Why is PR becoming more important in the age of AI?
AI-powered answer engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity don't rank brands by ad spend. They recommend them based on credibility, and credibility is built through earned media.
AI search engines overwhelmingly favour earned, shared, and organic-owned content over paid content. A recent vendor study found that more than 95% of links cited in AI-generated answers are unpaid mentions or coverage, with 27% coming directly from earned media.
LEOPRD's own Reputation to Revenue report, which analysed 18 Australian companies across four major AI platforms, found strikingly similar results: over 60% of AI brand citations come from earned media and third-party signals such as editorial coverage, customer reviews, and industry awards. Not paid ads. Not social posts. Not even a beautifully optimised website.
The takeaway is simple: what others say about you matters three times more than what you say about yourself.
How fast is AI search growing compared to traditional search?
The shift is already underway. Between the first half of 2024 and 2025:
- ChatGPT grew 608% year-over-year
- Perplexity grew 262%
- Google and Bing each slipped -1%
Traditional search isn't dead, but the direction of travel is clear. Brands and communications leaders who wait for the trend to fully mature will already be behind.
Are PR budgets already responding to this shift?
Yes. In late 2024, Gartner found that PR and earned media were already the top priority for budget increases among Chief Communications Officers (CCOs):
- 36% of CCOs anticipated a PR budget rise in 2025
- 34% planned increases for corporate brand
- 26% for public website
- 23% for external social media
For two decades, marketing budgets flowed toward paid channels because that's where attention lived. AI has changed the equation. Attention has moved, and so has the budget logic.
What is AEO and why does it require PR skills?
Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO), also known as LEO and GEO, is the practice of optimising content and brand presence to appear in AI-generated answers. Gartner is explicit that this is not simply SEO with a new name.
AEO requires communications-specific skills to balance stakeholder trust and platform requirements. That makes PR professionals uniquely positioned to deliver it. Building the kind of earned, third-party credibility that AI systems trust is exactly what PR has always done.
Can smaller brands compete in AI-generated search results?
Yes, and this is one of the most significant opportunities for challenger brands right now.
LEOPRD's report data showed that smaller brands can outperform far larger competitors in AI-generated responses with a focused earned media strategy. The playing field is more level than it looks, but only for those who move first.