Host: Sean Barber — https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanrbarber/ — He/Him

In this Chat With Sean, Leo Poitevin is back — co-founder of the backlink marketplace Linkavista and the SEO agency Fondateur, with over a decade in some of the most competitive SEO niches going. Last time we talked backlinks; this time we put an AI lens on everything.

We get into how you actually audit a brand’s visibility in AI when there’s no “Ahrefs for ChatGPT,” why AI answers lean so heavily on listicles and third-party consensus, and how Leo creates his own sources to get brands cited. He’s refreshingly open about what’s really working — including the manipulation tests he’s running — and where it’s starting to break down.

From there we dig into backlinks vs unlinked brand mentions, whether smarter models (Opus 5.5, Fable 5) are getting harder to trick than the cheaper free ones, how Gemini hides its sources, and what AI bot log-file analysis actually reveals. We finish on the practical stuff: choosing sites beyond DA/DR, proving ROI on backlinks, building a diverse campaign, and targeting multiple countries.

Leo discusses:

- How to audit AI visibility when there’s no “Ahrefs for AI”

- Why AI answers lean on listicles and third-party consensus

- Creating your own sources and listicles to get cited

- Backlinks vs unlinked brand mentions — when to use each, and the risk

- Whether smarter models are getting harder to manipulate than cheaper ones

- How Gemini hides its sources compared to ChatGPT and Claude

- What AI bot log-file analysis reveals — the four types of visitor

- Choosing websites beyond DA and DR — Leo’s two key metrics

- How to actually prove ROI on backlinks (and why it’s so hard)

- Building a diverse campaign — anchors, source mix and budgets

- Targeting multiple countries, and why “English is the language of the web”

Topics covered include:

- AI visibility & GEO

- AI citations

- Listicles

- Backlinks vs brand mentions

- Parasite SEO

- Log-file analysis

- Anchor text strategy

- Digital PR

- Backlink ROI

Watch / Listen On Spotify:

Connect With Leo Poitevin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leo-poitevin/

Thank you to our partner:

Linkavista — A backlink marketplace built for SEOs who want more transparency. With access to thousands of websites, real traffic insights through Google Search Console connections, and an easier way to find relevant opportunities.

Use code SEAN10 for 10% extra credit on your first order:

https://linkavista.com/