The way people find information online is changing fast. Artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT are reshaping search habits, influence, and the role of PR.
In 2025 alone, AI app downloads were estimated to hit 3.8 billion, with ChatGPT alone attracting between 800 and 900 million weekly users, generating 2.5 billion searches per day. That’s not to say that traditional search engines are dead – Google still handles around 5 trillion searches per year – but things are evolving, and they’re evolving fast.
For brands, this means earned media isn’t just nice to have (not that it ever has been ‘just a nice to have,’ in our opinion!). Instead, it’s now the currency of credibility in a world where algorithms increasingly mediate trust.
Enter GEO, the latest buzzword and acronym that’s got everyone talking.
So what is GEO?
GEO, AKA Generative Engine Optimisation, is the practice of optimising content for LLMs like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Claude. Coined in 2024, it’s an evolution of SEO focused on appearing in AI-generated answers rather than traditional link lists.
The aim of the game is to ensure content can be easily found, understood and used by AI, so that your brand is cited when people search for relevant topics or questions.
GEO and the Changing Role of PR
Traditionally, PR focused on pitching to journalists and reaching consumers. Today, content must speak to three audiences simultaneously: journalists, LLM algorithms, and end consumers. This “audience triangle” means PR teams are now effectively pitching to the algorithm itself (as if PR wasn’t enough of a balancing act!).
The stakes are high. Both media outlets and brands are seeing website traffic plummet thanks to AI. Around 60% of searches now result in zero-click outcomes, meaning users get the information they need from AI without clicking through to a website. In other words, the first answer counts!
And here’s the crux of it all – algorithms are largely guided by earned media. In fact, research shows that 90% of AI visibility comes from earned media, and brands in the top 10% for positive coverage are nearly twice as likely to be recommended by ChatGPT.
In this new landscape, earned media sets the narrative, so if you’re not investing in PR, you can say goodbye to appearing in AI searches. And as ever, it’s a long game – AI recommendations often rely on months of prior content, so long-term strategies that result in consistent results and credibility are key.
Earned media, authority, and trust
In a world where anyone can make content, it’s important to remember that not everyone can make the news (for the right reasons!) – only we PR specialists can claim that hat!
With generative engines summarising and amplifying information from multiple sources, authoritative coverage has become a vital differentiator. Misinformation spreads quickly and cheaply, while trust is expensive and hard to earn. Fake experts, like the notorious Fiona Jenkins in gardening, demonstrate the risks of inconsistent or unverified sources.
Generative engines evaluate structural signals (like publication authority), consistency across channels, and overall brand reputation.
It’s no longer about the sentiment of a piece of coverage alone. PR teams must now ask: how will AI “see” our brand? Any inconsistency, whether it’s on social media, pricing, products, or customer support, can erode credibility at an alarming rate. This is where earned media isn’t just publicity; it’s the foundation of trust that generative engines use to decide whose content to surface.
Best Practices for PR in the GEO Era
So how can brands win in the age of generative engines? Here are our top tips:
1. Diversify your content footprint. Aim for a mix of five main elements to ensure AI has plenty of trustworthy sources to crawl:
- Owned: Blogs, FAQs, social media platforms and web pages.
- Editorial/earned: Trade, national and local media coverage.
- Reference: Wikipedia entries or other authoritative databases.
- User-generated content (UGC): LinkedIn posts, Reddit discussions, Substack contributions.
- Trade/institutional: Partnerships with trade bodies, industry institutes, or professional organisations, like GIMA or GMG.
It’s worth noting that LinkedIn is particularly powerful. In fact, it’s the second most cited website by AI after Google. Facebook and Instagram, meanwhile, have little to no impact on AI visibility.
2. Optimise website content for generative engines
- Use FAQs and comparison content to provide structured, easy-to-read answers.
- Incorporate schema markup (AKA code added to websites) to help algorithms understand your pages.
- Treat press releases and newswire content as indexing infrastructure.
- Regularly review and refresh content to maintain authority.
3. Leverage social and partnerships
We’re all about making content work as hard as possible for us at Honest, and something as simple as sharing earned media coverage on LinkedIn amplifies algorithmic signals and can have a big impact. Collaborating with trade bodies or institutions is another easy way to add credibility and reinforce your narrative across multiple channels.
4. Think long-term
PR is and always has been about long-term brand building. SEO also remains important. Brands ranking #1 on Google are 25% more likely to appear in AI recommendations. It’s important to remember that generative engines are not instantaneous. Historical content continues to influence visibility, making patience and sustained effort essential.
The future of PR
It’s safe to say that the future of PR is changing at lightning speed. Most of what we know about GEO is totally brand new, and if we’re all being honest, a lot of our predictions are simply educated guesses at this stage. Indeed, if we were to revisit this blog in six months, everything may well have changed entirely!
What we do know is that PR is evolving from knowledge work to judgement work. Today’s PR professionals must decide what their brand stands for, prioritise which signals to emphasise, and take calculated risks. Algorithms now control distribution; the “audience” is mediated by AI, meaning brands have less control over who sees their content and how it’s interpreted.
This isn’t a call to abandon human insight. In fact, it’s far from it. GEO highlights the importance of strategic decision-making, consistent storytelling, and authentic messaging. By understanding how generative engines perceive their brand, PR teams can close the gap between perception and reality, building trust in a machine-curated landscape.
We can help!
If we’ve just blown your mind and you’re thinking “guys, how on earth do we get ahead of the robots!”, fear not – we are here to help! Drop us a message or email hello@honestcommunications.co.uk to chat about your current PR strategy. We’d love to help you beat the AI algorithm and be the first brand it cites when your customers come calling with questions.