What You’ll Learn
- Why backlinks remain the foundation of how Google and AI systems decide who to trust
- The difference between buying links and earning them through digital PR
- How large language models like ChatGPT and Gemini use mentions to determine recommendations
- Why a dentist in a small market can realistically get quoted in People Magazine or Forbes
- The practical process for landing coverage in tier one publications
Anyone Can Say Anything About Anything
Here’s the problem with the internet: anyone can claim to be an expert.
Chris Panteli, founder of Linkifi.io, made this point bluntly on a recent episode of the Byte Sized Podcast. “I could start a website tomorrow called Chris’s Dental Consultancy. I’m the world-leading dental consultant. You should hire me. Spend lots of money with me and I’ll tell you everything you need to know about being a good dentist. Complete nonsense.”
So how does Google figure out who’s legitimate? How do AI systems like ChatGPT and Gemini decide which dentists to recommend when someone asks for the best option in their area?
The answer hasn’t changed much since Google’s earliest days: third-party validation. If other trusted sources vouch for you online, algorithms trust you more. The mechanism for that validation is backlinks, and increasingly, brand mentions in authoritative publications.
Most dentists are still focused on blog posts, ads, and social media to build authority. That’s not enough anymore.
The Algorithm Still Runs on Trust Signals
Backlinks aren’t new. They’ve been the foundation of Google’s ranking system since the beginning. The logic is simple: if authoritative websites link to your site, that’s a measurable trust signal. The more trust signals you have, the more confident Google can be putting you on page one.
“If they wanted to surface businesses on their first page, how could they decide who they trust?” Chris explained. “The idea was backlinks. If they have other more authoritative sites linking to your website, then that is a trust signal.”
But all links aren’t created equal.
You can buy links. There’s a whole industry built around it. Link farms, private blog networks, marketplaces where website owners sell placements. Some of it works in the short term. Some of it gets your site penalized or ignored entirely.
Google has gotten very good at identifying purchased links. Updates like Penguin and Panda decimated websites that had been buying links for years. Businesses went to bed ranking on page one and woke up invisible.
“Google knows all of the places that you can buy links from,” Chris said. “So if you can get in places that don’t sell links because you’ve earned it, because you’ve contributed expert commentary, then that can have 100x impact compared to the links that you can buy.”
| Link Type | Risk Level | Authority Impact |
| Purchased from link farms | High | Often ignored or penalized |
| Paid placement in industry publications | Low to moderate | Solid if publication is legitimate |
| Earned through journalist requests | Very low | Highest authority value |
| Natural editorial mentions | Very low | Highest authority value |
Mentions Now Matter as Much as Links
These days, large language models don’t need a hyperlink to understand who you are.
When ChatGPT or Gemini pulls information to answer a question, it’s not just following links. It’s reading and interpreting content semantically. If your name appears on a trusted website within the context of your expertise, the AI understands that relationship.
“Google has evolved and become more sophisticated,” Chris explained. “It can now understand semantically. If your name is mentioned on that website within the context of being a marketing leader within the dental space, Google will see that and understand that and interpret it.”
This is a fundamental shift. Historically, Google’s algorithm couldn’t understand context the way humans do. It needed the link as a measurable signal. Now, between Google’s own AI capabilities and the rise of LLMs like ChatGPT, brand mentions carry real weight even without a hyperlink.
“LLMs exist and work in two ways,” Chris said. “They have training data, which is their non-internet connected knowledge. And then they make grounded searches where they connect to the internet and find current information.”
If you’ve been featured on authoritative websites, your name, your business, and what you do all become part of that knowledge base. When someone asks ChatGPT for the best dentist in Alabama, it’s pulling from sources it trusts. Trusted media publications are at the top of that list.
Two Services, Two Goals
Chris’s company offers two distinct services that clarify the strategic options for dentists.
SEO Digital PR focuses on earning links. The deliverable is a backlink from an authoritative publication, typically to your homepage. A journalist quotes you in an article, attributes the quote to your practice, and links back. That link lifts your domain authority and helps your keywords rank higher.
Authority PR focuses on building brand. The deliverable isn’t necessarily a link. It might be a TV appearance, a podcast feature, or coverage in a major publication where the mention itself is the value. You’re building recognition and credibility that compounds over time.
“If you understand the importance of going above and beyond that, building a brand, being the go-to name in your industry, being invited to things, knowing how that can compound, then you’ll want to do things beyond just thinking about one player, Google,” Chris said.
For a solo practice owner who wants local recognition, both strategies can work. For a DSO building national brand awareness, Authority PR becomes essential. For a dentist trying to recover lost organic search traffic, SEO Digital PR with its focus on link acquisition might be the faster path.
How Journalists Actually Find Experts
Here’s something most people don’t realize about the articles they read: journalists aren’t always conducting deep investigative interviews to get those expert quotes. They’re often casting a wide net looking for credible sources to validate their story.
