Why PR today determines your visibility in AI
The way people search for information is changing rapidly. Where we used to click en masse on blue links in Google, we now ask our questions directly to AI tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini. No more lists of websites, but one clear, curated answer.
This shift has major implications for how brands remain visible. Enter: Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).
What exactly is GEO?
GEO is essentially the successor to SEO. While SEO is about ranking high in search engines, GEO is about being visible in the answers generated by AI.
AI search engines work very differently from what we are used to:
- They bundle information instead of simply ranking it
- They cite sources they consider trustworthy
- They show fewer brands and are very selective about who they mention
In other words, your competition is no longer just about securing a spot on page 1, but also about being included in the actual answer.
AI chooses differently than Google
Research by Chen et al. (2025) shows that AI search engines evaluate sources differently than traditional search engines. Google still displays a mix of owned content, social posts and external articles, but AI systems tend to favor one type of source in particular: earned media. In simple terms, what others write about you. News articles, interviews, reviews or mentions in trade media now carry extra weight.
These external mentions act as a kind of trust signal. AI uses them to assess whether a brand has enough expertise and credibility to be included in an answer. Concretely, this means that investing in media relations, editorial presence and expert positioning is no longer a side activity, but a core part of your visibility strategy (Chen et al., 2025).
PR is no longer a nice-to-have
In short, anyone who wants to be visible in AI must focus on credibility. This requires a consistent presence in relevant media, smart positioning of your experts and a targeted approach toward the publications that really matter. PR thus shifts from a supporting channel to a strategic lever.
References: Chen, M., Wang, X., Chen, K., & Koudas, N. (2025). Generative engine optimization: How to dominate ai search. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2509.08919