Your users no longer search Google — they search in ChatGPT and Perplexity. Is your backlink strategy ready?

In 2026, more and more users skip Google and ask AI search engines “What’s the best project‑management tool?” What do these AI engines use to generate answers? Their sources differ from Google’s. Your backlink strategy must evolve.

📅 September 28 2026 · ⏱️ ~7 min read · 📂 SEO · AI Search · Future Trends

Last month I ran a small experiment.

I searched the same question in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google:

“What’s the best AI writing tool in 2026?”

The three engines gave three completely different answers.

Google: Returned ten blue links, most of them blog posts titled “10 Best AI Writing Tools in 2026”.

Perplexity: Gave a recommendation list, each tool with a brief description and source links. Sources included G2, Capterra, Reddit discussions, and a few industry articles.

ChatGPT: Also gave a recommendation list, but the sources were more varied—it cited Wikipedia, G2, Crunchbase, several blog posts, and even a YouTube video description.

Key finding: In the sources cited by Perplexity and ChatGPT, directories and review platforms appear far more often than in Google’s results.

G2, Capterra, Crunchbase, Trustpilot—these platforms repeatedly show up in AI search answers.

This made me realize: In the AI‑search era, directory backlinks may be more valuable than in the traditional Google era.

How AI Search Engines Choose Sources

Perplexity and ChatGPT retrieve information from the web when generating answers, but their source‑selection logic differs from Google’s.

Google’s logic: Keyword match + page quality + backlink weight + user‑behavior signals. It gives you a list of links and lets you decide what’s useful.

AI search logic: Semantic understanding + source credibility + information density. It gives you an answer directly, then attaches source citations.

In AI search, the weight of “source credibility” is higher than in Google.

Because AI engines can’t let users judge themselves the way Google does—they provide the answer outright—they must be more careful about the sources they cite. They tend to reference “widely recognized authoritative sources” rather than “some random blog”.

What counts as a “widely recognized authoritative source”?

• Review platforms: G2, Capterra, Trustpilot—because they contain real user reviews, not a single person’s opinion.
• Directory platforms: Crunchbase, Product Hunt—because they have structured company/product data.
• Community platforms: Reddit, Hacker News—because they feature multi‑user discussion and voting.
• News media: TechCrunch, The Verge—because they have editorial review processes.

Did you notice? Most of these platforms are directories where you can submit a listing.

The New Value of Directory Backlinks in the AI‑Search Era

In the traditional Google era, directory backlinks were valuable for:

• Passing SEO juice (dofollow)
• Increasing brand visibility in search results
• Driving a modest amount of referral traffic

In the AI‑search era, directory backlinks add a new value:

Let AI engines “recognize” you.

When a user asks Perplexity “What’s the best invoicing tool?”, Perplexity will crawl the web. If your product has a listing on G2, a page on Crunchbase, a review on Product Hunt, and a discussion on Reddit, Perplexity is far more likely to mention you in its answer.

If your product exists only on your own website, with no external platform presence—AI engines may simply not know you.

It’s like a physical store: if you only operate out of a house, nobody knows you. But if you have a stall in a mall, a Yelp listing, and a newspaper article—more people will know you.

Directories are the “mall stall” and “newspaper article” of the AI‑search era.

Which Directories Matter Most for AI Search

Not all directories carry the same weight in AI search. Based on my observations, the following types appear most frequently in Perplexity and ChatGPT answers:

Tier 1: Review Platforms

These platforms share a common trait: real user‑generated structured review data that AI can directly incorporate into answers.

Tier 2: Company/Product Databases

Tier 3: Community Discussions

Tier 4: Industry Directories

Experiment: How My Listings on 5 Directories Changed AI Search Results

I ran a simple test.

Before the test: I searched “[my product category] best tools 2026” on Perplexity. The answer didn’t mention my product.

Then I created listings on five platforms:

1. G2
   
2. Crunchbase
   
3. Product Hunt
   
4. SaaSHub
   
5. AlternativeTo
   

Two weeks later: The same query on Perplexity now included my product, citing G2 and AlternativeTo.

One month later: ChatGPT’s search feature also started citing my product, referencing Crunchbase and Product Hunt.

Not a coincidence. When your product appears in multiple authoritative directories, AI engines have more chances to “discover” you and include you in answers.

2026 Backlink Strategy Needs a “Dual Track”

Traditional SEO is a single track: optimize your site → earn backlinks → rank on Google.

The 2026 strategy should be dual‑track:

Track 1: Google SEO (Traditional)

• Directory backlinks → pass SEO juice → boost Google rankings
  
• Content creation → attract natural backlinks → long‑term growth
  
• Technical SEO → ensure Google can crawl and index correctly
  

Track 2: AI Search Optimization (New)

• Build listings on authoritative directories → let AI engines “recognize” you
  
• Acquire genuine user reviews → give AI engines positive signals to cite
  
• Establish a presence in communities → increase the chance AI mentions you in answers
  

The convergence point of both tracks is directory submissions. One submission serves both:

• For Google: gains a backlink, improves DR and ranking
  
• For AI search: builds presence on authoritative platforms, raising citation probability
  

That’s why directory submissions are undervalued in 2026. Most people only see their Google value and rarely realize the AI‑search benefit—which can be even larger.

How to Do It

Step 1: Ensure you have listings on Tier 1 directories
G2, Capterra, Trustpilot, Product Hunt, Crunchbase—these five have the highest citation rates in AI search. If you only do five, make them these.

Step 2: Encourage users to leave reviews on those platforms
AI engines especially value “real reviews”. If you have 50 reviews and a 4.5‑star rating on G2, your chance of being cited in AI search is far higher than for a product with no reviews.

Step 3: Build a community presence
Participate on Reddit, Hacker News. Not with ads, but by genuinely answering questions and sharing expertise. When AI engines crawl community discussions, your visibility increases.

Step 4: Keep information consistent
Make sure product name, description, category, and pricing are identical across all directories. AI engines cross‑verify sources; inconsistencies can lower trust.

Step 5: Keep updating
Don’t submit once and forget. Regularly refresh your listings with new features, pricing, and user reviews. AI engines prefer “the latest” information.

Bottom Line

Back to the opening question: “Your users no longer search Google—they search in ChatGPT and Perplexity. Is your backlink strategy ready?”

In 2026, AI search engines are rapidly eroding traditional search market share. Perplexity has surpassed 100 million monthly active users. ChatGPT’s search feature processes hundreds of millions of queries daily.

When users look for products, compare tools, and make purchase decisions, they increasingly rely on AI search rather than Google.

If your product isn’t in the AI engine’s “knowledge graph”, you’re missing out on these users.

The simplest way to get into the AI knowledge graph is to create listings on authoritative directories.

That’s why directory submissions in 2026 are not “obsolete”; they may be more important than ever—just for a different reason.

Previously it was for Google rankings.
Now it’s to let AI recognize you.

BackLinkSubmit Team — We help you optimize both Google rankings and AI‑search visibility. 1,900+ platform databases, AI matching + manual submissions. Learn more →