‘We’re Sitting On A Goldmine’ – How Can PR Influence AI Search Results?

As the digital world shifts its focus from SEO to GEO, PRWeek UK asks comms pros how the industry can get ahead.

If recent chatter is anything to go by, PR professionals who are not yet familiar with the term GEO (generative engine optimisation) should likely brace themselves.

Where the rise of Google introduced the conundrum of helping clients rank highly within search results – the now-well-established concept known as SEO – the next iteration of this practice involves optimising brands for search results in LLMs such as ChatGPT.

The good news? A large proportion of this work seems to be rooted in methods that the PR industry has long been championing, such as earned-media coverage.

According to recent research by comms firm Hard Numbers, 61 per cent of the AI content generated about the reputation of the world’s 100 largest brands is sourced from editorial media.

While this sounds promising, Darryl Sparey, the agency’s managing director, caveated its finding. “Agencies just saying ‘PR is how brands future-proof themselves for AI’, with no justification and no research to back it up, or expertise in this area, are ten a penny.”

He continued: “PRs need to understand how different platforms, and different models within each, work; what different sources are frequently used; how many sources are typically cited within a response.

“They need scalable tracking tools for the different platforms, to monitor and benchmark regularly, testing on-site and off-site content to see if these influence results.”

Hard Numbers’ latest report on GEO credits Rich Leigh, now non-executive director at Munch PR, as one of those who took initiative in the early days of SEO, and claims he managed to master the practice quicker than others in the PR industry.

Asked how he views the opportunity at hand now, Leigh told PRWeek: “There’s gold in them thar GEO hills.

“Just as I argued many, many years ago – that link-building to help brands rank better in search was the PR industry’s for the taking (long before the shysters moved in) – some will listen, and some won’t.”

 

‘PR’s time to lead’

“The rules of visibility are shifting,” stated Emily Austen, founder and chief executive of comms agency Emerge. “Traditional SEO – focused on websites and keywords – is giving way to systems that prioritise authority, repetition and contextual trust across external sources.

“This is PR’s time to lead. We’ve always understood the value of third-party endorsement, earned media and narrative consistency.”

“We’re sitting on a goldmine with GEO, and most are missing the trick,” agreed Alfie Roberts, AI and advanced analytics lead at Ketchum.

Roberts made the crucial point that AI systems “cannot be bought” when it comes to which brands it recommends, saying: “AI doesn’t care about your adspend or sponsored content. It wants authentic, credible sources – exactly what good PR delivers.”

The Ketchum AI lead also highlighted that those still firmly focused on building their Google rankings should consider that ChatGPT has links to Bing Search.

Brands “wanting control of their online reputation” have a more difficult task than ever, suggested Tom Flynn, head of digital at SEC Newgate UK. “Where previously it was enough to control the page via search results, large language models (LLMs) favour certain sources when giving answers about an organisation and its reputation.”

While the shifting landscape may stir panic among some, Harvard managing director Lorna Hughes believes the comms industry could fare very well amid the uncertainty.

“GEO could be the moment PR’s impact on the bottom line goes from ‘very clear to some’ to ‘absolutely undeniable to all’,” she told PRWeek, explaining that GEO’s earned-media emphasis should make it easier to connect PR “directly to driving sales, or at the very least consideration”.

“In short, if a gamer asks ChatGPT or Google what a good alternative to GTA VI is over the summer, a piece of earned coverage in a niche publication that isn’t a household name, but has strong authority and the perfect audience, will be prioritised by the AI.”

In line with this, Roberts warned: “Stop keyword-stuffing and start understanding your audience, and the real problems your brand solves.

“Monitor what AI says about you (especially crucial during a crisis, as AI amplifies narratives in real-time), then create content that answers genuine questions with clarity and authority. No jargon, just substance.”

SEC Newgate UK’s Flynn stated that for those in corporate comms, this is paramount. “It means consistent and clear messaging on owned and controllable sources (company website, social media channels, Google Business Profile, Trustpilot and even Glassdoor) and, where appropriate, responding to feedback on review sites, challenging false information and being seen to be listening to complaints from customers or former employees.”

Adapting SEO best practice

While AI models are still evolving, with their methodology yet to be fully understood, Leigh argued that they can be influenced “in much the same way we influenced Google’s rankings”, by drawing upon SEO’s core pillars.

He provided the following checklist: “Is your (or your client’s) site technically sound and crawlable? Is your content accurate, valuable, and well-structured? Are you earning coverage in the kind of media LLMs treat as trusted sources? (Links still help, but they’re far less important for GEO).”

From Hughes’ perspective, it’s important to “write like a human to be prioritised by the machine”.

She added: “At a strategic level, connect your marketing programmes to PR – have unified messages and tone of voice.”

The biggest challenge yet to be tackled? “Measurement is the nut to crack,” said Leigh.

“There’s no Google Analytics for LLMs. Outputs aren’t indexed. There’s no easy way to attribute success. Yes, you can sometimes spot your coverage in Google’s AI Overviews, or manually prompt LLMs to see if clients appear – but this is where we still have work to do.”

In the meantime, Austen said PR professionals would be wise to “treat media coverage not just as exposure, but as a long-term asset within the search ecosystem”.

From now on, she said: “PR is no longer just about the first impression – it’s about being the final answer. We should optimise accordingly.”