Author – Anika Shah, Head of Communications at Digital Glue
In 2025, the digital landscape isn’t just evolving; it’s undergoing a seismic shift. The way people discover information, products, and services is being profoundly reshaped by generative Artificial Intelligence. If your business isn’t actively pursuing media coverage, you’re not just missing out on traditional visibility – you’re being left out of the conversation entirely in the age of Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO).
For too long, Public Relations (PR) and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) have been seen as distinct disciplines. SEO focused on keywords and website rankings, while PR chased headlines and brand storytelling. But the lines have blurred, and in 2025, they’ve practically merged. The core truth is this: PR is the answer to getting recommended by generative AI.
The Dawn of Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO)
For years, the digital marketing lexicon has been dominated by SEO – Search Engine Optimisation. We’ve meticulously crafted content, optimised keywords, and built backlinks to climb Google’s rankings. But the advent of sophisticated generative AI models like Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE), OpenAI’s ChatGPT, and Microsoft’s Copilot has ushered in a new paradigm: GEO.
These powerful AI systems are changing how users interact with information. Instead of merely presenting a list of links, they provide direct, comprehensive answers, summaries, and recommendations. The critical question for businesses now is: where do these AI models source their information, and how can your brand ensure it’s accurately represented and, crucially, recommended?
The answer lies overwhelmingly in authoritative, third-party media coverage. A groundbreaking study from Muck Rack’s Generative Pulse report, which analysed over a million AI prompts, revealed a staggering statistic: 96% of citations in AI-generated answers come directly from PR-driven content. This isn’t just a trend; it’s a clear signal that the content AI trusts, learns from, and cites originates from earned media.
This means that while your owned channels – your website, blog, and social media – remain valuable for direct engagement, they are often bypassed by AI in its quest for credible, unbiased information. AI systems are trained to discern authority, expertise, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T), and they find these qualities embedded within the impartial validation that robust media coverage provides. This is the very essence of GEO: optimising your brand’s digital footprint for how generative AI discovers, interprets, and ultimately recommends your products, services, and expertise.
AI Overviews
Google’s continuous algorithm updates in 2025 serve as a resounding endorsement of the shift towards authoritative and helpful content – precisely what effective PR delivers. The June 2025 Broad Core Update, for instance, has aggressively pushed AI Overviews into traditional search results, with some sectors observing AI Overview visibility jump to as high as 15%. This signifies a fundamental change in how information is presented to users.
Furthermore, reports from July 2025 indicate a significant shift in user behaviour, with click-through rates (CTRs) for the top organic search result dropping by as much as 32% following the expansion of AI Overviews. This means that users are increasingly getting their answers directly from AI summaries, leading to a rise in “zero-click searches.” If your brand isn’t part of these AI-generated summaries, you’re losing a critical touchpoint with potential customers.
The Intertwined Future of PR and Search
The lines between PR and SEO are no longer just blurred; they are inextricably linked. Public relations, traditionally focused on human perception and media relationships, now plays an undeniable role in how machines perceive and recommend your brand.
For businesses looking to launch new products or services, expand into new markets, or simply strengthen their market position, a proactive PR strategy is no longer a luxury; it’s a strategic imperative for GEO. This summer, as many businesses prepare for the autumn market push, is a critical time to:
- Refine your core messaging to resonate not only with human audiences but also with the interpretive capabilities of AI models.
- Develop press-ready materials that ensure your brand is perceived as an authoritative source.
- Cultivate relationships with influential journalists and reviewers whose platforms are trusted by both human readers and AI systems for sourcing information.
- Strategically place content in high-authority publications that AI models frequently crawl and cite.
The autumn market is poised for increased attention and purchasing activity. By leveraging the power of strategic PR now, you can ensure your brand is not just present, but prominently featured and recommended by the generative AI tools that are increasingly shaping consumer decisions. Don’t be left behind in the silent revolution of GEO.
Want to be seen? Start with PR that feeds the platforms doing the recommending
If you’d like to find out how visible your business is in generative AI searches — and what you can do to improve it — we can help.
