The growing popularity of AI tools is upending marketing and communications strategies businesses have relied on for the last 20 years.

How should businesses adapt to the increasingly AI-focused digital world? A foundational strategy should be to invest in public relations, because earned media is an increasingly important source of information for generative AI tools. 

This is updated version of a blog post originally published in August 2025. 

When Will AI Tools Become More Popular Than Search Engines?

I expect AI tools will eventually supplant search engines as more and more internet users find AI-generated answers more useful than a list of blue links.

The shift is already underway. Research in 2026 shows that 60% of Google searches now end without a click to a website, largely due to AI-generated summaries, Google Ads, featured snippets, and answer-first experiences. Some studies estimate that AI Overviews appear in over 40% of search results, dramatically changing how users engage with content online. 

At the same time, AI chatbots continue to gain traction. Platforms like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Perplexity are increasingly being used as discovery tools, particularly among people seeking quick answers rather than traditional search results. Google itself has leaned heavily into this shift, announcing in May that the company is “going all in on keeping people on Search by trying to integrate [AI] into every part of your life. The company has embedded its AI agents directly in Google Search in something it calls the ‘intelligent search box.’” 

AI Optimization is Edging Out Traditional Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

For decades, an informal agreement existed between Google and businesses that created online content. In the words of Cloudflare’s Matthew Prince on an episode of the New York Times podcast Hard Fork:

“25 years ago, basically, Google struck a deal, an implicit deal, with publishers, which was you let us copy all of the content that you’re creating, and in exchange, we’ll send you traffic. And the whole web, the economy of the entire web, was really built on that search-based interface.”

With the rise of ChatGPT and Claude and the expansion of Google’s AI offerings, search engines are sending less traffic to websites than they once did. Research published in 2026 found that when AI Overviews appear, click-through rates to top-ranking organic links can decline by as much as 58–61%, while 83% of searches that trigger AI summaries end without a click to any website. Other research shows measurable traffic declines tied to AI-generated search summaries. 

So, what does this mean for businesses? If you’ve relied on Google for website traffic, it’s time to rethink your strategy and take steps to be included in AI-generated answers. Because visibility in those answers can raise awareness and credibility for businesses. And being listed as a source can lead to high-intent traffic to a business’s website, although not as much as Google used to deliver. 

In short, businesses need to start focusing on AI Optimization (GEO) in addition to traditional SEO

What’s Old is New Again: Earned Media Matters

One of the best ways for businesses to position themselves and their experts as sources for generative AI tools is earned media. And one of the best ways to secure media coverage is through public relations.

In a Semafor piece, journalist Ben Smith emphasized the importance of PR in influencing AI tools. “[A]uthoritative publications,” he writes, “including declining local news outlets and specialist trade journals—shape the results of chatbot queries about a given company.”

Smith’s assertion is supported by a recent study published by Muck Rack (available for download). This analysis reports that approximately 49% of links cited by AI are journalistic sources, reflecting an increase in reliance on editorial content. And while each model has a different mix of sources, most tend to cite well-known sources such as Reuters, Associated Press and the Financial Times. AI systems also prefer stories written in the last year.

And businesses seem to be recognizing the importance of PR. A Gartner study focused on 2026 communications strategies asserts, “As organizations adapt to new audience search behaviors, PR and earned media budgets must increase to ensure optimal AI search visibility.” 

What About Podcasts?

Most AI tools do not currently index and use podcast audio content when generating responses to a query.

Now, if a podcast has a published transcript online, and that page is publicly accessible and indexable, AI tools may retrieve that transcript. This is more likely with:

  • Popular podcast websites or Substack posts
  • News articles that summarize podcast episodes
  • YouTube podcast episodes with captions or transcript

The Importance of Owned Content

While a successful PR-focused campaign is necessary for brands in 2026, it’s not sufficient. Most AI tools will also look for content built around E-E-A-T (experience, expertise, authority and trustworthiness). In addition to securing earned media, companies should also be investing in their own high-quality online content. This can include:

  • Press Releases: According to the same Muck Rack study, press releases remain a small but valuable source of information for AI models, accounting for a low but measurable share of cited sources (generally under 10%). In addition, the typical structure of press releases lends itself to content structured in a way that is easy for AI tools to understand and consume. So even though they don’t contribute as much as earned media, they are a quick way to publish AI-friendly content online. (For more on this, check out VP Christine Rashman’s blog post on this topic from January about optimizing press releases for AI.)
  • Corporate Blogs & Content: Websites that publish well-written, expertly sourced content such as blogs, thought leadership pieces, glossaries, fact sheets, or comparison tables seem more likely to be cited by AI models. According to Search Engine Land, these kinds of content should target informational and long-tail keyword phrases (like “how to choose the right data center for a growing business”).

Consider User Generated Content (UGC) Platforms Like Reddit and Quora

Evidence cited by Search Engine Land suggests AI systems frequently surface information originating from user-generated content platforms such as Reddit, Wikipedia and Quora to capture authentic discussions, opinions, and practical explanations. The extent of this varies depending on the LLM, the industry category, and the type of query.

While Reddit and Quora aren’t traditionally considered under the purview of public relations, PR experts can help brands craft content to publish on those channels.

What Brands Should Do Now

To adapt to this rapidly emerging digital world that is increasingly built around AI optimization, brands should focus on the following:

  • Earned Media First: Prioritize a public relations strategy aimed at securing placements in trusted outlets AI models are likely to cite.
  • Thought Leadership: Develop expert commentary and original insights positioning your experts as sources for AI-generated answers. This should be part of an overall PR strategy.
  • Build Your Brand: AI tools often prefer popular brands, so building a recognizable online brand presence is crucial. And effective PR is key to this stage.
  • Invest in Owned Content: Focus on creating comprehensive, easy-to-understand content to publish on your online channels in the form of press releases, blogs, FAQs, website content, fact sheets and the like.
  • AI Monitoring: Track how your brand appears in AI-generated content and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Summary: PR is More Valuable Than Ever for Brands

AI is changing how people find, evaluate, and trust information. In this new world, PR is the strategy that can help ensure your brand is indexed, used and cited by generative AI tools.

As consumers shift from search engines to AI tools for answers instead of links, brands will have to work to make sure large language models represent them favorably. The most effective strategy is to positively influence the critical sources these models prioritize, especially earned media.

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