A contribution from Sophie Hundertmark
Sophie Hundertmark is an expert in the practical use of artificial intelligence with a focus on chatbots, AI strategies and responsible technology integration. She is a researcher and lecturer at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts and is currently writing her dissertation in the field of Conversational AI at the University of Fribourg. As a consultant, she supports companies, administrations and educational institutions in the introduction of effective AI solutions. More about Sophie Hundertmark on LinkedIn.
A CustomGPT was used for linguistic and stylistic creation – as well as for translation. This is based on the GPT-5 language model from OpenAI and was developed by Sophie Hundertmark herself.
From backlinks to trust signals
I still remember the days when companies bought backlinks or set up “intelligent” link partnerships. However, I can see how simple backlinks are becoming less and less important.
In the past, if you had a lot of links on your site, you were automatically classified as relevant – by Google and often also by potential customers. But those days are over. Today, it is no longer the sheer number of links that counts, but how we deal with external sources.
In the age of AI visibility and AI chat management, it is not only technical SEO factors that determine success or failure, but above all trust signals. Those who are perceived as competent, transparent and networked have the best chance of appearing trustworthy in search engines and AI systems such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, SwissGPT or Gemini.
In this article, I’ll show you how to use external content, quotes and mentions to build trust – and how to generate real added value for your own website.
Why backlinks alone are no longer enough
A few years ago, building backlinks was one of the central SEO measures. But the logic of “more is better” no longer works. Google, ChatGPT and other AI systems now evaluate content semantically and contextually. A pure link without context is hardly relevant.
I have experienced in several projects that even pages with few backlinks, but intelligently embedded sources and trustworthy references, rank significantly better – both in Google and in AI-based answers.
What counts today instead
- Relevant links: Only sources that fit in terms of content and offer real added value.
- Transparent use: Shows openly where information comes from.
- Processing instead of linking: Don’t just link, but classify, comment and think ahead.
This creates trust – not through quantity, but through quality and context.
How to use external sources intelligently
A central element of modern AI visibility is the “intelligent” handling of external content. Studies, specialist articles and interviews are often freely available online – and you can actively incorporate these resources into your own content strategy.
1. use quotations strategically
If you use a statement or statistic, cite the source clearly. But don’t leave it at that: add your own assessment or practical examples to the source. This not only shows that you are informed, but also that you understand and reflect on the topic.
Example from my experience:
For a company that offers data protection-safe software for sensitive industries, we have taken up studies from universities, federal rulings and other opinions from the legal environment.
Instead of simply linking to them, we have explained the most important results, added our own observations and established a link to our own target group. The result was an article that was highly visible in both Google and ChatGPT – because it provided real context.
2. curate studies and sources
You don’t have to research everything yourself. It is often enough to bring together the relevant findings of others in a targeted manner and develop your own perspective.
- Choose 2-3 sources that complement each other.
- Summarize the key messages – in your own words.
- Add your own conclusion.
This creates an article that offers added value without generating duplicate content – and at the same time creates trust.
When others write about you – or you are part of an external discussion
A particularly strong signal of trust is created when you become visible in a different context – be it through a mention, a cooperation or an invitation to an external format. It is important that you actively address these moments in your own communication.
Many make the mistake of only mentioning such opportunities in passing – for example with a short link under “News”. But this is precisely where there is enormous potential to strengthen trust and visibility at the same time.
Practical example: My t3n seminar as a bridge of trust
I recently gave a seminar at t3n on the topic of AI visibility. Instead of reporting on the event afterwards, I published my own blog post in advance, in which I addressed the central topics of the seminar:
With this article, I was able to make my expertise visible on the one hand and establish a link to t3n on the other – a platform that is highly trusted by my target group. This not only made the seminar more visible, but also made my own website more relevant because it became part of a larger discourse.
This approach is an example of how external events can be used proactively to build trust, context and visibility – without the need for traditional backlinks.
Using trust signals correctly in the age of AI
The new AI systems not only evaluate content, but also context, tonality and networking. A site that deals credibly with external sources is more likely to be rated as reliable – and this influences how AI models cite or recommend the site in the future.
Checklist for trustworthy AI visibility
- Cite reputable sources (universities, specialist media, well-known experts).
- Supplement each quotation with your own analysis or practical reference.
- Use mentions about you as a content occasion.
- Make sure you cite the source clearly and transparently.
- Think in contexts, not in links.
Paying attention to these points not only boosts your ranking, but also your chances of being named as a trustworthy source in AI systems.
Conclusion: From backlinks to relationships
Backlinks used to be a technical signal. Today they are a social one. It is about making relationships visible – to other experts, to relevant studies, to communities.
If you learn not only to link external content, but also to understand, interpret and categorize it, an authentic network of trust is created. And it is precisely this trust that is the foundation of modern AI visibility.
Take action now!
What are you waiting for?
Research suitable content (perhaps even with Perplexity or ChatGPT) and write your first trustworthy article.
And if you’re still unsure, then book your first“Blog writing coaching for more AI visibility“.
My offer: Individual blog writing coaching for more AI visibility
I will help you to strategically develop your topics, find relevant sources and studies and use them to create an authentic, credible article. Together, we develop texts that not only sound good, but are also recognized as reliable content by search engines and AI systems.
The end result is an article that creates trust – with readers as well as with ChatGPT, Gemini, SwissGPT or Perplexity.
If you are interested, book a coaching session via the following link and then send me a WhatsApp or e-mail your initial ideas for a post, your questions and suggested dates for a learn-to-know call.