“A journalist from a publication has been commissioned to write a story about something to do with teeth,” Chris explained. “They’re looking for some dentists to give them some commentary. That is perfect for you to answer.”
There are aggregator platforms that collect these journalist requests. Help a Reporter Out (HARO) is the most famous and completely free. Others include Quoted, Source of Sources, Press Plugs, Response Source, and Editorial.ink. Journalists post requests, experts pitch responses, and the best pitches get included in the article.
The requests range from hyper-specific to broad. A journalist writing about whether manual toothbrushes are dangerous compared to electric ones needs a dentist. A journalist writing about health concerns during the holiday season could use a dentist’s perspective on sugar intake and brushing habits.
“The journalist that’s writing the article on something to do with dentistry, they’re not going to be a dentist,” Chris said. “They’re journalists. So how do they enhance that? Through expert commentary.”
You can also follow journalists who cover health topics on X and set alerts for the hashtag #journorequest. They’ll often post callouts directly when they need sources.
National Coverage Is Within Reach
One of the most surprising takeaways from the conversation is that a dentist in a small market can realistically get quoted in People Magazine or Forbes.
“You don’t have to be the world’s most famous dentist,” Chris said. “You can just be someone who’s got good credentials, credibility, and you can achieve that.”
The key is understanding that PR-friendly niches like health have constant demand for expert commentary. Journalists need credible voices to support their articles. If you position yourself correctly and respond to the right requests, national coverage is accessible.
This doesn’t mean ignoring local strategy. A dentist should absolutely pursue local news coverage, especially when there’s a local angle on a national story. If your state changes its fluoride policy, local news wants commentary from a local expert. That’s you.
But the idea that national publications are reserved for celebrity dentists or massive organizations isn’t accurate. The barrier is effort and positioning, not budget or fame.
Qualifying Where to Get Placed
Not every publication is worth pursuing. Chris’s team maintains a blacklist of sites that don’t meet their criteria.
The easiest filter is to ask yourself: have you heard of the publication? Forbes, New York Post, New York Times, Healthline. If you recognize the name, it’s probably legitimate. Industry-specific publications you’d recognize also count.
Beyond name recognition, you can use tools like Semrush or Ahrefs to check domain authority. A site with stable traffic that stays on topic is in good standing with Google. A site that writes about everything and links to casinos and porn is not.
The journalist matters too. Google their name. Do they have a portfolio? Have they written for other publications? Or is this a pay-to-play situation where they’ll ask for $300 to include your quote?
“If I give you the quote, you need to link back to my website. That happens,” Chris warned. “You want to not pitch those.”
The Compounding Effect of Authority
The real value of earned media isn’t any single placement. It’s the compounding effect over time.
Each feature builds on the last. You get quoted in a local publication, then a regional one, then a national outlet sees your previous coverage and considers you credible enough to quote. Journalists start coming to you directly because they’ve worked with you before. Your “as featured in” section on your website grows. Your domain authority rises. AI systems start recommending you more often.
“The more you do it, the more you build, the more it compounds,” Chris said. “The benefits are exponential.”
This is the real difference between buying links and earning coverage. Purchased links provide a temporary boost that can evaporate or backfire. Earned media builds a foundation that strengthens everything else you do, from SEO to patient trust to speaking invitations.
In This Episode:
Chris Panteli, Founder of Linkifi.io
Chris Panteli is the founder of Linkifi.io, a digital PR agency specializing in earned media and authority building. After building his own personal finance website and earning placements in major publications through journalist outreach, Chris turned that skill into a full-service agency. Linkifi offers two core services: SEO Digital PR, focused on earning authoritative backlinks, and Authority PR, focused on building brand visibility across Google, LLMs, and national media.
Adrian Lefler, CEO and Co-founder of My Social Practice
Adrian Lefler, CEO of My Social Practice, is a seasoned expert in the dental marketing industry with 14 years of experience. He is widely recognized for his engaging and informative presentations. Based in Suncrest, Utah, Adrian shares his life with his wife, four children, and a lively mix of pets. My Social Practice is a leading dental marketing company, and Adrian is passionate about helping dental professionals succeed in this dynamic field.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do brand mentions help SEO even without a link?
Yes. Large language models like ChatGPT and Gemini can understand context semantically. If your name appears on a trusted publication in the context of your brand and expertise, that’s a trust signal even without a hyperlink. Google’s own AI capabilities have also evolved to understand mentions, not just links.
Can a small-town dentist really get quoted in national publications?
Yes. Journalists constantly need expert commentary for health-related articles. Platforms like HARO aggregate these requests. If you have legitimate credentials and respond to relevant requests with good pitches, national coverage is accessible regardless of your market size.
What's the fastest way to start earning media coverage?
Sign up for free aggregator platforms like Help a Reporter Out (HARO). Set alerts for health-related journalist requests. Follow journalists who cover health topics on X using the hashtag #journorequest. Respond quickly with concise, credible pitches that directly address what the journalist needs.
