AI in PR: GEO demands agility – is your company ready for it?

In our blog series ‘AI in PR’, Florian Schafroth, Managing Director of Berkeley Kommunikation (the German branch of the Berkeley Communications Group for the DACH region), answers the questions currently occupying the minds of many communications and marketing professionals. How is AI changing our communications work? What do GAIO and GEO mean – and how do they benefit me? What role do traditional PR, storytelling and content marketing play in a world full of algorithms? What will remain, and what needs to change? Florian explains why, today, it takes more than just good stories – namely agencies that combine strategy with technology whilst never losing sight of the human element.

When I speak to marketing and communications managers these days, I often hear the same logic when I ask about their priorities regarding web visibility: improve rankings, produce more content, increase visibility.

But if you want your brand to appear in the responses from ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity or Gemini today, you need to think and act differently. The rules of the game have changed. It is no longer primarily about clicks, but about quotable references and reliable citations.

How can my company actually appear in AI responses?

Anyone who wants to be visible in AI responses is no longer just competing for ranking positions. AI systems generate responses based on sources. They select, cite and weigh up information. Visibility arises where systems classify you as a reference.

This follows a different logic to traditional SEO. You could be number one on Google and still not appear in an AI response. Conversely, you could be cited even if your website doesn’t attract a lot of traffic.

The crucial question is: do we really appear as a reference for relevant buyer queries – or do we get lost in the sea of providers?

To answer this question, we need to understand how differently AI systems define relevance and select sources.

Does every AI system follow its own logic?

In short: yes. Analyses show that ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews and Perplexity favour different sources. What works in one system may barely be visible in another.

GAIO – Generative AI Optimisation – or, as it is currently more commonly known, GEO – Generative Engine Optimisation – is therefore not a one-off project. It is an ongoing process, a moving target that is already a reality and will play a decisive role in shaping the future of AI reliability and corporate reputation.

If every system uses its own source logic and constantly changes it, one-off optimisation is of no help; we need continuous adaptation. But adaptation alone is not enough. The crucial factor is whether our content is structured in such a way that AI systems can recognise and select it as a reliable reference.

Are we confusing content production with building up references?

My consulting experience reveals a recurring pattern here: many teams react with the impulse to simply produce more content. I deliberately recommend taking a step back and first examining the structure and citability of existing content.

More content does not automatically mean appearing more frequently as a source. Greater volume does not necessarily equate to higher relevance.

What AI systems tend to cite is structured, reference-style content:

clear definitions
step-by-step guides
checklists
implementation guides
FAQs on objections, security, compliance or ROI

What is rarely cited:

general positioning
vague thought leadership pieces
unstructured opinion pieces
generic corporate announcements

Particularly in the B2B sector, buying committees – that is, decision-making bodies comprising specialist departments, IT, procurement and management – are looking for guidance and asking questions such as:

“What is X and how does it work?”
“X vs. Y – which makes more sense?”
“How do I implement X in an enterprise environment?”
“What are the risks?”

Those who answer these questions precisely, in a structured and comprehensible manner are more likely to appear in the AI’s results.

However, even the best content only achieves its full impact when it appears on platforms and in media that are recognised by AI systems as relevant reference sources.

What role do LinkedIn and the media play in AI visibility?

In this context, LinkedIn and the media are becoming key reference sources for AI systems.

It is not status updates that perform well on LinkedIn, but structured content such as Pulse articles, newsletters or educational formats.

To me, this is a clear signal: it is not the platform that matters – but the way we structure and present content. It is also crucial that you disseminate your narrative or messaging consistently across all channels – because AI reads everything and penalises contradictory information in earned, owned, paid and social media.

PR therefore belongs at the heart of the GEO strategy. Because if AI responses are based on source references, third-party sources gain massive significance.

GEO is not purely an SEO or content issue. It is a strategic interplay of owned, earned and social media. And here too, PR – as the driver of stories – should – or could – take the lead.

But this is precisely where the next question arises:

Is our organisation even GEO-ready?

From my perspective as a managing director and strategic PR consultant, it becomes clear time and again in practice that AI discoverability is not merely a marketing issue. It forces us to rethink our organisation, responsibilities and decision-making processes.

GEO requires:

short iteration cycles
clear responsibilities
continuous measurement

However, many organisations operate on a quarterly basis with lengthy approval processes, whilst AI systems evolve on a weekly basis.

This creates a structural tension: the market is accelerating, yet organisations remain stuck in the old rhythm. The real leadership question is therefore not: Which tool do we need? but rather: Who is responsible for our AI visibility – and is this backed by a binding weekly cycle?

And this is precisely where the real work begins: how do you translate these insights into a concrete working rhythm within the company? What steps are necessary, who takes responsibility – and how can AI visibility be managed in a way that is actually measurable? This is exactly what I will address in the next part of this blog series, presenting a pragmatic, real-world plan on how companies can successfully embark on strategic GEO.

Sources:

Semrush: “The Most-Cited Domains in AI: A 3-Month Study” (10 November 2025): https://www.semrush.com/blog/most-cited-domains-ai/
Profound: “AI Platform Citation Patterns…” (Updated Aug 2025; Analysis Aug 2024–Jun 2025): https://www.tryprofound.com/blog/ai-platform-citation-patterns
BrightEdge: “LinkedIn Learning and Pulse Articles Emerge as Top AI Citation Sources…” (09/10/2025): https://www.brightedge.com/resources/weekly-ai-search-insights/linkedin-learning-and-pulse-articles-emerge-top-ai-citation
Gartner: “2025 CMO Spend Survey… budgets flatlined at 7.7% of revenue” (12/05/2025): https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2025-05-12-gartner-2025-cmo-spend-survey-reveals-marketing-budgets-have-flatlined-at-seven-percent-of-overall-company-revenue
Cision/PRWeek: “2025 Comms Report By the Numbers” : https://www.cision.co.uk/content/dam/cision-revamp/cision-optimized/resources/articles/downloads/2025%20Comms%20Report%20By%20the%20Numbers.pdf
“GEO: Generative Engine Optimization” (arXiv 2311.09735, 2023): https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.09735
University of Toronto, Canada “Generative Engine Optimization: How to Dominate AI Search” (September 2025): https://arxiv.org/html/2509.08919v1

Cover image: Rafał Karoń on Unsplash

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About Florian Schafroth

Florian is Managing Director at Berkeley Kommunikation, the Munich-based German branch of the Berkeley Communications Group covering the DACH region (Germany, Austria and Switzerland). Since 2005, Florian has been advising clients on strategic PR, storytelling and integrated communication campaigns. He always keeps a close eye on developments within the communications industry. Florian is currently devoting considerable attention to the topic of artificial intelligence and its impact on corporate communications and brand presentation. He advises companies on how they need to position themselves in the age of AI in order to be visible in AI search engines whilst remaining relevant to their target audience. (Key terms: GAIO – Generative AI Optimisation or GEO – Generative Engine Optimisation)