PR is becoming the new SEO—especially in the world of generative AI search

I just listened to a fantastic MOZ webinar on How to Appear in Generative AI Search, and as a PR professional in the building products/manufacturing space, here’s my biggest takeaway:

If You Want Your Brand To Show Up In ChatGPT? It’s Not Just SEO—It’s Smart PR.

We’ve all heard the buzz: AI is changing how people search. But here’s a quiet revolution you might not have realized yet:

PR is becoming the new SEO—especially in the world of generative AI search.

Let me explain…

When someone types a question into ChatGPT, Gemini, or Perplexity, they’re not getting a list of links. They’re getting an answer. And that answer is composed, not copied—from brands, data, quotes, and mentions that the model deems credible.

And guess what has the biggest influence on those AI-generated answers?

Third-party PR coverage.

Not just backlinks. Not keyword density. But the credibility that comes from being mentioned in high-authority, third-party publications.

What AI Is Looking For?

Generative engines are pattern seekers. They’re not quoting your homepage. They’re scanning the web for:

• Mentions of your brand in credible media outlets
  
• Clear brand positioning phrases repeated across articles
  
• Evidence-based content (studies, statistics, expert quotes)
  
• Contextual signals about your trustworthiness

One skincare brand saw massive results because it spent years running PR campaigns that reinforced two consistent messages: “Best-value skincare” and “Science-backed skincare”.

Now, when you ask ChatGPT or Gemini for recommendations in that category? Their brand shows up. Organically. Across multiple queries. That’s not by chance—it’s by design.

What This Means for Building Product Marketers

If you’re marketing HVAC systems, smart glass, roofing membranes, or access control tech—AI tools won’t see your spec sheets. But they will see that article your brand was mentioned in Construction Dive. Or that Q&A your subject matter expert contributed to Green Building Advisor.

That brand credibility becomes your currency in AI search.

And bonus: it also improves your SEO, your sales enablement, your dealer trust, and your social proof.

Your AI Search PR Checklist:

• Craft a brand positioning statement worth repeating
• Pitch thought leadership with specific phrases in mind
• Get quoted or featured in industry-relevant outlets
• Highlight data or case studies that others will link to
• Use that PR content in your SEO articles to build layered trust

And here’s the kicker: results can happen fast. One brand featured in Wired saw themselves referenced in Gemini and Perplexity the next day.

If you’re not shaping the story around your brand online, AI will make one up for you.

And it may not include you at all.

In the world of generative search, PR isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s your brand’s invite to the AI conversation.

Let’s discuss how GreenHouse can assist you in completing your AI Search PR checklist.