4 Things Your Brand Should Do Right Now to Optimize for AI Search

 How to stay visible and credible in the age of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). Or is it AEO. Or both? Guess you'll have to read on...

Stop me if you've heard this one...Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) are changing search in a big way. It's becoming so buzzy. But what does it mean? More importantly, what does it mean for you?

If you’re anything like me, you may have already fretted over the fact that you “just started to understand SEO,” or “finally got a handle on what Google wants,” only to realize the rules of visibility have changed all over again. As someone who didn't choose the 'digital' agency path, I'm here to tell you -- I have forced myself to understand it so I can...we'll say...gently nudge you into understanding it. (For now, but if it's March and you're still not sure I may have to force you...to be continued.)

Before we dive in, let’s make sense of the acronyms that are no doubt showing up on your LinkedIn feed during your daily scroll:

• SEO is about helping your content show up in traditional search results. It’s what makes sure your blogs, landing pages and resources (FAQs, fact sheets, etc.) are findable when someone types a search into Google.
• AEO focuses on making sure your content can answer questions inside AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, Gemini or Copilot. This is about structuring information so conversational engines can clearly pull, understand and repeat it.
• GEO takes it one step further, optimizing your entire brand presence so that the robots (AI) understand who you are, trusts what you say and cites your content when generating responses. It’s the great connector—from earned media presence and web content to sentiment and authority—to build a complete, credible picture of your brand in the eyes of AI.

Faster than you think.

The shift toward generative search is happening faster than most brands realize. Early adopters of GEO strategies are already seeing their content appear in AI-generated answers, positioning themselves as credible thought leaders while others are still catching up.

So, what does that mean for us—the marketers, communicators, brand people? The rules of visibility are shifting, yes, but, if anything, it’s only amplifying the importance of those same, old-school fundamentals of good communication (clarity, credibility and consistency) that we’ve lived and breathed for decades. The difference now is that they’re being measured and interpreted by machines, not just humans.

And if we want those machines to understand and trust our brands the way our human audiences do—well, we have to start speaking their language.

So, what now? Here are five easy—but important—things you should be doing right now to build credibility and visibility for your brand in the AI search era.

First, don't panic. Ok, now that we've gotten that one out of the way...

1. Connect PR, marketing and web functions.

GEO doesn’t live or work in silos. It draws from signals all across the internet—earned media, website content, social chatter, backlinks, LinkedIn profiles—to filter and lift information to plug into AI-generated answers. If your PR, marketing, social and web functions aren’t aligned, your brand’s story will look inconsistent. And you know what’s not trustworthy or credible? Inconsistency.

To avoid confusing the algorithm gods (and people, for that matter), here’s what we recommend:

• Audit (and adjust) your content ecosystem. Make sure earned media coverage links to your website. Check that your site is crawlable and optimized for bot discoverability. Update and maintain the bios of your key media spokespeople—and have them share earned media content for amplification. Again, these have been best practices forever. Now they’re even more important.
• Align your core brand messages across channels and platforms. Every page, pitch and post should reinforce the same core narrative about your brand, what it stands for and why.
• Integrate visibility metrics across teams. Make sure your PR, marketing and web partners are looking at the same performance indicators—mentions, backlinks, engagement and visibility trends—to understand how earned, owned and technical signals are working together to lift your brand in AI search.

Akhia has insights on this already. We are helping clients in real-time try to understand the auditing tools that are out there, what that means and how to use it--both in what they've been doing and need to start doing.

Which leads us to our next point...

2. Put more emphasis on media relations—seriously.

I know. A PR Person telling you to invest in media relations sounds predictable. Stick with me for a minute.

Media relations is now—and, IMO, always has been—an essential part of your search strategy. A strong media relations program builds earned media credibility, positioning your brand as an authoritative source worth citing. That’s exactly what AI is looking for, too. The brands most visible in generative search are the ones consistently recognized as trusted, reliable voices.

Generative engines prioritize credible, high-authority sources—the same outlets your audience already trusts. Every earned mention not only builds awareness, it teaches AI models that your brand is reliable and relevant.

