Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): The New Frontier for PR & Visibility

A shift in how people find information is happening right now. Instead of searching on Google and scanning through links, many users now head straight to ChatGPT, Gemini, or Perplexity. These systems generate an answer by synthesizing content and giving detailed answers. 

In this new era, brand visibility depends on whether you become a source that AI systems trust and cite. What used to be a game of link-building and keyword ranking now demands a new discipline: Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). 

If you’re still writing press releases, chasing backlinks, and pushing for media coverage without thinking about how AI digests content, you may soon find yourself invisible to the modern audience.  

What Is GEO And Why Does It Matter 

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) refers to the practice of structuring, creating, and positioning content and brand signals so that they are more likely to be used, cited, or surfaced by generative AI systems in response to user queries.  

A recent Search Engine Land study analyzed 8,000 AI citations to offer actionable insights into which sources are cited and why. 

Here are key takeaways from the research: 

• AI models tend to favor journalistic and expert sources (especially for factual queries).  

• Each generative engine has its own “taste” in source types: content that gets cited by one engine might not be useful for another. For example, ChatGPT often draws from Wikipedia, established journalism, academic content, and high-authority publications. Gemini tends to pull from fresher, localized sources (recent blog posts, reviews, local publications). And Perplexity leans toward community discussions, expert blogs, forums, Reddit, and Q&A-style content. 

• In some cases, AI engines show a systematic bias toward “earned media” (third-party, authoritative sources) over purely brand-owned content. 

Generative engines “read the web” through their preferred content ecosystems. That means every PR channel plays a specific role in feeding the AI with signals of credibility and relevance. 

Every layer of your PR mix should be intentionally mapped to the AI ecosystem you want to influence. 

How to Adapt PR to GEO 

Generative visibility can’t be achieved through a single viral post or a one-off press release. 

It needs systematic PR work across three layers: 

• what you create (content), 

• where you publish it (platforms), 

• and how you track its impact (monitoring). 

Think of it as a “GEO pyramid”: if your content isn’t optimized for AI parsing, even the best publication won’t help; if your results aren’t tracked, you’ll never know whether the AI actually “sees” you. 

Let’s unpack each level to understand how it works. 

Level 1: Content 

1. Primary Expert Content

• Publish original research, data studies, regional or industry analyses, forecasts, and benchmarks. These are “hard sources” that AI is more likely to trust and cite. 

• Provide transparency (methodology, dates, raw numbers, links). The more your content feels like a legitimate reference, the better. 

• Incorporate your brand or expert voices naturally in context (quotations, sidebars), rather than self-promotional blurbs. 

• Use clean structure: hierarchical headings, bullet lists, FAQs, and short paragraphs. This makes it easier for AI to parse and extract. 

• Use quoted blocks: “According to …” and include source names and dates. 

2. Localization & Novelty

• Don’t just translate global content. Use local data, case studies, and regional media citations. AI engines often give weight to regionally relevant sources. 

• Create “newsworthy” angles or update content over time. Freshness matters: AI favors content with recent dates. 

• Refresh or republish material when there is a new angle. 

3. Formatting for AI readability

• Keep paragraphs short (2-3 sentences). 

• Use alt text on images, including relevant keywords. 

• Use clear captions and labels. 

• Use structured markup where possible to help AI or crawlers understand entity relationships. 

• Avoid overly clever language: prefer clarity, signals, and explicit mention of names, dates, and sources. 

Level 2: Platforms 

1. Media and aggregators

• Target high-authority publications. Getting cited there helps with ChatGPT and Gemini. 

• Use newswires and syndication strategically, but ensure unique journalism around it so the AI doesn’t just see duplication. 

• Try to get pick-up from trusted aggregators and curated news platforms. 

2. Communities and niche blogs

• Be active on forums, Reddit, niche Q&A sites, and technical communities. 

• Publish guest posts or expert commentary on blogs with strong community reach. 

• Engage in discussions with brand or expert contributions (not just marketing content). 

3. LinkedIn, Medium, expert blogs

• Use first-person voice for personal branding pieces (thought leadership). AI systems often pick up expert quotes when they assess authority. 

• Publish long-form posts, insights, and lessons you’ve learned. 

• Because LinkedIn and Medium are public, they may show up in AI’s source pool; that means your experts can become direct “voices” in AI responses. 

Important note: Platforms like Telegram or private messaging are not indexed by AI systems yet. But they remain valuable for audience engagement. 

Level 3: Monitoring & Reporting 

In an AI-centric PR world, your reporting must include metrics tied to AI visibility. Here’s how: 

1. Core Visibility Metrics

2. Quality & Context Metrics

3. Technical & Traffic Metrics

Conclusion 

We have entered a new chapter in the visibility landscape. The old model still matters, but it’s only half the battle. The real battleground now is being cited by AI. 

To win, brands must think of AI engines as publishers themselves. The brands that act now will control more of their narrative, garner more trust, and secure traffic that once came via Google links in the long run. 

If you don’t adapt, you risk losing a massive share of organic visibility.