Building AI Search Authority: +323% Citations
About Client
Pat McGrath Labs is the luxury cosmetics house founded by makeup artist Pat McGrath, known for its Mothership eyeshadow palettes, Skin Fetish foundations, and editorial grade color, sold directly to consumers and through prestige retail.
Background
Pat McGrath Labs partnered with VELOX to drive profitable growth while strengthening its visibility across paid, organic, and AI search. As AI Overviews reshaped beauty discovery and competition intensified, the brand needed to scale revenue efficiently while protecting its presence across high-intent search results
Goals
Increase visibility in AI Overviews and AI-powered search experiences.
Protect and grow organic rankings for high-value beauty keywords.
Establish AI search as a measurable visibility channel.
Strengthen brand authority across search and AI platforms.
Challenges
AI Overviews reducing organic click-through rates.
Growing competition for category and branded search terms.
Building visibility in an emerging AI search landscape.
Protecting organic market share in a crowded beauty category.
Approach
VELOX implemented an AI-first SEO strategy focused on earning visibility in both traditional search and AI-generated answers. The team optimized key product and collection pages for AI citations while protecting top organic rankings and expanding search market share.
Results
VELOX expanded Pat McGrath Labs' presence across emerging AI search experiences. AI Overview citations increased 323% year over year, with the brand appearing across approximately 90 AI-powered search results representing more than 70,300 monthly searches. Pat McGrath also maintained exceptional organic authority, holding 521 number-one rankings across 2,833 keywords while securing visibility for flagship terms such as motherships, under eye setting powder, and best colorful palettes.
323%
AI Search Citations
521
#1 Organic Rankings
625%
AI Referral Traffic
2.8
Avg. Citation Position
290
AI Brand Mentions
90
AI Overview Keywords
Client Feedback
"Everyone is so pleased with the results from you guys. I appreciate that."
Stephanie J., Head of Marketing
Pat McGrath Labs
