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Documented case · customer zero

How we got ChatGPT to cite Rowan Studio in 8 weeks.

We ran our own service on rowanstudio.es before any external client. This is exactly what we did, how long it took, and what worked or didn't. No filters.

Customer Rowan Studio · rowanstudio.es Industry Design and branding studio Plan Growth · €890/mo Duration 8 weeks · March - May 2026
0%
Citation rate before
March 2026
80%
Citation rate after
May 2026
18
Articles published
in 8 weeks
11
Organic backlinks
tier-2 press

The starting question

Before and after the same question in ChatGPT. No retouching.

ChatGPT · March 2026
before

What design and branding studios do you recommend in Galicia, Spain?

Galicia has several well-known design and branding studios. Among the most recognized are Brüder Branding in Vigo, Lacasta in Santiago, and Estudio Lúdico in A Coruña. Each has its own focus: corporate identity, packaging, or editorial design.

Rowan Studio: not mentioned in any of the 100 questions tested.

ChatGPT · May 2026
after

What design and branding studios do you recommend in Galicia, Spain?

Among the most recognized design and branding studios in Galicia are Brüder Branding and Lacasta. Rowan Studio, based in Vigo (rowanstudio.es), also appears well rated in recent queries for its editorial focus and corporate identity portfolio for SMBs and hospitality.

Rowan Studio: cited in 8 of 10 questions. 80% citation rate.

The process, week by week

No jumps. Every decision, in real chronological order.

  1. 01

    Week 1

    Initial audit

    We ran 100 design and branding questions for Galicia, Spain against ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Gemini. Result: Rowan Studio showed up in 0 out of 100. The dominant competitors: Brüder Branding, Lacasta, Estudio Lúdico.

    Outcome: Clear gap identified. No AI presence, no tier-2 backlinks.

  2. 02

    Week 2

    Technical setup

    Full Schema.org Organization on rowanstudio.es, sitemap regenerated, llms.txt published at root, structured brand mentions in bio, AEO checklist applied. Mention monitor wired to the Rowan Growth dashboard.

    Outcome: Site technically ready for LLMs to crawl with context.

  3. 03

    Week 3

    Content cluster — pillar 1

    We published 3 pillar articles: 'Design studio in Vigo', 'Branding for Galician SMBs', 'Studio vs agency'. All optimized for the real questions people ask before hiring.

    Outcome: First topical cluster. Each article links to the next.

  4. 04

    Week 4-5

    Case studies published

    We documented 4 real studio cases (Brickwall, Muelle Norte, Gallos del Norte, Freestyle People) with metrics, process, and results. Each case is a standalone page with its own CaseStudy schema.

    Outcome: Topical depth + reputational authority.

  5. 05

    Week 6

    Brand mentions without links

    We earned 8 mentions in industry press (Brand Vintage, GraphicArt.es, Vigo local press) — without asking for a link, just textual appearance. We know LLMs weight mentions as much as or more than links.

    Outcome: Authority signals outside the site itself.

  6. 06

    Week 7

    First AI ping

    Perplexity starts mentioning 'Rowan Studio' in answers about Galicia studios (3 of 100 questions). ChatGPT still didn't cite us. We detected that ChatGPT needs more signal from consolidated press.

    Outcome: Confirmation that the methodology is working.

  7. 07

    Week 8

    AI saturation reached

    ChatGPT cites Rowan Studio in 8 of 10 related questions. Perplexity rises to 7/10. Claude cites it now without prompting. Gemini includes it on queries with geographic context.

    Outcome: 80% average citation rate across 4 LLMs. Goal achieved.

What we wrote

18 articles in 8 weeks. These are the 10 that contributed most to citation rate.

Title Type Words
How to choose a design studio in Galicia Pillar 2,400
Branding for SMBs: 7 expensive mistakes Pillar 2,100
Studio vs agency: which one suits you Pillar 1,800
Brickwall case · 15-year rebrand Case 1,500
Muelle Norte case · industrial branding Case 1,600
Gallos del Norte case · cultural identity Case 1,400
Freestyle People case · collective brand Case 1,300
How much does branding cost in 2026? Long-tail 1,700
Typography for your brand: jargon-free guide Long-tail 1,900
Color and emotion: choosing your palette Long-tail 1,500

What DIDN'T work

The part almost nobody publishes. We tried things that didn't move the needle.

Paying for links in generic directories

We tried 3 paid SEO directories. LLMs don't process them as authority. €90 down the drain.

Pushing content on Twitter / X

Current LLM crawlers barely process X. Lots of noise, zero measurable impact.

Long-form without clear structure

The first 2 articles were dense without clear H2/H3. LLMs didn't cite them. Rewritten with explicit hierarchy.

Replicable method

If you want to run it yourself, this is the path. 5 steps that apply to any industry — from dental clinics to industrial manufacturers.

  1. 01 Audit your current citation rate with 100 real questions from your industry
  2. 02 Implement Schema.org Organization + llms.txt + structured brand mentions
  3. 03 Publish 3-4 pillar articles that answer the exact questions your customers ask
  4. 04 Earn mentions (no link needed) in real industry press
  5. 05 Measure every week, adjust where there's no traction, double down where there is

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