI Overview are already citing in your category. Getting your brand mentioned on those pages is one of the most direct ways to increase your AI visibility — the sources are already trusted by AI engines, so a mention there can influence answers immediately.

These are editorial placements, paid or unpaid. The same approach that works for traditional link building works here: reach out, offer value, and get listed where it counts.

How the list is built

The list is derived from your prompt sources — the URLs Airefs finds when it runs your tracked prompts. It applies four filters automatically:

• Article-type URLs only — the domain must publish at least one article-format page that's being cited (not forums, homepages, or product pages).
• Minimum 20 citations — the domain must have accumulated at least 20 citations across all your prompts, so only consistently influential domains appear.
• Cited in the last 30 days — at least one of the domain's URLs must have been cited in a recent prompt run, confirming the domain is still active in AI answers.
• Excluding major media — large outlets are filtered out by default since editorial placements on those sites require a PR strategy, not direct outreach. Toggle the filter off if you want to see them.
• Excluding your competitors — domains that match your tracked competitors are hidden by default, since asking a competitor to promote you is rarely successful.

Results are sorted by citation count — the most influential domains appear first. Each row shows the domain, total citations across your prompts, and how many article URLs are driving those citations.

Sending outreach

Click any domain to load an outreach email template on the right side of the page. The template is pre-filled with the domain and references the specific articles already being cited. Three outreach types are available: link exchange (you add them, they add you), paid inclusion (you ask if sponsored placements are something they do), or either (open-ended, lets them pick the format).

1. Click a domain to load the outreach email. Hover over the row first to preview which cited articles you can reference.
2. Personalise and copy the email, then send it from your own inbox. Airefs doesn't send email on your behalf.
3. Find the right contact — use the ChatGPT link in the panel to look up the site's editorial contact or contributor page.
4. Mark as emailed (✓) once you've sent your outreach, or dismiss (✗) if the domain isn't a fit. Both actions move the domain to the Archive tab to keep your active list clean.

Active and Archive tabs

The Active tab shows all current placement opportunities matching the filters. The count next to the tab label tells you how many domains are waiting for outreach.

The Archive tab holds domains you've emailed or dismissed. You can review it at any time — useful if you want to follow up on a previous outreach or reconsider a domain you dismissed.

When new placements appear

The list updates after each prompt run. As Airefs finds new sources being cited in your category, qualifying domains appear in the Active tab automatically. Run your prompts regularly to keep the list fresh.

Backlinks vs. Discussions

Discussions are about joining conversations that already exist — Reddit threads and commentable posts where you can add your voice today. Backlinks are about getting mentioned in published content — articles and guides that rank in Google and are cited by AI engines over months.

Discussions give faster results; a good comment can influence AI answers within days. Backlinks take longer to negotiate and publish, but a brand mention in a widely-cited article compounds indefinitely.