Is earned media a secret weapon in the AI search revolution?

Remember when getting media coverage was a nice-to have — the proverbial icing on the cake of your integrated comms strategy? Those days are officially over.  

While everyone's obsessing over AI-generated content and keyword optimization, GEO’s early adopters (#humblebrag) are quietly mastering something far more powerful: leveraging earned media to ‘be the answer’ AI engines are citing. 

As AI search becomes the dominant way people discover information, traditional news media coverage has ironically become a need-to-have for your brand's visibility. The very thing that seemed to be losing prevalence in our digital-first world is emerging as a golden ticket to AI search dominance. 

Why earned media delivers AI street credibility 

AI search engines like ChatGPT and Google's AI Overviews aren't just sophisticated content scrapers — they're credibility detectives. When someone asks ChatGPT about solutions in your industry, these engines don't just look for keyword matches. They're hunting for trust signals, authoritative sources, and third-party validation.  

And guess what tops their credibility hierarchy? News coverage from respected media outlets. 

Think about it: when an AI engine is prompted to recommend a financial advisor, would it trust a self-promotional blog post or a feature story in the Wall Street Journal?  

AI search engines aren't just sophisticated content scrapers — they're credibility detectives. 

The numbers tell a compelling story. ChatGPT now serves 400 million weekly active users — that's 5% of the world's population hitting that search bar every single week. Meanwhile, Google's AI Overviews triggered on 13.14% of all queries in March 2025, more than doubling from 6.49% in January.  

This isn't a trend — it's a seismic shift in how people discover information. 

Visitors from AI search engines aren't just browsing—they're engaging. User sessions from AI-powered search last 8-13 minutes on average, compared to the typical quick hit-and-quit behavior of traditional Google searches. When someone discovers your brand through an AI engine answer, they're already primed to dive deeper because the AI has pre-qualified you as credible and relevant. 

The optimization game has fundamentally changed. Old-school SEO focused on gaming algorithms with keywords and backlinks. AI search optimization is about earning algorithmic trust through human validation. And when respected journalists write about your company, you're not just getting a mention — you're getting an AI-readable co-sign. 

Media coverage is harder to earn — and more valuable than ever 

Ironically, just as earned media became crucial for AI search visibility, it's become much harder to secure. Newsrooms are operating with skeleton crews, and those remaining reporters are drowning in pitches while juggling breaking news cycles that never sleep.  

Fewer journalists mean more competition for less coverage. Newsrooms that once had dedicated beat reporters for every industry now have generalists covering multiple sectors.  

The breaking news bias has made this even more challenging. When every story competes with global crises, political upheavals, and viral moments, what's big news for your company needs to work twice as hard to earn attention.  

Traditional press releases get buried for "more urgent" stories. Standard media announcements feel like whispers in a hurricane. 

Even the formats that used to guarantee coverage have lost their magic. Press conferences that once drew crowds of reporters now struggle to fill a conference room. 

Virtual events promised to democratize access but often result in lower engagement and less meaningful connections. The personal relationships that once made media outreach effective have been strained by industry consolidation and constant reporter turnover. 

But, there’s a reason to persist despite the obstacles. The brands that manage to break through the noise don't just get coverage — they get disproportionate visibility in AI search results. AI engines notice when you're the company that journalists choose to write about, despite having countless other options. 

The strategic response: Quality over quantity 

Smart brands are adapting by completely reimagining their earned media approach. Instead of spray-and-pray press releases, they're crafting stories that journalists actually want to tell. They're focusing on newsworthiness over self-promotion, timing over frequency, and relationship-building over transactional outreach. 

Serve the story. Not just the brand. 

The most successful companies are treating earned media like a long-term investment rather than a short-term tactic. They're building genuine relationships with journalists, becoming reliable sources for industry insights, finding compelling human interest angles, and positioning themselves as thought leaders — rather than as vendors with products to sell. 

In-person events, when done strategically, are experiencing a renaissance. While generic press conferences struggle for attendance, focused, newsworthy events that offer genuine value to journalists are more powerful than ever. The key is understanding what constitutes "newsworthy" in today's landscape and designing events that serve the story, not just the brand. 

Earned media that earns you AI endorsement 

The question for marketers isn't whether AI search will continue growing — it's whether you'll be visible when it does. Every piece of earned media coverage you secure is a building block for AI search visibility. Every journalist relationship you nurture is a pathway to the credibility that AI engines reward. 

If you need help crafting stories that journalists want to tell and AI engines want to recommend, reach out. Your future visibility depends on the credibility you build today.