As generative AI transforms how people search, discover and evaluate brands, a powerful new opportunity has emerged for communications professionals: Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO).
Unlike traditional SEO, which aims to improve rankings on search engines such as Google, GEO focuses on how your brand is represented in AI-generated responses from large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini and Copilot. Instead of ranking links, these models pull content directly into conversational answers. For PR professionals, that changes everything.
Generative AI search is already reshaping consumer behaviour
What we already know:
- ChatGPT handles over a billion searches a day, which is just over 10% of Google’s volume.
- Research shows that 60% of searches on Google now end without a single click to a website. AI-generated summaries are answering users’ questions directly, often using editorial sources. This shift has contributed to a 15–25% drop in organic traffic across industries.
- Usage of LLMs is skyrocketing – its use rose 1,282% from 2023-2024, and for travel enquiries, that increase was 5,755%.
- Searches on Google and ChatGPT are different. On Google, average search length is 3.2 words. On ChatGPT, its 37.1 words. Users are giving full context within a conversational search leading to action.
- Here’s the good news: users who click through from LLMs are more engaged. They stay longer (11 minutes vs. 8 via Google) and view more pages (13 vs. 11).
There’s a huge opportunity to be had, but how do we make the most of it?
How do LLMs choose what type of content to post?
Research shared on PRmoment revealed that 61% of ChatGPT’s answers are driven by earned media – that’s your thought leadership articles in trade publications, press release coverage or commentary within editorial features. The citations actually increased to 65% when users ask about trust. Owned media such as blogs and websites followed, while review sites and award wins also played a role.
This means getting your brand mentioned in national and trade media doesn’t just influence human readers, it shapes how AI talks about you. Traditional media relations has never been more essential in the age of AI.
And unlike fleeting SEO rankings or news cycles, LLMs give editorial content an extended shelf life. Older but credible stories are still cited in answers to evergreen queries, meaning a single piece of great coverage can generate long-term value.
So, what can aviation, travel and transport brands do?
At 8020, we recommend starting by searching for your brand and FAQs within each LLM. Are you showing up? Is the information accurate? If not, it’s time to act.
Our new GEO service helps brands:
- Audit how they appear (or don’t appear) across major platforms
- Identify the sources influencing their reputation
- Benchmark against competitors
- Take strategic actions to improve discoverability and authority
We analyse branded and sector-based prompts across five platforms (ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Copilot, Claude and Perplexity), then deliver a clear, actionable roadmap to enhance your AI footprint.
For owned content, what can we do to improve AI discovery?
LLMs speak differently from search engines. They prefer natural, conversational language, digestible structure and intent-rich queries. To increase visibility:
- Use full-sentence questions as headers (think about your long-tailed keywords)
- Structure content in digestible formats using H1s, H2s and bullet points for clarity
- Focus on quality over quantity, using expert-led, well-labelled content
- Elevate authoritative voices – think experts, authors and award wins
LLMs also favour websites with strong domain authority and third-party validation, so earned backlinks and media coverage carry extra weight.
Reddit has emerged as a major citation source, thanks to its Q&A format, real voices and open access to AI crawlers. Platforms such as ChatGPT and Perplexity frequently cite it and Wikipedia in their answers, alongside trusted media publications like Which? and the Financial Times.
GEO is PR’s next big opportunity
GEO isn’t a passing trend; it’s the next evolution of how brands are discovered. For PR and communications leaders, it’s a chance to shape the narrative at the point of search and not just influence what happens afterward.
At 8020 Communications, we’ve developed a specialist GEO audit and strategy offering to help brands take control of how they’re seen in AI-generated content. If your story isn’t showing up, or isn’t told the way it should be, we’ll help you fix that.
Want to know how your brand appears in the LLMs? Get in touch to book a GEO audit.
