Patrick Brightman - 11/28/2025
The seemingly never-ending conversations about artificial intelligence (AI) always center on how it is transforming industries. Public relations (PR) is no different, but not necessarily in the way most predicted. Based on recent data, PR is vital to AI search. In fact, it is the engine that drives results generated by ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, and every other AI agent.
That’s a big shift from a few years ago, when I was asked on a weekly basis if AI was going to limit the importance of PR. Fast forward to today and the exact opposite is true. Strong public relations programs that include comprehensive media relations are more valuable than ever, as the results they generate impact AI searches more than any other factor.
AI Search Results Relies on Earned Media
Look at these numbers about AI citations:
- 95% come from non-paid media
- 89% come from earned media
- 49% for recent queries originate from journalistic content
Those are just a few of the key findings of recently published research from Muck Rack. Overall, the “What is AI Reading?” report found that articles published by media, as well as corporate blogs and content comprise the vast majority of links cited by AI.
Securing earned media in all types of outlets, not only those with large unique visitors per month (UVMs) numbers or high Domain Authority (DA), is vital for brands to achieve AI search success. AI systems tend to select niche-appropriate outlets, such as B2B media properties, when queries are made about specific industries, according to the Muck Rack report. So, it’s important that a public relations program focuses on outlets that are most relevant to a brand’s target audiences.
Do You Need to Think About AI Search Now?
Brands need to adapt to the definite change in search habits now before they are late to the party. A Wall Street Journal article noted that about 5.6% of U.S. search traffic on desktop browsers in June 2025 went to an AI-powered large language model (LLM) like ChatGPT. While that is obviously not a big number, it quadruples the percentage from January 2024.
It also doesn’t include the AI summaries found on Google and Bing. About half of all Google searches now have AI summaries. It is expected to top 75% by 2028, according to a report by McKinsey and Company. In that same report, the majority of respondents said AI is the top digital source they use to make buying decisions throughout the entire purchase process.
It’s only going to grow, too. More and more consumers are expected to turn to AI for their queries. Gartner is predicting traditional search engine volume will decrease by 25% in 2026. So, the time is now for brands to adapt so they can appear in the answers to AI searches.
Your AI Search Strategy MUST Include PR
As all this data from across the industry show, AI search is influencing how consumers make decisions. If AI can’t find or cite your brand, it won’t be discovered by target audiences.
To become visible to AI agents, brands need to have a proactive public relations program. It is much more than writing and sending out press releases over a wire service. For true success, the PR program has to have multiple layers, including:
Message Development – Creating concise, consistent messages that convey the proper brand equity and provide clear differentiators that will resonate with AI queries is vital to appear in searches in a manner that builds brand reputation.
Media Training – The importance of earned media content for AI search is obvious. Proper media training of corporate spokespeople allows those earned media placements to effectively convey differentiators that separate a brand from competitors when AI agents generate results.
Media Outreach – PR pros have relationships with reporters, producers, and other media representatives. In today’s media landscape, those connections are often the difference between being included in a feature or not. Understanding what a media outlet publishes and the beats of certain editors generate opportunities that help build that essential third-party coverage footprint.
Connecting Earned and Owned Media
Image Source: Muck Rack.
What cannot be forgotten is the connection between owned and earned media. Analysis shows website content is a big driver in what appears in AI search results, along with media placements. So, it is important for brands to make sure website content is synergistic with media placements for more effective results – both with AI and consumers. Utilizing a PR partner that is adept at media relations as well as blogs and other content to create consistency between earned and owned media is integral to having the desired content included in AI searches.
Wondering how you can help your brand improve your AI search effectiveness? Reach out to me and we can discuss the best approach for your goals.