What LLMs link to and why it matters for your brand

From answering complex queries to generating creative content, large language models (LLMs) are designed to deliver “zero-click” results – concise, direct answers that eliminate the need for further research.

This shift raises a critical question: if users no longer need to visit a website to get the information they want, what happens to web traffic? 

While the broader implications for the future of websites are a conversation for another day, there’s a more immediate and tactical issue worth examining – links.

Specifically: What kind of links are LLMs providing, and how can brands generate traffic from them?

The critical role of links in LLM outputs

Links in LLM results function as citations, giving users a way to verify the information presented and explore the original source material. 

This is especially important for maintaining accuracy and reliability, particularly in sensitive or complex topics. 

For brands, these citation links are the only viable path to generating inbound traffic from LLMs. 

The good news: Referral traffic from LLMs is up nearly 400%. 

If LLMs are driving significantly more traffic, then the nature of the links they provide becomes even more important.

What the data tells us: Branded vs. third-party links

I analyzed hundreds of prompts and categorized the resulting links into three buckets: 

• The brand’s official domain.
• Third-party domains.
• Third-party domains that mention the brand name. 

The data revealed that only 9% of links pointed to the actual branded domain. 

This presents a clear problem for brands – they’re being mentioned in responses, but not receiving the direct credit of a link to their own site.

Dig deeper: Optimizing LLMs for B2B SEO: An overview

Real-world examples: Retail and financial services

Here are a couple of practical examples from the retail and financial services sectors. 

In the retail case, I was shopping for a raincoat for an upcoming golf trip to Bandon Dunes. 

The results for raincoats were decent, but only one link in Perplexity pointed to Patagonia. The rest directed me to third-party sites.

The same pattern emerged with a financial services and insurance prompt. 

The brands mentioned were the major players you’d expect, but every link pointed to third-party lead aggregator sites – sites that typically resell traffic back to those same brands, monetizing it through arbitrage.

Why LLMs prefer third-party sources

From the LLM’s perspective, linking to a third-party site is a logical choice. 

It mirrors how people seek information in the real world. If you’re deciding which coat to buy, you don’t ask Patagonia for an unbiased opinion. 

LLMs appear to apply the same logic, favoring third-party sources that seem more “neutral.” 

This perceived neutrality is intended to provide a better user experience. 

However, nearly all of these third-party sites are monetizing traffic in some way, often by profiting from the brands they’re linking away from.

Dig deeper: How to optimize your 2025 content strategy for AI-powered SERPs and LLMs

What brands can do about it: A 3-step framework

So what can brands do about it? Right now, there are three key actions to take:

Step 1: Understand your results

If you haven’t already, analyze how your brand appears across various LLMs and identify which links are being surfaced. 

You need a clear picture of the landscape before making any strategic decisions.

Step 2: Audit the links

Are the links coming from third-party sites? 

Do those sites have strong inbound link profiles or rely on user-generated content? 

These insights will shape how you approach Step 3.

Step 3: Build a hypothesis

LLMs are constantly evolving, and the inputs they rely on remain a bit opaque, so start testing. 

Based on the patterns you’ve observed, create control and test groups, then adjust your content and link strategies accordingly. 

Measure impact, revisit Step 1, and refine.

Dig deeper: How to segment traffic from LLMs in GA4

Rethinking link equity in the AI era

Links have long been the backbone of the web – and they now play a critical role in how LLMs are trained and how they deliver information. 

As these models become more deeply integrated into our daily lives, the importance of links will only grow. 

By understanding how links function within LLM outputs, brands can better navigate this shifting landscape and ensure they remain a credible, visible, and accessible part of the conversation.