In the AI era earned media is king, and content its queen

"Earned media is king again, but it needs a content queen. Google's AI Overviews and tools like ChatGPT and Gemini are replacing traditional search results, synthesizing, and summarizing information rather than linking out. The SEO playbook is being rewritten for Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). If you don't design content for citation and integration into these models, it risks becoming invisible."

"For years, owned channels and direct-to-consumer communication grew. But in the AI era, the pendulum swings back to earned media. Why? AI models find 'truth' in credible, third-party validation. New research from Muck Rack's "Generative Pulse" study, analyzing over 1,000,000 links from AI responses, offers compelling evidence: More than 95% of links cited by AI are from non-paid coverage. Of those, 27% are journalistic content."

"When queries imply recency (e.g., "What are the most innovative products in restaurant tech?"), journalism accounts for nearly half (49%) of cited links. AI systems prioritize fresh content, especially for topical, opinion-based, or event-driven queries. Outlet authority matters: High-domain authority outlets like Reuters, Fast Company, Axios, and Bloomberg are frequently cited. Earning strategic mentions and quotes in top-tier outlets isn't just about brand visibility; it's about embedding your expertise directly into the AI's knowledge base to influence AI-generated answers."

AI-driven platforms synthesize and summarize information instead of returning link lists, shifting discovery away from traditional search. Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) requires designing content for citation and integration into models to retain visibility. AI systems favor credible, third-party validation, increasing the importance of earned media and top-tier journalistic citations. Analysis of over 1,000,000 AI-cited links found more than 95% were non-paid coverage, with journalism comprising 27% overall and nearly 49% when queries imply recency. AI prefers fresh, topical content and high-domain authority outlets. Brands must earn strategic mentions and produce AI-optimized owned content to influence AI-generated answers.

Read at Fast Company