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Reviewed by Jacob Whitmore, Whito · Fact-checked for accuracy

Last Updated on July 16, 2026

Whito’s view (UK)

A backlink is a vote of confidence, but in 2026 it is not the only vote that counts. AI assistants increasingly cite the clearest, best-structured source rather than the most-linked one. Our audits of UK websites show most firms have no structured data for AI to lift, which now matters as much as one more link.

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Ethan Whitmore
Ethan Whitmore is co-founder of Whito and an SEO and ecommerce specialist with over 9 years of experience driving growth, visibility, and revenue for global SaaS platforms, enterprise brands, and ecommerce businesses. His expertise spans SEO strategy, technical optimisation, content marketing, and digital media production, bridging creative execution with data-driven performance. Ethan has led SEO initiatives across major technology and payments companies, delivering scalable strategies that increased rankings, traffic, and conversions across complex enterprise ecosystems. His key strengths include ecommerce trading and conversion optimisation, technical and on-page SEO, data-driven performance reporting, video production, and content strategy. At Whito, Ethan brings this experience to help UK small businesses cut through the noise and focus on what actually works.