Wait, are 'best of' lists actually the #1 factor for AI search rankings now? Just saw this data and I'm shook

This aligns with everything I’ve been seeing with clients.

Here’s the logic from the AI’s perspective:

When ChatGPT or Perplexity needs to recommend a plumber, lawyer, or software tool, they’re asking themselves: “What sources have already done the vetting work for me?”

Best-of lists answer that question perfectly. They represent:

• Human expert judgment
• Comparative evaluation
• Pre-existing quality filtering

Real numbers from a client last quarter:

We got a B2B SaaS client onto 7 relevant “best project management tools” lists over 3 months. Results:

• ChatGPT mentions went from 0% to 34% of relevant queries
• Perplexity citations increased 5x
• Google AI Overviews started including them as an alternative to bigger competitors

The kicker? Their traditional Google rankings barely changed. This is a completely different game.

Am I Cited has been invaluable for tracking which list placements actually translate to AI visibility vs just vanity metrics.

This explains SO MUCH about why my competitor keeps showing up in AI answers despite having a worse website than us.

They’re on every local “best of” list in our city. I counted 12 different placements.

Meanwhile, I’ve been obsessing over on-page SEO and technical optimization for years.

Question for the experts: How do you even get on these lists? Most of the ones I see look like pay-to-play situations.

@SmallBiz_Owner_Rachel Great question. Here’s the approach I’m testing:

Legitimate list outreach strategy:

1. Research phase: Google “[your service] + best + [location]” and identify which lists rank. These are the ones AI will likely reference.

2. Qualification check: Look at each list’s methodology. Do they actually evaluate businesses, or is it a directory disguised as a list?

3. Submission preparation: Create a “media kit” with your unique value prop, customer testimonials, relevant awards, and why you deserve inclusion.

4. Outreach: Contact list curators directly. Explain what makes you different. Offer to provide additional information or participate in their evaluation process.

5. Monitor results: Track which placements actually lead to AI citations. Not all lists are created equal.

Pay-to-play lists exist, but they’re often lower quality and may not carry the authority signals AI systems look for. Focus on earned placements first.

We’ve been running experiments on this for 6 months. Here’s what we’ve learned:

The hierarchy of list types (by AI citation impact):

1. Editorial best-of lists from major publications (WSJ, Forbes, industry leaders) - Highest impact
2. Expert review roundups from niche authorities - Very high impact
3. User-voted lists (with verified reviews) - Medium-high impact
4. Directory listings disguised as lists - Low impact
5. Self-published “best of” content - Minimal impact

Platform-specific observations:

• Perplexity seems to weight expert review sites like NerdWallet, Wirecutter most heavily
• ChatGPT leans toward Wikipedia-adjacent authority (industry associations, major publications)
• Google AI Overviews pulls from a wider mix but still favors professionally curated content

The common thread: human curation signals trump algorithmic ranking signals in the AI world.

Startup perspective here - this is actually encouraging news.

We can’t compete with enterprise competitors on domain authority or backlinks. But we CAN potentially earn list placements by being genuinely innovative or serving a specific niche well.

What’s worked for us:

• Got featured on a “Best tools for remote teams” list by reaching out with our unique async collaboration features
• Landed on a “Rising startups to watch” list through a warm intro to the editor
• Industry association membership got us on their member directory (which AI treats as a curated list)

Three placements, and we’re now showing up in 15% of relevant ChatGPT queries. For a 2-year-old company competing against established players, that’s huge.

The playing field feels more level when it’s about curation and quality rather than just domain age and link volume.

15-year SEO veteran here. Let me add some context:

This isn’t actually new - it’s an evolution of E-E-A-T

Google has been moving toward “who vouches for you” signals for years. AI just accelerates this dramatically because:

1. AI needs to synthesize answers, not just rank pages
2. Synthesizing requires trust signals that are easy to verify
3. Lists represent pre-existing trust evaluations

What I’m telling clients:

Stop thinking “rank for keyword X” and start thinking “be recommended for problem Y.”

The question isn’t “do we appear in search results?” It’s “when AI recommends solutions, are we on the list?”

This requires a mindset shift from technical optimization to reputation and positioning optimization.

I’ve been tracking this quantitatively. Here’s what our data shows:

Correlation between list placements and AI citations:

Key insight: There’s a threshold effect. Going from 0 to 3 placements has the biggest marginal impact. After 8, diminishing returns kick in.

What we track:

• Which lists we’re on
• Authority score of list source
• AI citation rate per platform
• Correlation to actual business outcomes

Am I Cited gives us the AI citation data. The list inventory is manual tracking (for now).

This is making me rethink our entire PR strategy.

Old approach: Chase media mentions and backlinks for SEO

New approach: Specifically target list inclusion and curated recommendations

The tactical shift:

• When pitching journalists, offer to be included in their roundup/comparison pieces
• Proactively reach out to publications before they publish annual “best of” lists
• Build relationships with list curators in our industry
• Create newsworthy moments that make us “list-worthy”

Anyone else integrating this into their PR playbook?

This thread has been incredibly helpful. Let me summarize the key takeaways:

What I’m implementing based on this discussion:

1. Audit current list presence - Identify where we are and aren’t appearing vs competitors
2. Prioritize high-authority lists - Focus on editorial and expert-curated lists first
3. Create submission packages - Professional materials that make inclusion easy for curators
4. Track AI visibility impact - Use monitoring tools to connect list placements to actual citations
5. Shift PR strategy - Make list inclusion a specific goal, not a byproduct

The bigger picture:

AI is changing the game from “who ranks best” to “who gets recommended.” Best-of lists are the clearest signal of recommendability.

Thanks everyone for the insights. This is exactly why I love this community.