Remember when using the internet meant asking everyone in the house to hang up the phone? Or when carrying the web in your pocket felt like peak innovation?
Fast forward to today, and AI has quietly become the invisible force shaping our daily digital decisions. People are asking ChatGPT for relationship advice, using AI to write emails and summarize meetings, and increasingly turning to Google’s AI Overviews instead of clicking through multiple links when searching for information online.
For years, digital visibility has been dominated by organizations with the biggest marketing and advertising budgets. Well-funded corporations could simply pay their way to the top of search results, drowning out smaller nonprofits and businesses. But here’s the game-changer: you can’t pay to be featured within AI-generated responses. Unlike traditional search ads, these systems prioritize exactly what mission-driven organizations excel at: earned credibility, third-party validation, and authoritative expertise.
This creates new opportunities for mission-driven organizations. While you still can’t match corporate marketing budgets, you can now compete more effectively through the strength of your mission, the credibility of your work, and authentic expertise. For mission-driven orgs, understanding this AI transformation isn’t optional—it’s essential for staying visible and relevant.
Understanding the New Landscape: AEO and GEO
To navigate this shift effectively you need to know about two emerging fields: Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). These focus on how your organization shows up in AI-generated responses—from Google’s AI Overviews to ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Claude.
AEO focuses on optimizing your content so that when someone asks an AI system a direct question—like “What organizations work on climate policy?”—your organization appears in that AI-generated answer. AEO strategies include creating clear expert statements and ensuring your spokespeople are frequently cited in news stories about your field.
GEO takes this further by optimizing for how AI systems create comprehensive content about topics in your field. GEO strategies include publishing authoritative research reports, maintaining consistent messaging across all platforms, and building relationships with journalists who cover your issue area—so when AI tools generate content, they draw from sources that reference your work.
What AI Systems Actually Look For
So how do AI systems decide which organizations to feature in their responses? They have specific criteria that determine which sources get included.
When scanning the web to answer questions, AI tools prioritize:
Credible sources that have been validated by human audiences (hey earned media, we’re looking at you!)
Consistent messaging across multiple platforms and publications (messaging playbooks allow everyone to sing from the same song book)
Clear, authoritative content that demonstrates expertise (those jargon-free messages from your playbook come through crystal clear in reported stories)
Editorial validation from trusted media outlets (when journalists vet your expertise, AI tools take notice)
The Future Is Now
This is not some distant future scenario. This is the communications world of today. AI tools are reshaping how people discover and understand information now. Every day that passes without adapting your communications and public relations strategy to this new landscape is a day your competitors are getting ahead.
The organizations that will thrive in this new environment are those that understand a simple truth: In the age of AI, earned media isn’t just good communications strategy—it’s becoming essential digital infrastructure.
In our next post, we’ll talk about how earned media and a strong communications strategy are your secret weapon in the age of AI
At EMC Communications, we specialize in helping mission-driven organizations navigate precisely these challenges. Our team brings decades of experience developing communications strategies that protect and advance critical work in complex environments. Whether you need a comprehensive communications framework or targeted support for specific challenges, we’re ready to help you communicate with impact and intention.
