Overview
This blog explores how AI and LLMs are transforming search, shifting visibility toward brands backed by credible, third-party sources rather than SEO alone. It highlights why partnering with an AI-first, PR-driven team is more important than ever to build authority, influence AI-driven discovery, and maintain a strong, consistent brand presence across channels.
AI & LLMs are Changing Search
Search has always been an essential part of any company’s strategy, but AI and the advancement of large language models (LLMs) are changing how people look for information. Instead of clicking through multiple websites and sorting through large amounts of content, users are increasingly relying on AI overviews or going directly to LLMs to get answers.
As a result, AI isn’t just changing how search works; it’s changing which brands get visibility. The brands showing up first aren’t relying on SEO alone; they’re also being referenced across trusted sources that AI uses to understand and surface information.
Why PR Matters More Than Ever
So, how does this affect PR and marketing? LLMs function differently because they are designed to actually answer questions, not just surface links. To do this, they pull from a wide range of sources to gather and validate information.
As a result, it’s no longer enough to focus solely on your website’s SEO. It’s now imperative to consider what other sources are saying about your business, especially trusted, reputable third-party sites like news publications and trade media. A strategic PR program now directly influences AI visibility. Earned media, expert commentary, and authoritative press coverage are becoming primary signals that AI systems use to determine credibility and relevance.
This shift isn’t theoretical — we’re already seeing it play out in search behavior. “Current research is showing us that original content from news publications is making up over 80% news citations in LLMs, which makes very plain that consistent, high-quality earned media has to be a pillar in any brand amplification strategy,” said Vanessa Taylor, GM of Precision at Matter.
How PR & GEO work together
An integrated PR and SEO/GEO strategy should work in lockstep. Earned media fuels off-site authority signals, while SEO ensures that owned content reflects and reinforces those narratives. PR teams should work to secure earned media, amplify subject matter expert voices, integrate authoritative content into your website, evaluate share of voice compared to competitors, support high-touch event promotion, and partner with influencers, all to help you control your narrative and maintain a positive, impactful presence online.
“LLMs are also treating press releases housed in owned/branded channels (i.e. not syndicated to less trustworthy locations) as significant sources of intel, which further emphasizes a brand’s responsibility to integrate PR efforts with SEO and create a robust newsroom – a center for thorough, well-written, data-supported, third-party-validated content – which is an asset that will aid earned media efforts and GEO at once,” said Vanessa Taylor, GM of Precision at Matter.
Your PR teams should partner closely with your SEO/GEO team to ensure your brand is showing up in LLMs. By sharing high-quality publications, aligning with trending topics, and reinforcing top-performing keywords, we create a seamless, elevated brand visibility strategy.
Amplifying Earned Media
Once your core PR strategy is in place, organic social and paid media can extend the reach and impact of earned media. Sharing press coverage across social channels helps reinforce credibility while introducing the story to new audiences. Marketers can also repurpose key quotes or insights from articles into short-form posts, graphics, or videos that highlight the most compelling moments from the coverage.
Paid media can further accelerate visibility. Boosting social posts or running targeted campaigns around earned media allows brands to promote thought leadership directly to priority audiences and drive traffic back to owned channels. In many campaigns, thought leadership ads outperform service-focused messaging in A/B testing because they position the brand as an expert rather than simply promoting an offering.
Email marketing offers another opportunity to extend the value of earned media. Brands can feature press coverage in newsletters, expand on the story with additional insights, or curate multiple placements into a broader narrative for subscribers.
“Paid media amplifies your earned media, ensuring that your highly valuable story isn’t just told, but reaches your most valuable audiences at scale,” said Jonathan Tress, SVP of Marketing at Matter.
Maximizing Events and Influencers
Beyond traditional earned media placements, events and influencer partnerships create high-impact moments that bring a brand’s story to life in real time. When executed strategically, these activations can generate immediate engagement while also producing valuable content that extends far beyond the event itself. Influencer relations is becoming essential for B2B marketing. “According to the Digital Marketing Institute, 49% of consumers rely on influencer recommendations before buying and 40% have bought something after seeing it recommended by an influencer,” as stated in ScienceDirect.
For example, hosting intimate VIP events for local media and influencers can create immersive brand experiences that encourage authentic storytelling. Guests can interact directly with products, participate in curated activities, and share their experiences with highly engaged audiences across social platforms. These types of activations often generate organic social content, media coverage, and word-of-mouth that continues to amplify brand awareness long after the event concludes.
Events also create opportunities to capture valuable audience data and track performance. Brands can measure success through metrics such as event attendance, on-site sentiment, social engagement, content reach, and promotional code redemption that drives in-store or online purchases.
Influencer partnerships further extend this impact. By collaborating with trusted local creators across platforms like Instagram and TikTok, brands can produce authentic content that highlights how products fit naturally into real life — whether through tutorials, daily routines, or seasonal trends. Because influencers have already built strong relationships with their audiences, their recommendations often drive meaningful engagement and consideration.
In an integrated strategy, events and influencers don’t just create buzz — they produce ongoing visibility signals that reinforce brand authority both with consumers and with the AI systems increasingly shaping how people discover brands.
Integrated Strategy = Winning Strategy
When combined with PR, organic social, and paid media, event and influencer activations become powerful amplification engines. Content generated during these moments can be repurposed across multiple channels, boosted through paid campaigns, and leveraged in future storytelling efforts.
At Matter, we recommend a fully integrated approach to successfully reach your goals and holistically improve your brand. In the AI era, fragmentation is a liability. Brands that silo PR, SEO, paid media, and social will dilute their authority signals. The brands that win are the ones telling a consistent story, everywhere their audience (and AI) is looking.