Your Pitch Is Now the First Impression in AI Conversations

PR has always been about shaping stories and steering conversations, but where those conversations happen has changed. Picture this: Your PR pitch isn’t just landing on a journalist’s desk anymore. It’s right there, in the answers people get the moment they open ChatGPT or Gemini. 

Instead of waiting for your story to make its way through traditional media, everyone’s now turning to large language models (LLMs) for instant answers. That means your audience’s first impression of your brand might come straight from an AI’s response, not a magazine article or a news report.

GEO: The New Frontier for PR

Let’s talk about GEO, short for generative engine optimization. It might sound technical, but for PR teams, it’s a fresh opportunity to show up (and show up authentically) when anyone asks ChatGPT or Gemini about you, your business, or even your entire industry. If you’ve ever wondered what’s being said about your brand behind those AI-driven answers, you’re not alone.

LLMs are transforming how information is shared and surfaced. 

Traditional SEO landed you a spot in Google’s top ten. With GEO, you carve out your place in the world’s fastest-growing answer engines. It doesn’t matter if you’re creating a personal brand, part of an AI startup, or hustling to manage your company’s reputation, this is the moment to see PR and AI as partners, not competitors.

Why Generative Engine Optimization Matters for PR Pros

  • First Impressions Count – When potential customers or journalists turn to ChatGPT for insights about your sector or products, they’re often skipping straight past traditional sources. If your messaging isn’t there, you’re invisible.
  • Unbranded Queries Are the Battleground – No one’s typing in your company’s name every time. Instead, they’re asking “best CRM for B2B SaaS” or “how do i track my brand in LLMs?”. These systems answer these broad, unbranded questions, deciding which brands and narratives rise to the top.
  • Competitors Move Fast – The brands ready to adapt gain a huge head start. PR leaders who got a grip on SEO a decade ago? They’re the ones dominating search today. The same early advantage is up for grabs in AI engines right now.

Rewriting PR Strategy for LLM Visibility

Let’s face it: Sending pitches, maintaining media lists, and tracking mentions is familiar territory but needs to adapt to the landscape. Generative engine optimization for PR means earning visibility in a new world, where machines are often the ones delivering your story. 

Here’s how that changes the game:

  • From Media Lists to Model Monitoring: Stop focusing solely on outlets and journalists. Start tracking your brand’s presence and accuracy across AI models like ChatGPT and Gemini. Your priority now isn’t just persuading people, it’s also convincing algorithms.
  • From Mentions to Context: It’s not just whether your brand or client is named, it’s how you’re presented. Are you showing up as a leader, an innovator, or just another option? LLMs pick up signals from all over the web, so your earned and owned content has to connect and cut through.
  • From One-Offs to Ongoing Influence: GEO isn’t something you set and forget. AI models update constantly, pulling in new information as it appears. Staying visible and on-message means monitoring and refreshing your approach regularly.

How PR Teams Can Boost Brand Visibility in AI

If you’re leading PR, communications, or growth, here’s how to put GEO insights into action right now:

Audit Your Brand’s Presence in AI

  • Use Murmur or a similar tool to see how your brand is showing up for both branded and related unbranded queries.
  • Identify gaps, mistakes, or outdated info that could leave a weak first impression.
  • Share your findings with the team so everyone can align on the next steps for content and PR strategy.

Get Your Owned Content AI-Ready

  • Keep your website, blog, press resources and about pages up to date so they answer the kinds of questions LLMs process.
  • Use clear, authoritative language, include up-to-date stats and tell the brand stories that make you stand out.
  • Make sure leadership bios and company overviews are easy for machines to read and summarize.

Look Beyond Branded Queries

  • Find those key industry or category questions where your team’s insights truly shine like trend predictions, competitive comparisons and thought leadership topics.
  • Earn media coverage and build resources that answer those broader questions, so your company becomes the go-to source.
  • Position your brand to be seen as an authority, not just another face in the crowd.

Monitor, Learn, and Adapt

  • Set up regular tracking so you know when your share of AI answers changes, how competitors are shifting, and how your narrative is evolving in the models.
  • Bring these insights to leadership so your PR and brand strategies stay one step ahead.
  • Consider new success metrics like “share of answer” and “narrative accuracy” in your ongoing measurement, not just traditional media hits.

Go get started!

More and more people are asking ChatGPT questions every day. Don’t let your pitch go unseen, make sure it’s the first answer they hear. With GEO, you’ll own the conversation. Welcome to the new era of PR. Use Murmur to inform your GEO strategy and shape your brand’s first impressions in the age of ChatGPT.