For years, PR has been seen mainly as the thing you do to build credibility and protect reputation.

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That still matters. But PR is now playing a even bigger role in who gets discovered in the first place.

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More prospects are asking ChatGPT and Gemini the questions they used to type into Google:

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·       “Who are the best firms for X?”

·       “Which agency should I use for Y?”

·       “What should I look for when buying Z?”

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And they’re often getting an answer without clicking through to a website at all.

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If your brand isn’t being mentioned in those responses, then you’re not part of the shortlist – even if you’re excellent at what you do.

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The shift teams are missing

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This is the bit many teams are missing…this isn’t some new label for SEO, and it’s not something that can be fixed with simple keyword tweaks.

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Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is about whether your brand is cited, trusted and repeated inside AI answers. And instead, these tools tend to lean on signals they can trust, in a practical sense.

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Things like:

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·       being quoted or referenced in places your audience recognises

·       clear case studies that show what you did and for whom

·       having consistent language across your website, interviews, commentary and social

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Why PR now shapes AI visibility

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Which is why good PR now does more than protect your reputation. It helps determine whether you show up when someone asks an AI tool, “Who should I use?”

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For a quick sense-check, ask ChatGPT: “Who are the best [your service] firms in the UK?”

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Are you in the answer, and is it saying the right thing about you?