The PR playbook for AI search: Audit, pitch, and amplify so chatbots mention your clients' brands
Clients want to “rank in AI.” The answer lives in your earned media. Learn how to test it, fix gaps, and turn editorial coverage into chatbot mentions with this expert-driven Q&A session about AEO.
Happy Thursday, everyone! I’m coming at you with a HOT topic I’ve been asked about multiple times this week.
If you’re still treating SEO as the whole game, the truth is you’re already behind. Answer engines—ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Bing Copilot—are stitching together what they “know” from your earned media, reviews, podcasts, and social signals. That means PR is no longer just awareness for humans. It’s structured credibility that AI systems use to recommend brands.
In this Q&A, Heather Holmes, founder & CEO of Publicity For Good breaks down AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) in plain English and shows why consistent, diverse coverage now doubles as AI training data. We talk timing, founder visibility, and how to build an “AI-ready” footprint that moves you from invisible to recommended—especially in holiday gift guide season, when editors influence both readers and bots.
You’ll also get a practical audit checklist: how to test prompts across the major AIs, benchmark where your client stands, and track progress across a quarter.
If your goal is more placements now and more chatbot mentions later, this is the playbook.