Making Sure AI Finds Your Message
Artificial Intelligence (AI) seems to be everywhere, and the media landscape is no exception. A recent AP-NORC poll found that more than half of all Americans and 74% of those under 30 are turning to AI like ChatGPT or Google Gemini over traditional search tools. That shift changes how stories spread and what information rises to the top.
So what does this shift mean for your PR strategy? Knowing where AI pulls from, managing the risks of user-driven content and playing the long game with GEO are now just as critical as securing a headline in a top outlet.
1. Understand where AI looks
Tools like ChatGPT don’t just read the big papers. They draw from smaller news sites along with non-traditional platforms like Wikipedia, Reddit, YouTube and forums. Mapping out a media strategy that targets outlets indexed by AI and leverages user-driven content makes it more likely your message gets picked up.
2. Reputation management is key
User-driven content is a double-edged sword. It can amplify your message, but it can just as easily spread inaccurate or misleading takes. A Reddit thread or forum post can shape AI results just as much as a headline in a major outlet. That makes reputation management part of your AI strategy. If you’re not tracking what’s out there, someone else could be shaping the story for you.
3. Play the long game
AI visibility does not happen overnight. Just like Search Engine Optimization (SEO), it takes steady effort and consistency. Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is about shaping how AI tools surface answers. That means investing in credible content that AI models can recognize and trust over time. The more authoritative material you put into the ecosystem, the more likely it is that AI will carry your narrative forward.
AI is reshaping the way stories spread. The only question is whether it will find yours.
