Making your brand easy for AI assistants to find,Your next customer may never visit your website before they shortlist you. They will ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity or Claude which vendors to consider, and read the answer. If your brand is not in that answer, you are not in the deal.
That is why generative engine optimization (GEO) now sits beside media relations in every technology PR program we run at Global Results Communications (GRC).
What is GEO?
Generative engine optimization is the practice of trust and cite when they answer a question. Where SEO aims for a ranked link, GEO aims for a mention inside the answer itself.
What changed in 2026
Most searches now end without a click. In the first four months of 2026, 68% of U.S. Google searches ended without one, up from about 60% in 2024, according to SparkToro research reported by Search Engine Land.
AI Overviews appear on more than 20% of Google searches, and click-through rates fall by nearly 60% when they do.
Google said at I/O 2026 that AI Mode passed 1 billion monthly users, with query volume more than doubling each quarter.
SparkToro co-founder Rand Fishkin advises investing in brand awareness wherever your audience spends time, not only in clicks.
For B2B technology brands, the takeaway is simple. Ranking on page one is no longer enough. You need to be named in the answer.
What do AI engines actually cite?
AI engines mostly cite earned media, not ads. Muck Rack's May 2026 What Is AI Reading? study of ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini found that nearly 84% of AI citations came from earned media, as reported by the National Newspaper Association.
Journalism alone made up about 27% of citations, and has held between 20% and 30% across every edition of the study.
For "industry trend" questions, 46% of answers cited journalism.
Questions about what is happening in a market pull from news coverage. How-to questions lean on reference and brand-owned content.
This is good news for PR. The same coverage that builds credibility with buyers and investors is what AI engines read when they decide who to name.
Five steps to get your brand cited
Earn coverage in outlets AI trusts. Tier 1 business, technology and trade publications carry the most weight. One strong story can feed AI answers for months.
Publish original data. Surveys, benchmarks and research reports give journalists and AI engines a fact to quote, with your name attached.
Keep a steady news cadence. AI favors fresh sources. A regular rhythm of announcements, commentary and bylines keeps your brand current.
Write owned content in answer form. Use question headings, lead with a one-sentence answer, keep paragraphs short and cite your sources. Add FAQ schema to your pages.
Audit your AI visibility. Ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Claude the questions your buyers ask. Track whether you are named, how you are described and which sources they cite.
Frequently asked questions
Is GEO replacing SEO?
No. SEO still matters for branded, local and high-intent searches. GEO adds a second goal: being named inside AI-generated answers.
Do press releases help with AI search?
A little. Muck Rack found press releases make up a small share of AI citations. Independent coverage from journalists carries far more weight.
How long does it take to show up in AI answers?
It varies by category and model. Fresh, authoritative coverage can surface within days, while lasting visibility comes from a consistent program over months.
Make sure AI knows your story
For more than 20 years, GRC has helped technology, space, telecom and healthcare brands earn coverage in the outlets that shape their markets. Today that same coverage shapes what AI tells your buyers. Our Content Optimization Studio pairs media relations with GEO, so your brand is easy to find, trust and cite.
Want to know how AI describes your company today? Book a 30-minute conversation or email grc@globalresultspr.com.