When OpenAI launched ChatGPT in late 2022, it seemed like a novelty, often serving as a clever assistant for quick ideas, sharper headlines or help untangling a tricky paragraph. Few imagined it would transform how people search for and trust information.
AI has evolved from a writing companion into a powerful force for how people find, synthesize and understand information online. Instead of scanning a list of links, we are now reading AI-generated summaries that combine insights from across the web. A recent Pew Research Center report found that when Google includes an AI-generated summary, users click traditional links only 8 percent of the time — about half as often as when no summary appears.
That shift is giving rise to a new discipline: Generative Engine Optimization, or GEO. Just as SEO once reshaped how organizations thought about visibility, GEO is redefining how influence works by deciding which brand information shapes what people see, understand and act on.
At M+, we are helping clients navigate this new reality. From translating complex healthcare topics to preparing messages for high-stakes moments, we guide teams to think not only about what they say, but how AI might read, interpret and amplify it.
We guide teams to think not only about what they say, but how AI might read, interpret and amplify it.
Visibility Begins with Influence
Generative AI engines — the same technology many of us use to draft ideas — now power how audiences find answers. They synthesize information from multiple trusted sources rather than displaying a list of links. If your organization’s information appears in those sources, it is more likely to be included in AI-generated summaries.
In GEO, influence drives visibility. Brands that consistently provide accurate, useful information are more likely to be surfaced and seen by both AI and audiences.
Muck Rack’s Generative Pulse analysis found that 89% of citations in AI results come from earned media. Every quote in a reputable publication, expert comment and accurate data point increases your brand’s chances of being surfaced when AI tools build responses. Visibility now depends on how consistently and authoritatively your expertise appears across trusted channels.
We see this play out daily in our work with healthcare organizations. An expert quote in a trade publication or a clear explanation of new data can echo far beyond its original story, often appearing in generative summaries. Earned media is not just influencing perception; it is shaping discoverability.
How Writing Shapes What Gets Seen
Since its debut in 1906, the press release has been a key driver of earned coverage. Fast forward 100+ years, and the press release is now influencing how generative AI analyzes and shares information.
In an analysis of how ChatGPT interpreted a standard press release distributed over a wire service, communications strategist Sara Evans found that it stripped away marketing language and focused only on clear, factual statements. Nearly two-thirds of the summaries drew from the first 150 words, underscoring how structure and substance shape what AI retains, and what it ignores.
The same clarity that makes content valuable to readers also makes it legible to generative AI models. At M+, we write with both audiences in mind. Some things never change: The lead still matters most. Whether it is a press release or a blog post, we build structure that gets to the point fast, with clear subheads and early inclusion of facts and quotes. That approach not only improves readability but also makes it easier for AI tools to identify and accurately represent a message.
Earned media is not just influencing perception; it is shaping discoverability.
Authority Is Built in the Details
As AI engines evaluate which information to surface, they prioritize signals of authority and reliability, including visible authorship, review dates and credible citations. According to a recent analysis on GEO and PR, AI engines are more likely to cite content that includes clear posted or updated dates and identifiable sources, evidence that transparency and freshness are now measurable ranking factors in general. Similar to Google’s E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness) framework, content that demonstrates clear authorship and recency performs better not only in search but also in generative summaries.
This is especially true in healthcare communications, where audiences depend on timely and verifiable information. AI tools are more likely to cite content that clearly identifies expert sources and includes recent updates. We have found that maintaining visible authorship and datelines on newsroom pages and blogs not only builds audience trust but also increases the likelihood that AI recognizes content as authoritative.
Expanding Your Authority Footprint
Generative AI rewards not just what a brand says, but how consistently others reflect and reinforce those messages across credible channels. When information appears through multiple aligned voices, from partners and customers to respected media, it builds authority and extends reach. The stronger that ecosystem, the more likely your story is to appear in generative AI results, according to Muck Rack.
At M+, we see this dynamic when we help clients create communication toolkits for their products. These toolkits include coordinated materials — from press releases and fact sheets to website copy and educational content — that ensure accuracy and message consistency for their brands. When their customers post this information on their own websites and distribute it to their local media, it results in third-party validation across multiple credible sources.
This approach works for any brand that wants to strengthen its influence. When trusted sources share aligned information, it creates a web of authority that both people and AI recognize and reward.
Generative AI rewards not just what a brand says, but how consistently others reflect and reinforce those messages across credible channels.
Key Takeaways for Communicators
As GEO reshapes how audiences find and trust information, the fundamentals of communication still hold. What’s changing is how, and by whom, our messages are shared and shaped. For communicators, success in this new landscape depends on clarity, authority and a willingness to adapt. Here are a few ways communicators can strengthen their content, and their influence, in the age of generative AI:
- Earned media drives discovery. Generative AI sources most of its answers from credible third-party sources, proof that reputation still begins with trusted relationships.
- Structure determines visibility. Clear writing, strong leads and early inclusion of facts make it easier for AI and people to understand and amplify your message.
- Recency and transparency build authority. Keep content current, name expert sources and show posted/updated dates to strengthen both human and algorithmic trust.
- Partnerships expand your footprint. Collaboration and consistent messaging across respected organizations increase the likelihood your information will be surfaced.
- AI visibility starts with communication fundamentals. Clear, compassionate and authoritative content will always rise, no matter who’s reading.
Generative AI is changing how brands can inform and influence. If you’re wondering what that means for your brand, let’s talk.
Updated: January 2026
