Earned Media Isn't Just for People Anymore

Last year at this time, I had never heard of generative engine optimization (GEO). As a recent post-grad working my first PR agency job, I was frankly scared to use artificial intelligence. Like many people, I associated AI with cutting corners or taking the easy way out. 

Then something shifted. Working at CURA, I started seeing firsthand how AI was helping our clients get in front of the audiences that matter most to them, not by replacing the work, but by changing where that work shows up. My fear turned into curiosity. Instead of talking about AI as something that would replace communications professionals, we started thinking about how it could change the way people discover information. Suddenly, AI wasn’t just another tool, but another audience. 

People often think of earned media as an awareness moment where you get the story, share the article, then celebrate the media hit. 

Today, earned media is doing much more than that. It’s helping organizations become discoverable in AI-powered search. As we’ve previously written about, AI systems now sit between organizations and their audiences, and generative engine optimization, or GEO, is how you make sure you’re included. In the same way search engine optimization (SEO) means optimizing content so it shows up on a Google search page, GEO means shaping your presence so AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude and Google’s AI Overviews cite you when someone asks a question in your space. And it’s only becoming more important. 

Recent data from Muck Rack’s 2026 State of PR report and Cision’s State of the Media report found that nearly 73% of PR professionals now say GEO is at least somewhat important to their communications strategy. But enthusiasm hasn’t caught up with action. Only 25% of respondents said they’re tracking brand mentions in AI-generated responses. That’s a gap we’ve been closing for our clients, using tools that monitor brand mentions in AI-generated answers and help improve their visibility over time. 

At first, I assumed AI would make earned media less important. If people were asking ChatGPT instead of Google, wouldn’t they just get answers directly from AI? 

In reality, the opposite is happening. 

AI still needs to get its information from somewhere, and it knows to prioritize credible, trustworthy sources. That’s where earned media comes in. Coverage in respected publications builds credibility with people and with AI, too. Muck Rack found that 55% of PR pros say they’re securing coverage in high-authority publications specifically to improve visibility in AI-generated responses. 

Approximately 68% of Google searches now end without a click, meaning more people are getting their answers directly on the search page, or increasingly, from an AI-generated response, without ever visiting a website.  

That changes the way we should think about media relations. A great placement isn’t just something to add to a coverage report or capture on your website’s news page anymore. It becomes another trusted source that continues to add credibility long after publication, improving your organization’s reputation and visibility in an AI-generated answer. 

So, what does this look like in practice? It comes down to a few simple shifts in how we approach our earned media strategy. 

• Lead with facts, not fluff. Journalists want data, research and expert perspectives, and AI does too. Whether you’re writing a press release, pitching a reporter or preparing a spokesperson, make sure you’re offering concrete statistics, original insights and clear takeaways instead of self-promotional marketing jargon. 
  
• Be consistent across platforms. Make strong messaging your superpower. If your website says one thing, LinkedIn says another, and your media interviews say something different, you’re making it harder for people and AI to understand who you are. 
  
• Relevance matters more than ever. Cision found that 79% of journalists said they’re most likely to engage with a pitch that’s relevant to their beat, while 82% said they’ll reject a pitch that isn’t relevant. That is a good reminder that earned media isn’t about getting your story everywhere; it’s about getting it in the right places. Do the research to make sure you’re reaching out to the people who matter, especially in the wake of shrinking newsrooms and a competitive media landscape. 

While how we think about media may be changing, I still believe that all great communications strategies start with great storytelling. The difference is that now we’re writing for new audiences, both people and the technology they’re increasingly relying on to find answers.