We’re in the middle of what might be the fastest transition in digital marketing history. People are shifting from using search engines directly to using AI tools like ChatGPT and Google’s AI Mode, which then search the web on their behalf. And whenever there’s a transition like this, the market needs time to adjust.
At TJ Digital, we track around 4,000 AI prompts per day across ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity for our clients. What we’ve found is clear: the pages that AI cites in its responses are overwhelmingly listicles. And right now, the cost to get placed on those listicles hasn’t caught up to their actual value. That gap won’t last.
How AI Search Actually Works
In the old world, you needed your website to rank at the top of Google. In the new world, you need your brand to show up on the pages that AI reads before giving its answer.
Here’s what happens when someone types a prompt like “best window tinting company near me” into ChatGPT: the model searches the web, finds a handful of relevant pages, reads them, and summarizes what it finds. If your brand is recommended on those pages, the AI recommends you. If it’s not, you don’t exist.
This is a fundamental shift. You’re no longer just trying to rank your own website. You’re trying to get mentioned on the websites that AI trusts.
Why Listicles Matter More Than Any Other Content Type
Listicles are the single most-cited content type in AI answers. One analysis found that comparative “best of” articles account for roughly a third of all sources referenced by AI summaries.
This makes sense when you think about it. When someone asks an AI for a recommendation, the AI is looking for pages that already contain recommendations. A listicle titled “10 Best Accounting Firms in Dallas” is exactly the kind of content that matches a prompt like “I need a good accountant in Dallas.”
We’ve been tracking citations across 30 industries, and for most of them, listicles are the single most important factor in whether a brand gets recommended by AI.
There are two main types of listicles that matter:
Directory-generated listicles. Sites like Yelp, Clutch, Justia, and similar industry directories automatically generate listicles based on their own algorithms. In our tracking, about 90% of the time there’s one directory that AI references disproportionately for a given industry. But it’s a different directory for every industry.
Editorially created listicles. These are blog posts, articles on sites like Forbes, or niche publications that write “best of” roundups. AI models treat these as strong endorsements because they present brands as curated recommendations.
The Pricing Gap
Here’s where it gets interesting. The value of these placements has historically been determined by one thing: how many leads a business owner thinks they’ll get directly from that website. A Yelp listing, a Clutch profile, a spot on some niche directory, the pricing was always based on direct referral value.
But these placements just became much more valuable because of AI search. And the pricing hasn’t caught up yet.
We’re seeing cases where a client can get listed at the top of one of the most-cited pages in their industry for $100 or $200. Not per month. A one-time payment.
For context, the broader market for quality listicle placements on authoritative sites typically ranges from $300 to $500 per placement. Some SEO agencies charge even more. But many of these directory and niche blog placements haven’t repriced to reflect their new AI value. The people setting the prices are still thinking in terms of direct traffic, not AI citations.
| Placement Type | Typical Current Cost | Value in AI Search |
| Directory premium listing (e.g., Yelp, Clutch, Justia) | $100-$300/year or one-time | High, if it’s the directory AI cites for your industry |
| Niche blog listicle placement | $100-$500 one-time | High, if the page ranks for terms AI searches |
| High-authority editorial listicle (Forbes, industry publications) | $350-$500+ per mention | Very high, but harder to access |
| Generic backlink on a random blog | $50-$200 | Low for AI purposes |
The key distinction: not all listicle placements are equal. A cheap spot on a page that AI never cites is worthless. A $200 spot on the page AI references 40% of the time someone asks about your industry is a steal.
Why This Window Won’t Last
Two things are about to drive prices up.
First, Google is replacing traditional search results with AI Mode. I believe this will happen sometime in 2026. Google’s own documentation confirms that AI features surface a wider and more diverse set of sources than classic search results. One study found that only 14% of URLs cited by Google’s AI Mode were in the traditional top 10. That means being #1 on Google matters less than being on the pages that Google’s AI reads.
Second, more marketers will figure this out. Once the connection between listicle placements and AI recommendations becomes common knowledge, demand for these spots will increase and prices will follow. The arbitrage opportunity exists because the market is still thinking about these placements in old-world terms.
How to Find the Right Listicles
Not every listicle matters. You need to find the specific ones that AI actually cites when people ask about your product or service.
Step 1: Simulate prompts. Go to ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. Type in the kinds of prompts your ideal customer would use. “Best [your service] in [your city]” or “I need a [your product] for [specific use case].” Note which websites show up in the responses and citations.
Step 2: Identify the dominant directory. In our experience, there’s usually one directory that AI references far more than others for a given industry. For lawyers, it’s often Justia. For software companies, it’s often Clutch or G2. For local service businesses, it tends to be Yelp or a niche vertical directory. Figure out which one dominates your space.
Step 3: Understand the directory’s algorithm. These directory-generated listicles all come from the same underlying ranking system. In about half of the directories we track, rankings are driven by reviews, specifically recent reviews. We had one client who got three extra reviews on Clutch and immediately started getting recommended by ChatGPT. Other directories use different signals. Justia, for example, weights how many questions you answer on their platform. Some simply let you pay for premium placement.
Step 4: Target editorial listicles. For blog-based listicles, identify the ones that rank for the terms AI is searching. Then reach out to the author or publisher. Offer a specific angle or use case for why your brand belongs on the list. In our experience, about 5% of outreach attempts succeed organically. If outreach doesn’t work, many of these sites accept paid placements.
Step 5: Use tracking tools. We use Peec.ai to track AI citations at scale, but you can start manually. The important thing is to track consistently so you can measure whether your placements are actually showing up in AI responses.
Listicle Mentions vs. Traditional Backlinks
For traditional SEO, backlinks from any reputable page help your domain authority. For AI search, the game is different.
Brands are roughly 6.5 times more likely to appear in AI answers through third-party citations than through their own website alone. And the most effective third-party citations aren’t random contextual backlinks. They’re listicle mentions, review sites, and recommendation pages.
A backlink buried in a generic blog post tells AI that your site exists. A spot on a “Top 10” list tells AI that your brand is a recommended option. AI models treat that as a direct endorsement. That’s a meaningful difference when the AI is deciding which brands to include in its response.
This doesn’t mean backlinks are useless. They still feed into your site’s trust. But for the specific goal of getting recommended by AI, a mention on a relevant listicle is significantly more effective than a link on a random page.
What to Do Right Now
If you’ve ever considered paying for placement on a directory or listicle, now is the time. The market will correct. Prices will go up as more businesses realize the connection between these placements and AI recommendations.
Here’s the short version:
- Identify the 1-5 directories that AI cites most for your industry
- Figure out how to climb those rankings (reviews, paid placement, engagement)
- Find the editorial listicles that rank for your target terms
- Reach out or pay for placement on the ones AI actually cites
- Track your AI mentions monthly to measure impact
The entire game right now comes down to one question: when someone asks an AI about your product or service, does the AI find your brand on the pages it reads? If the answer is no, you’re invisible to a growing share of your potential customers.
If you want help identifying which listicles matter for your industry and getting your brand placed on them, contact TJ Digital for a free audit. We’ll show you exactly where AI is looking and what it would take to get you recommended.