The New Rules of Brand Visibility: Public Relations Strategies for Generative Engine Optimization
Search culture is changing by the minute. Search engines like Google and Bing are still largely popular, but lately, people are finding AI tools like ChatGPT to be just as helpful. A specific advantage that AI tools have is their ability to generate summarized results that are tailored to the user’s preferences and location, provided to them in a “human-like” manner that mirrors the tone of a helpful assistant .
The growing reliance on AI recommendations makes your brand’s digital footprint more crucial than ever. AI tools synthesize all available information to determine whether your brand is worth recommending.
What is GEO, Anyway?
When someone wants to know the answers to questions like “What’s the best coffee shop near me?” or “Who’s the go-to PR specialist in NYC?”, they have one of two choices. They can go to a search engine like Google, which returns to them a ranked list of options.
Typically, users visit the website of the top-ranking pages, and those businesses are then able to generate more leads. To make this happen, a website has to have its content optimized through keyword optimization, relevant content, and topical authority. This traditional SEO model is one of the clearest examples of building brand awareness through content and visibility.
Generative Engine Optimization, or GEO, follows the same principle. For an AI tool to be able to recommend a brand to its users, it has to gather all available information about that brand and make referrals based on how relevant its services are to the user.
This process is not limited to the brand’s own content. When a user wants to know what the best coffee in their city is, AI can even pick up reviews from online forums where coffee enthusiasts recommend a certain coffee shop, and use that as one of the bases for its referral.
AI, therefore, acts like a city or region’s local guide, going through its database to help a user with their location-based query.
AI platforms pull their data from a mix of:
Expert content
Trusted media mentions
Positive reviews
Local signals like addresses and press coverage
If those signals aren’t strong—or worse, are not there at all—you will likely not be visible in AI search. This proves the growing benefits of digital PR in today’s search culture.
That’s where GEO comes in. GEO is all about making this data available and high-quality enough for AI to index. To win this AI-driven visibility game, your media and PR strategy must match your brand’s relevance and authority.
Why This Matters More Than Ever
AI referrals are exploding. In fact:
AI referrals increased 357% year-over-year in June 2025
1.13 billion site visits came from ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity
ChatGPT alone accounted for 80% of that referral traffic
Consumers now view AI tools as trustworthy sources of information—sometimes more than search engines. It’s even safe to assume that so many consumers are discovering businesses without ever using a search engine. This consumer shift is what makes GEO one of the defining public relations trends in 2025.
If you’re not being surfaced in AI search, you’ll miss the train, so to speak. In this incredibly fast-paced digital world, businesses that are not keeping up fall behind sooner than they think.
How PR Enhances Your AI + GEO Standing
In the same way that traditional PR gets your brand in the line of sight of your target audience, PR for GEO makes sure your brand shows up where it matters today—in platforms that people use to discover information that they need.
PR for GEO uses a combination of the following techniques:
Media Relations: Local media features and expert commentary are powerful pr tactics examples that help build trust in AI search.
Thought Leadership: Contributing expert insights whether in articles or interviews improves your authority and reputation in your industry.
Local Support: Securing mentions in regional publications, blogs, or forums helps ensure your relevance for location-based queries.
Consistent Messaging: AI looks for coherence across all your content, from website to social media. An excellent PR strategy doesn’t only build a message—it develops a full-fledged brand narrative.
Combining these tactics results in the kind of digital PR campaign that supports discoverability and long-term trust.
Get Your Name Out There with PR for GEO
In today’s landscape, the businesses that thrive are those that are serious about making themselves visible in spaces that their target audiences trust. Today, that space is artificial intelligence.
But before AI can fully trust you enough to float your name on their platforms, it has to assess how strong, consistent, and reliable your digital presence is.
That’s why the smartest brands are investing in a long-term digital pr service tailored to AI visibility. This is why you need public relations—to stay resilient, relevant, and visible in an AI-driven world.