Taking back direct links from aggregators
A Lyon brasserie where AI engines pushed 100% of traffic to TheFork: what we observed when making it directly citable.
A well-regarded Lyon brasserie — yet 100% of links cited by AI engines pointed to an aggregator. Every booking meant a commission. The objective: make it directly citable. Here is what we observed:
The diagnosis
RestoRank’s Mentions module shows the split between own site vs aggregator. Here: 0% direct.
The levers
- Full schema.org (Restaurant, Menu, AggregateRating) — AI engines cite what they can read.
- Accessible, up-to-date HTML menu.
- Reviews collected on the site (official widget), in addition to platforms.
- Booking FAQ page (hours, policy, directions).
The dynamic
Aggregators do not disappear — but the website joins the cited sources. The share of direct links rises from 0% to a meaningful fraction, tracked week by week.
The key takeaway: the goal is not to fight aggregators — it is to become a credible direct alternative in the eyes of AI engines.
Your playbook starts here
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