Generative Engine Optimisation: Why Communications Leaders Can’t Ignore the Future of Search

Not so long ago, the question was simple: “What comes up when you Google us?”

That question hasn’t gone away — but it’s being overtaken by a new one: “What does AI say about us?”

More and more people are turning to tools like ChatGPT or Claude instead of traditional search engines. They’re asking direct questions and trusting the answers. This change is happening quickly, and it’s already influencing how organisations are discovered, judged, and compared.

Beyond SEO

For years, SEO has been the default playbook for online visibility. But in an AI-driven world, SEO on its own won’t get you very far.

Enter Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO). GEO is about how AI systems describe your organisation when someone asks about your industry, your service, or your reputation. And unlike SEO, you can’t buy your way into the answer box.

AI doesn’t care about your ad spend or clever keyword tricks. It cares about credibility — and it decides credibility by leaning on what others are writing about you.

A cute kitten.....??

GEO is reputation in action

That’s the essence of GEO: it’s what others say about you. Which, of course, is also the definition of reputation.

I saw this myself when I tested a few queries on a client who had recently been covered in several trade publications. The AI tools pulled from those very outlets — the same ones we had been targeting in our media outreach.

It was a clear reminder that consistent communications work doesn’t just shape perception among humans, it now shapes how machines talk about you too.

What the data tells us

This isn’t just anecdotal. The latest Generative Pulse 2025 report from Muck Rack analysed more than a million AI citations — and the findings underline just how central communications has become in this new landscape:

• More than 95% of citations came from non-paid sources.

• Around 90% were earned media — journalism, trade titles, analysts, NGOs.

• For time-sensitive queries, journalism alone made up almost half of citations.

• Recency is key: articles published in the past month are far more likely to appear in AI answers. In fact, “yesterday’s article” was the single most common publication date among cited journalism.

The takeaway is simple. If your organisation isn’t being mentioned by credible, independent voices, you’re unlikely to feature in AI-generated responses.

The role of narrative

If GEO is what others say about you, then narrative development is how you guide what they say.

It’s not just about being consistent — it’s about being consistent in the areas that matter most. The organisations that succeed in GEO are the ones that deliberately focus their reputation-building on the themes, issues and proof points they want to be known for.

If your messaging is fragmented, the AI output will be fragmented too. When those stories show up repeatedly across trusted outlets, AI will reflect them back as your defining strengths. That’s why narrative discipline — once seen as a communications “nice-to-have” — is now critical to digital visibility.

Always-on matters

This isn’t a game of sporadic big campaigns. GEO rewards recency. It’s what people are saying about you now, not what was said six months ago.

That’s why always-on communications is so important. It’s about keeping a steady presence: offering timely commentary, staying in front of journalists, contributing to industry debates, and making sure your experts are visible when issues arise.

Silence, in this context, isn’t neutral. It’s invisibility.

Where does owned content fit in?

Owned content still plays a role, but more as a foundation than a front line. Reports, blogs and corporate resources help journalists and analysts cover you more accurately. They provide the “source of truth”.

The data shows owned content is cited far less often overall — but in certain industries, like hospitality, it makes up a much larger share. This proves owned content can still be valuable, particularly when it provides useful data, clarity or definitions that others want to reference.

The real power lies in how owned and earned work together: owned content provides the foundation, but earned media carries it into the AI ecosystem.

Why CEOs and Communication Leaders should care

This isn’t a technical issue for the IT team. It’s a leadership issue.

Visibility in AI-driven search is already shaping buyer decisions, investor confidence and media narratives. The organisations that act early will become the trusted voices AI relies on. Those that don’t will find themselves trying to displace competitors who’ve already filled that space.

GEO places reputation at the centre of discoverability. And reputation is built by design — choosing the areas you want to lead on, then making sure your narrative reinforces them consistently across every channel that AI trusts.

Taking the first step

So where do you begin? The first step is simple: find out what AI is already saying about you.

A GEO footprint analysis will show which sources are shaping your visibility today — and where the gaps lie. From there, it’s about putting a strategy in place: tightening your narrative, building relationships with the right journalists, and making sure your story is told consistently.

The future of search won’t be won with keywords and backlinks alone. It will be won by reputation.

One final note — when I asked AI how to get more clicks on this article, the answer was simple: add a cat picture. I’m not convinced that’s the future of Generative Engine Optimisation… but just in case, I added one!!