By: Liza Deckelbaum, Director of PR and Social Media Strategy at Seez
Public relations drives organic SEO, credibility, and exposure. But with the rise of AI and LLM platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini becoming go-to resources for information, PR has taken on a whole new role. Now, earned media coverage isn’t just good for visibility; it’s actively shaping what AI says about your company.
As Muck Rack CEO Gregory Galant recently put it: “AI is changing how people find information, and press coverage is becoming more important than ever.”
Think about it: when someone asks an AI platform about your company, it pulls from the content available across the web. If your brand isn’t showing up in consistent, credible media coverage, you may be left out of the story altogether. Or worse, misrepresented.
Recently, a Muck Rack study found that more than 89% of the links cited by AI come from earned media. That means PR is no longer just about brand reputation; it’s a performance channel that determines whether your brand is part of industry conversations or being completely left out of them.
How to Shape Your Brand Narrative on AI Platforms
If you want to control how your brand is represented in the public eye, it’s time to double down on PR. Here’s where to focus:
1. Prioritize consistent media coverage
- Aim to diversify earned media coverage. Don’t stop with one-hit wonders. Ongoing coverage is key to maintaining a controlled brand narrative.
- Industry-specific sites are frequently cited, proving the value of targeted PR strategies.
- National hits are great, but consistency is what makes your brand surface in AI searches.
2. Don’t sleep on press releases
- They’re still one of the most effective ways to control your narrative.
- Press releases regularly show up in both search results and AI answers.
3. Lock in consistent messaging
- If your key messages are scattered, AI responses will be too.
- Clear, consistent positioning ensures your brand shows up with the story and facts you want told.
4. Maintain strong media relationships
- Journalists will write about your company whether you provide input or not.
- By keeping relationships warm, you can ensure journalists come to you first for facts and context of a story.
- This is a sweet spot for Seez. We help brands nurture the kind of media partnerships that pay dividends over time.
The Muck Rack report also highlights two important dynamics shaping how AI platforms surface brand content. First, recency wins. AI tends to favor content published within the past year, which validates the importance of maintaining a steady drumbeat of coverage through a long-term PR strategy. Second, credibility counts. AI pulls heavily from national and authoritative industry outlets, meaning trusted media coverage can have an outsized impact on how your brand is represented.
The Seez Perspective
We see PR as more than press releases and media mentions (while they are important). It’s the entire engine shaping how your brand is discovered, understood, and trusted through the information AI is sharing on your behalf. We bridge journalist relationships, strategy, and storytelling so your company doesn’t just show up in the conversation…you own it.
Ready to make sure AI tells your brand story the right way? Let’s chat.