Here’s what to do:

• Use new tools. Platforms like Muck Rack’s Generative Pulse Report now show which journalists and outlets are most cited in large language models. Prioritize the relationships that tools surface.
• Stay current. AI models rely on recent, reliable information, so maintaining a steady drumbeat of coverage that’s reflective of your brand today is important.
• Be intentional with your outreach. Focus your pitching on credible, high-authority outlets that really matter to your audience. One thoughtful, well-placed story in a trusted trade publication could do far more for your visibility than a dozen quick-hit mentions in places no one reads.

While tools are still in their infancy, our media relations teams use insights from AI search visibility programs to help clients see which publications and journalists most influence AI-generated results—and shape pitching strategies around those relationships.

3. Optimize for answers, not just keywords.

Early in my career, I spent a lot of time writing blogs. Our web team would hand me a list of “must-have” keywords that I’d try to squeeze in—often in places that didn’t feel authentic or natural. It was a far cry from the conversational yet polished style I was used to writing in.

So, you can understand my excitement when I learned that GEO is bringing authenticity back. AI engines reward content that clearly and conversationally answers real questions from your brand’s audience. If you want to show up in generative search, your content has to make sense to both humans and machines.

Some tips:

• Anticipate real questions. Write content that mirrors how your audience actually asks—and searches—for information. Gone are the days of writing like robots. For example, if you’re in the construction industry, your audience probably isn’t searching “spray foam insulation applications by R-value.” They’re asking “what’s the best insulation for an old house?” or “is spray foam worth the cost?” The more your content reflects those natural, conversational queries, the more likely it is to be picked up and cited by AI.
• Structure for clarity. Use clear headings, lists and Q&A formats so AI can easily parse your content. If you have the resources, consider adding structured data (JSON) to your web pages. It helps search engines and AI models understand exactly what your content is about—from FAQs and product specs to reviews and events—which can increase your chances of being referenced in AI-generated answers.
• Add proof. Reference credible data, quotes or expert insights as much as possible within your content. AI models favor content that cites authoritative sources and backs up claims with real data or proof.

4. Measure what you can—starting now.

The reality is that there’s no universal ranking system or measurement scale (yet) for tracking progress in GEO — though new tools, like Muck Rack’s Generative Pulse, are being built and rolled out every day. Most of these tools are prompt-based, meaning they use brand inputs (like keywords, executives, and product categories) to create a series of AI queries relevant to your brand. The system then analyzes how and where your brand appears, which journalists or outlets are most frequently cited, and what topics are driving visibility in generative search.

In an upcoming blog, one of Akhia’s partners will explore how next-generation tools will go beyond prompt-based data—pulling in website analytics, referral sources, and audience engagement insights to paint a fuller picture of GEO visibility.

In the meantime, here’s how you can start establishing a strong baseline today:

• Watch competitors’ visibility. Run a few of the same queries you’d expect your customers to ask. Then, compare how your brand shows up versus theirs. Are they being cited more often or by more authoritative sources? That comparison gives you an early indicator of where to focus your GEO efforts.
• Benchmark your trust signals. Use existing SEO and PR metrics—domain authority, backlink quality, sentiment, and engagement—as proxies for GEO performance. You’ll want to know where your credibility stands today so you can measure improvement as tools evolve.

Feeling better? Worse? About the same. We can help.

In this new era of AI-driven search, visibility and credibility are inseparable. GEO is a fundamental shift in how brands earn trust online.

You don’t need to overhaul everything overnight, but you do need to act. GEO readiness isn’t optional—it’s urgent. Every day you delay, you’re giving search engines and AI tools more data about your competitors than about you.

When AI tells your story—and it will—you want it to tell the right one. That’s where we can help. Our team is already guiding clients through GEO strategy development, visibility audits and earned intelligence planning to ensure their credibility keeps pace with AI’s evolution.

If you’re ready to understand where your brand stands—and how to get ahead—let’s talk. You may be surprised how easy it is to get started.