The press release is not dead, but on its own, it is no longer enough to build the authority that increasingly influences how brands appear in AI-generated search results.
As consumers turn to ChatGPT and other generative platforms for recommendations, brands need to think beyond traditional search rankings and consider whether there is enough credible, consistent and accessible information online for AI platforms to understand who they are, what they offer and why they should be recommended.
This is where Generative Engine Optimisation is becoming increasingly important. While traditional SEO focuses on helping websites rank in search results, GEO is concerned with how brands are interpreted, referenced and recommended within AI-generated answers.
For PR teams, this creates a major opportunity because AI visibility is not built through keywords alone. It is strengthened through authority, third-party validation, expert perspectives and consistent visibility across credible sources.
AI search is a reputation challenge
There is no single formula that guarantees a brand will appear in an AI-generated response, but generative search platforms rely on relevant and trustworthy information to construct useful answers.
An effective AI Search PR strategy therefore needs to build a network of signals around a brand, including what it does, who its experts are, what topics it has a legitimate right to discuss and why audiences should trust it.
The stronger and more consistent those signals become, the easier it is for AI platforms to accurately interpret the brand’s position and connect it with relevant consumer questions.
This is why brand authority cannot be manufactured through keyword placement alone. It needs to be demonstrated through credible coverage, useful insights, independent recognition and a sustained body of work.
Rather than treating GEO as a separate technical project, PR teams should build the following assets into every Digital PR Strategy.
1. Expert commentary and contributed articles
Expert commentary helps connect a spokesperson and brand with the issues they want to own, while contributed articles allow them to explore those subjects in greater depth.
A media quote can establish an executive as a credible voice, while a longer article can provide analysis, opinion and useful context that continues to appear in search results after publication.
Over time, a consistent thought leadership program can strengthen the relationship between a spokesperson, their company and a particular area of expertise, which may help AI platforms understand who should be considered authoritative on that subject.
One article may create awareness, but an ongoing body of expert commentary is more likely to build lasting relevance.
2. Owned research that earns attention
Original research remains one of the strongest PR assets a brand can create because it gives journalists and audiences something new and attributable to discuss.
Well-designed research can provide a strong media hook, support expert commentary and generate statistics that are referenced across news coverage, industry articles, social content, podcasts and presentations.
Each reference creates another connection between the brand and the topic it wants to own.
From an AI Search Optimisation perspective, the value of owned research can grow when findings are repeated and attributed across multiple credible sources. Instead of simply claiming expertise, the brand demonstrates that it is contributing useful knowledge to the category.
The strongest research is designed for distribution, with clear methodology, relevant findings and insights that journalists can easily understand and cite.
3. Podcasts and long-form conversations
Podcasts allow experts to explain their thinking in greater depth than a short media quote, while also creating multiple discoverable assets from one interview.
An episode can generate show notes, transcripts, video clips, social posts and links from the host’s website, all of which contribute to the brand’s wider digital footprint.
The value is not simply in appearing on the largest podcast available. A relevant industry show that clearly identifies the spokesperson, company and area of expertise may provide a stronger authority signal than a broad appearance with little connection to the brand’s positioning.
Podcasts should therefore be considered part of a broader Earned Media Strategy, rather than an optional extra.
4. Awards submissions and recognition
Awards provide independent proof of credibility, expertise and impact, while also creating lasting online references through award websites, trade media and winner announcements.
An awards program can strengthen the evidence behind a brand’s claims by forcing teams to clearly articulate results, innovation and commercial value.
Even when a submission does not immediately generate media coverage, it can create useful material for future pitches, case studies, executive profiles and owned content.
The strongest awards strategies do more than pursue trophies because they turn broad claims into clear, defensible proof.
5. Creator content and social visibility
Creator partnerships should deliver more than temporary reach because authentic public content can also contribute to the broader digital footprint surrounding a brand.
Instagram content can appear within search results, particularly when it comes from eligible public professional accounts, which means creator and brand posts may support wider discoverability.
This does not mean every Reel or caption will be cited by an AI platform, but relevant content can reinforce how a brand is described, what it offers and how real people experience it.
PR teams should ensure creator content uses clear brand names, provides genuine context and aligns with the topics and experiences the brand wants to own.
Hunter Valley Gardens: emerging GEO impact
Our ongoing work with Hunter Valley Gardens shows how a sustained PR program can begin to deliver measurable GEO results.
Agent99 has combined earned media activity with creator engagement, including contra partnerships that generate authentic organic social content and extend visibility beyond traditional editorial coverage. This approach has helped build a broader network of authority and discovery signals around the destination, its seasonal events and visitor experiences.
During the recent Mega Creatures campaign period, Google Analytics recorded an 87.5 per cent increase in referral traffic from ChatGPT, including 150 direct click-throughs from AI-driven discovery to the Hunter Valley Gardens website.
While it is not possible to attribute every referral to a single article, creator or campaign asset, the increase indicates that sustained media coverage, strengthened authority signals and consistent visibility are contributing to improved discoverability beyond traditional search engines.
Building GEO into PR strategy
The role of PR is to make a brand easier to understand, verify and trust by building a credible body of evidence across earned, owned and social channels. For businesses looking for a PR Agency Sydney brands can partner with on GEO, the priority should not be producing more content for the sake of volume. It should be creating stronger evidence of expertise through earned media, research, thought leadership, podcasts, awards and authentic creator content.
By Agent Zarah
