Why the scramble for AI search visibility reaffirms the PR fundamentals

It’s estimated that over a billion people now use AI tools monthly. And according to Stanford’s 2026 AI index report, within just three years, “generative AI reached 53% population adoption”, a rate “faster than the PC and the internet”. 

This marks a step change in how users are obtaining information: instead of looking through links ordered on search engine rankings to gain information, they can put more detailed prompts into models like ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude and receive answers summarising information from multiple relevant sources. 

There is of course still merit in manually searching for and checking sources on Google; I personally also perform research this way. But AI search has quickly become a go-to form of information gathering, especially for companies searching the services of other companies. And when Google integrated AI summaries at the top of its search page, it reduced the need for users to scan down the list of search engine results. 

The prevailing challenge many B2B tech brands will be grappling with is how to appear in AI search. This is what’s known as generative engine optimisation (GEO), or answer engine optimisation (AEO), and it’s where much of the discourse online currently resides. 

But, just as importantly, there’s the corresponding challenge: how do you know if your GEO means you’re appearing in AI searches? This is the secondary process that also needs to take place.

The value of authentic, human content 

In a way, substandard SEO practices had already diluted the quality of online content, something the ubiquitous use of AI now threatens to take to another level. But this has simply made original, engaging and useful content all the more valuable. The irony is that, rather than fishing from a sloppy stream of AI-generated content, AI models are looking for a fresh catch: new insights, data and human points of view that can support its answers. 

You need to move beyond typical content and provide unique insights to readers – that’s what AI search will favour. Key term stuffing, a practice that has prevailed over the years even though Google’s very own SEO guide advises against it, is not the goal. The goal is to provide relevance. This comes from content that provides genuine insight, opinion or analysis on industry topics. Data such as industry surveys, for example, is highly valuable. But if content’s salesy and directly promotional, readers will turn off, as will AI models.

Credible publications and interconnected messaging

Alongside relevant content, AI prioritises credible online sources and outlets. Earned coverage in national, tier one and sector-specific publications – expert commentary included in news reports, opinion pieces, press releases, funding news, educational content – as well as blogs on your website – practical advice, ‘how to’ pieces – can establish yourself as an authority in your space and therefore appear in AI search. In particular, there’s been a revival in sector-specific publications. Contrary to some beliefs, you don’t need a big hitter to get featured in AI answers.

A new, previously masked, form of ROI 

It’s now possible to use dedicated platforms to measure ‘AI visibility’, a process we carry out ourselves. This allows us to understand where a brand is appearing in AI searches, at what frequency and from which user prompts. Subsequently, this data can inform how to tailor a brand’s positioning and messaging. Above all, it demonstrates how PR is helping build AI visibility.

The arrival of AI summaries mean users don’t have to click on links to get answers. So, measuring AI visibility is particularly valuable given measuring click-through rates and website traffic is less important. This doesn’t erode the value of content on links, however, far from it. If a prospect is interested, they’ll do some more digging and due diligence.

A PR bow with many strings 

AI search numbers are rocketing by the day. But, for now, Google still holds a monopoly over the search market, a position that it has looked to bolster with its AI summaries. So, what matters is having a well-rounded visibility strategy that covers all bases. Accruing the ability to appear in AI search and monitor for visibility is essentially adding another string to the existing PR bow and broadening the expanse of what brands need to be focusing on. 

As it’s said, necessity is the mother of invention, and forming innovative ways for performing GEO and assessing it has become the next brand need. But it’s also true that it’s simply a reinvention, an evolution, of the existing wheel. The fundamentals in PR and SEO carry over to GEO – but in the age of AI, they’ve been emboldened even further.