Mission: Visibility - How to choose the best SEO agency in Zurich
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You can publish the most valuable content, optimize all your pages, and have perfect technical SEO – and still have low domain authority and weak rankings. Why? This usually happens when websites neglect off-page SEO.
That's exactly why we're covering everything you need to know in this guide:
Fundamentally, search engine optimization consists of On-Page, Off-Page Optimization and Technical SEO. While technical and on-page SEO concern what you optimize directly on your website, off-page SEO encompasses everything you do outside of your website.
This may sound counterintuitive to many beginners. How can this seemingly external effort help improve your rankings and authority?
Most websites on the internet are interconnected. And the more such «connections» you have with others, the more trust your website gains. These connections are backlinks, brand mentions, references, and citations. Generally, you get these through:
so whether you invest heavily in PR, a Using a backlink service or paid channels, to gain more visibility – you can improve your off-site SEO. But of course, some tactics are more effective than others. And that's exactly what we're covering today.
If you've been doing SEO for a while, you already know that quality link building improves your domain authority. And that, in turn, boosts your rankings. All of this still applies in 2026. Backlinks continue to be the only Ways to increase your DA/DR/AS.
But now there's another element: AI visibility.
Today all these external links appear not only for SEO, but also for GEO (Generative Engine Optimization). In fact, on average only 12 % of the links, which are cited by AI, also appear in Google's Top 10 results for the same prompt. This means that AI systems don't care much about rankings. What is important to them instead? The entire visibility of your brand (i.e., off-page SEO).
Let's look at some of the most effective best practices that can help your business become more discoverable in AI search and on Google.
Your content must for You work, not against You. While there are many ways to acquire backlinks, your content forms the foundation. There are several good reasons for this:
Publications that organically attract links are referred to as «linkable assets» in the SEO world. These are pieces of content that are unique and offer real added value. Some examples of linkable assets include:
It's not just us saying this. You can easily find evidence online. For example, HubSpot's State of Marketing Report:
And guess what? That's right – this report has over 38,000 backlinks:
One could certainly say it's all due to HubSpot being a well-known brand. But if we check the number of links to any HubSpot blog post, the situation isn't nearly as impressive. Yes, they are zero. That's the true power of linkable assets in action.
Listicles of the best tools, services, products, etc., have become a popular source of information for AI systems. When you think about it, it makes a lot of sense, because the AI needs some kind of benchmark to «position» your brand and rank it in comparison to others in your niche.
Appearing in multiple listicles is therefore one of the most effective off-page SEO strategies to gain more visibility in both Google and ChatGPT. It shows that other brands trust you and see you as one of the best solutions on the market in your category.
You don't have to take our word for it. Just Google «best CRM for SMEs» and check the sources in the AI overview. Most of the results are «top» and «best» listicles or YouTube videos with the same selection of the best tools.
However, it is important that you proceed selectively here. The goal is not to be listed on just any website. The sites must be relevant to your niche and have good SEO metrics so that they are important enough for AI to cite.
As mentioned, search engine optimization is fundamentally changing due to AI search. And in the case of off-page SEO, that's actually good news. Previously, backlinks were the main factor for increased visibility. And we all know that building high-quality links takes time and usually requires a large budget.
But now they count too Unlinked Mentions and Citations for your Online visibility. This means: Almost every digital presence you have can strengthen your visibility in AI search.
There is a lot of speculation about what counts and what doesn't. Therefore, we recommend checking the most frequently cited sources in AI search and LLMs and ensuring that your company is mentioned there repeatedly.
This currently means being present on:
This is an extension of the previous point. If you look at the most cited sources, you will often see review platforms like G2 and similar alternatives.
AI relies on these because they show what other people think about a brand. And that is significantly more informative than what your own website says. So, register on these platforms and encourage your customers and users to leave reviews.
You can also create a Google Business Profile. This is another great way to share up-to-date and relevant information about your business. As a bonus, it can also help you appear more often in local search, in what's called the Local Pack – a topic where we as SEO agency in Zurich are particularly skilled.
With all that said: traditional link building isn't disappearing, as guest posts and press releases still work for both your authority and overall visibility.
When you look back at the chart of the most cited sources, you will see PR Newswire there. And as for guest blogging: it remains one of the most reliable tactics for gaining high-quality backlinks.
While unlinked mentions are also important for AI systems, don't neglect traditional SEO. Most people still use Google Search, not ChatGPT or Perplexity. So, whatever you've been doing for your link building so far, keep doing it. Then, simply supplement your strategy with other types of mentions.
With unlinked mentions, you don't have to worry too much about where they're coming from. But low-quality links can seriously damage your website's authority. Therefore, you need to be very selective and consider these off-page factors in SEO:
Now you know the most effective off-page SEO techniques. What remains is to create a clear step-by-step plan and implement it consistently. Consistency and time are the two key elements for true SEO success.
And if you don't know where to start, we can from the SEO Agency Zurich We help you develop a customized off-site SEO strategy to make your business more visible in both Google and LLMs. Also take a look at our proven SEO results or learn more about our services for SEO in Zurich and SEO in Winterthur.
David Bachetti is an SEO strategist with a „license to rank“. As the founder of SEO Agentur Zürich and Agent AGENTUR GmbH, he starts where standard agencies give up. His focus is on precise navigation through the jungle of Google, AI systems and LLMs.
Highest qualifications: Advanced Digital Marketing at the ZHAW (University of Applied Sciences) & Swiss Certified Web Project Manager (Higher Professional Examination / Master Craftsman Examination).
Official Google Partner: Certified expertise for maximum performance.
Tried and tested strategies: Over 50 successful SEO missions for startups, SMEs & large companies.
AI pioneer: Specialized in visibility in modern search engines, LLM & AI systems.
His credo:
„Visibility is no coincidence, but the result of a precise mission.“
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