How AI Is Changing PR: GEO, AI Overviews and Getting Cited by ChatGPT

How AI Is Changing PR: GEO, AI Overviews and Getting Cited by ChatGPT | ContactJournalists.com :root{ --cream:#F6F3ED; --card:#FFFFFF; --ink:#15141A; --ink-soft:#5B5867; --purple:#6C4CF0; --purple-dark:#4F35C4; --purple-tint:#EFEAFC; --border:#ECE8DF; --shadow:0 2px 6px rgba(20,15,45,.04), 0 12px 32px rgba(20,15,45,.06); --radius-lg:24px; --radius-pill:999px; } *{box-sizing:border-box;} html{scroll-behavior:smooth;} @media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce){ html{scroll-behavior:auto;} *{transition:none !important; animation:none !important;} } body{margin:0; background:var(--cream); color:var(--ink); font-family:'Inter',sans-serif; font-size:18px; line-height:1.75;} a{color:var(--purple); text-decoration:underline; text-decoration-color:rgba(108,76,240,.35);} a:hover{color:var(--purple-dark);} a:focus-visible, button:focus-visible{outline:3px solid var(--purple); outline-offset:3px; border-radius:4px;} .wrap{max-width:760px; margin:0 auto; padding:0 24px 100px;} .topbar{max-width:760px; 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Connect: in X ig Short on time? Here's the fast version What is GEO? Generative engine optimisation, the practice of structuring content and building citations so AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity cite your brand in their answers. Does press coverage help with AI visibility? Yes. Genuine press coverage naturally includes the credibility, quotations and data that research shows AI systems favour when choosing what to cite. Need publicity fast? WhatsApp us on 07822 002670 and we'll tell you honestly what's realistic and how quickly we can get moving for your brand. F Written by Fortuna, founder of ContactJournalists.com I spent seven years building It Really Works Vitamins as a solo founder, starting with nothing more than a logo I commissioned on Fiverr and a spare room full of stock. There was no PR team, no agency on retainer, and no one else to share the workload with. Over those seven years I grew it into a multi-million dollar brand before selling the business in 2022, and press was one of the single biggest levers in that growth, with genuine, unpaid coverage in Forbes, Men's Health, ShortList/Coach and the Evening Standard. ContactJournalists.com exists to bring that same real, lived experience to other founders, now run on behalf of clients across wellness and well beyond it. Forbes Men's Health ShortList / Coach Evening Standard Brands we already support with done-for-you PR: Yourpilla.com MobileAccountants.com AdvanceHomeHelp.co.uk RateGame.io Contents What's changed in how people find brands How AI engines choose what to cite Why press coverage feeds GEO naturally Practical steps founders can take Measuring AI visibility What this means for the next few years How our PR work doubles as GEO work People also ask Final thoughts 🔄 What's changed in how people find brands A growing share of research and discovery now happens inside AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google's AI Overviews, rather than through a traditional list of blue links. Research summarised by Omnibound's roundup of GEO statistics , drawing on Seer Interactive's analysis, found that visitors referred from AI tools convert at dramatically higher rates than traditional organic search traffic, since by the time someone clicks through from an AI answer, they've already effectively received a recommendation. 🧠 How AI engines choose what to cite A foundational study from researchers at Princeton, Georgia Tech and IIT Delhi, published at KDD 2024 and widely referenced in GEO research since, and summarised by outlets including AI Thinker Lab's GEO playbook , found that adding original statistics, citing credible sources and including direct quotations were among the most effective ways to increase how often content gets cited by AI systems, with lifts of up to 40% reported for some techniques. Build AI visibility with genuine coverage Every piece of press coverage our done-for-you PR secures naturally includes the credibility, quotations and data that AI systems favour when choosing what to cite. Builds AI visibility Human-led outreach £249/month WhatsApp 07822 002670 Apply for done-for-you PR 📰 Why press coverage feeds GEO naturally Genuine press coverage already contains almost everything GEO research suggests AI systems look for: it's published on domains with established credibility, it typically includes direct quotations from a named spokesperson, and it often features specific data or figures rather than vague claims. In other words, the exact activity a done-for-you PR service focuses on, securing real coverage on respected publications, doubles as one of the most effective GEO strategies available, without requiring a separate, parallel effort. 🛠️ Practical steps founders can take Beyond earning press coverage, brands can support their own GEO by structuring content on their own site to answer questions directly and clearly, keeping paragraphs short and scannable, since research from LLMrefs' guide to generative engine optimization notes that long blocks of text are harder for AI systems to parse and less likely to be extracted as a citation, and consistently publishing accurate, specific information rather than generic marketing copy. 📊 Measuring AI visibility AI visibility is harder to track than traditional web analytics, since a mention inside an AI-generated answer doesn't always produce a clickable referral. Some traffic influenced by an AI mention shows up simply as a visitor typing your URL directly into their browser later, sometimes called the dark funnel. Manually testing relevant queries across tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity, and watching for branded search volume increases, are practical starting points for gauging whether your visibility is improving. Need publicity fast? WhatsApp us your timeline and we'll explain how quickly consistent press coverage could start improving your AI visibility alongside your traditional search rankings. Fast turnaround Clear tracking No lock-in WhatsApp 07822 002670 Apply for done-for-you PR 🔮 What this means for the next few years As AI-driven search continues to grow as a share of how people discover brands, the value of genuine, citable press coverage is likely to keep increasing rather than fading. Citation authority, much like domain authority before it, appears to compound over time, meaning brands that start building a credible footprint of coverage now are likely to have a meaningful head start over those that wait until AI search dominates discovery entirely. 🤝 How our PR work doubles as GEO work We don't run a separate GEO service, because genuine press coverage already does most of the work GEO research recommends: credible domains, real quotations, specific data. Every piece of coverage our done-for-you PR secures on your behalf is, by its nature, also building your visibility in AI answer engines, without any extra cost or separate workstream required. ❓ People also ask Is GEO replacing traditional SEO? Not entirely. Most research suggests brands with strong traditional SEO foundations also tend to perform better in AI search, so the two work together rather than competing. Do I need separate content for AI search? Structuring existing content clearly helps, but genuine press coverage remains one of the strongest, most natural sources of AI citation. How is AI-referred traffic different from normal search traffic? Research suggests it converts at significantly higher rates, since users arrive having already received something like a recommendation from the AI tool. Can done-for-you PR help with AI visibility specifically? Yes, indirectly. Every piece of genuine coverage we secure adds to the kind of credible, citable content AI systems favour. ✅ Final thoughts AI answer engines are changing how people discover brands, but the underlying principle hasn't changed much at all: credible, independent, well-sourced coverage is what earns citation, whether the reader is a person or an AI system summarising the web on their behalf. Genuine press coverage remains one of the most reliable ways to build that credibility. We can't wait to help your business grow Done-for-you PR from ContactJournalists.com is built and run by someone who has actually done this for her own business and grown it into a multi-million dollar brand, not just an agency reading about PR theory. We already support brands like Yourpilla.com, MobileAccountants.com, AdvanceHomeHelp.co.uk and RateGame.io, and we'd love to add yours to that list. Builds SEO Builds AI visibility Saves time Saves money Saves energy WhatsApp us on 07822 002670 Apply for done-for-you PR ContactJournalists.com · Done-for-you PR for founder-led brands · 07822 002670