Generative AI is now a decision layer between your brand and your buyers. Large language models, like OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and Perplexity, now mediate product research, vendor comparison, and category exploration across both consumers and enterprise workflows. decision layer Your PR team has a major opportunity in front of them, because earned media is one of the top sources of information impacting answers in generative search. But if that coverage isn’t machine-legible, meaning indexed, linked, and referenced inside AI systems, your brand may still be invisible when a buyer types: machine-legible “Who are the leading companies in this category?” “Who are the leading companies in this category?” A new tier of media has emerged to address that gap: GenAI-Referenced Media. GenAI-Referenced Media GenAI-Referenced Media The Shift: AI Answers Have Replaced Link-Based Discovery The Shift: AI Answers Have Replaced Link-Based Discovery In a new white paper, “The New Tier of Earned Media,” it shows LLM usage is no longer “experimental.” More than half of consumers now use generative AI tools, and two-thirds of organizations rely on them in daily workflows. he New Tier of Earned Media, This shift is not happening on search engines alone. As illustrated in the LLM interface diagram on page 6, people encounter AI answers through: LLM interface diagram on page 6 ChatGPT
Google AI Overviews
Microsoft Copilot
Perplexity
Gemini
Embedded AI inside CRMs, analytics tools, productivity suites ChatGPT Google AI Overviews Microsoft Copilot Perplexity Gemini Embedded AI inside CRMs, analytics tools, productivity suites This matters because these interfaces do not show 10 blue links. They show one answer or a short shortlist. do not show 10 blue links one answer short shortlist **If you’re not in the answer, you’re not in the consideration set. **If you’re not in the answer, you’re not in the consideration set. And most earned media does not influence these answers, unless it meets specific machine-readability criteria. not What Is GenAI-Referenced Media? What Is GenAI-Referenced Media? GenAI-Referenced Media (GenAI RM) is a classification of media outlets whose content is: GenAI-Referenced Media (GenAI RM) Ingested into LLM knowledge pipelines
Indexed and linked through authoritative news systems
Referenced in AI-generated summaries and reasoning flows Ingested into LLM knowledge pipelines Ingested Indexed and linked through authoritative news systems Indexed and linked Referenced in AI-generated summaries and reasoning flows Referenced A placement only qualifies as GenAI RM if it includes: Publication in an outlet reliably crawled by Google News and similar feeds
A deep, do-follow backlink to a brand-owned authoritative page
Clear category language that machines can interpret Publication in an outlet reliably crawled by Google News and similar feeds A deep, do-follow backlink to a brand-owned authoritative page deep, do-follow backlink Clear category language that machines can interpret A big logo hit without a link?A glowing feature without structured data?A mention on a site not indexed as news? It delivers human visibility but zero machine visibility. It delivers human visibility but zero machine visibility. Why CEOs Should Care: Answers Have Replaced Funnels Why CEOs Should Care: Answers Have Replaced Funnels The white paper also outlines the new “front door” for people looking for answers in LLMs. People begin with Answer → Shortlist → Action instead of Awareness → Interest → Research → Consideration. Answer → Shortlist → Action Awareness → Interest → Research → Consideration This is the most important shift for executives: Generative AI collapses the customer journey. Generative AI collapses the customer journey. Your brand’s fate is now determined at the moment of the prompt, not the moment of the click. prompt click Examples: “Product research” → now handled by LLMs
“Comparison shopping” → handled by AI
“Recommendation seeking” → handled by AI
“Decision support” → handled by AI “Product research” → now handled by LLMs “Comparison shopping” → handled by AI “Recommendation seeking” → handled by AI “Decision support” → handled by AI Traditional earned media influences search results and perceptions. GenAI-Referenced Media influences AI answers and reasoning. AI answers and reasoning This is now a pipeline-level concern. Not All Coverage Matters to AI Not All Coverage Matters to AI Two earned placements can be identical in quality, sentiment, spokesperson quotes, and narrative—and still produce radically different outcomes. As outlined on page 10, only one will influence AI answers: Placement A Placement A ✔ National prestige outlet✘ No deep link✘ No authoritative citation target✘ No machine-readable structure→High human visibility, zero AI impact High human visibility, zero AI impact Placement B Placement B ✔ Mid-tier or vertical publication✔ Indexed by Google News✔ Includes a do-follow deep link✔ Category-aligned language→Moderate human visibility, high AI impact Moderate human visibility, high AI impact GenAI RM strategy for machine influenc that leads back to human decisions. machine influenc that leads back to human decisions. The Criteria: How Machines Evaluate Earned Media The Criteria: How Machines Evaluate Earned Media Based on the framework in pages 9–11, an outlet must pass three tests: 1. Ingestion Test 1. Ingestion Test Is the outlet part of Google News indexation? 2. Link Behavior Test 2. Link Behavior Test Does the outlet allow deep, do-follow backlinks to brand-owned pages? deep, do-follow 3. Reference Test 3. Reference Test Does the content appear (or is likely to appear) inside AI answers due to its structure? Outlets that meet these criteria include (page 15): HackerNoon
Grit Daily
Digital Journal
Tech Times
The AI Journal
Science Times
Healthcare Business Today…and others HackerNoon Grit Daily Digital Journal Tech Times The AI Journal Science Times Healthcare Business Today…and others These outlets form the backbone of machine-referenced media today. The Closed Loop: How GenAI-Referenced Media Actually Works The Closed Loop: How GenAI-Referenced Media Actually Works The white paper introduces a four-step closed loop (page 13) that determines whether your brand appears in AI answers: four-step closed loop **Pillar Page
\  Build a brand-owned authoritative page defining the category.
**GenAI-Referenced Coverage
\  Place thought-leadership-style articles in machine-indexed outlets.
**Ingestion
\  AI systems crawl the coverage + your pillar page.
**Answer Share
\  Machines begin referencing your brand in relevant categories. **Pillar Page
\  Build a brand-owned authoritative page defining the category. **GenAI-Referenced Coverage
\  Place thought-leadership-style articles in machine-indexed outlets. **Ingestion
\  AI systems crawl the coverage + your pillar page. **Answer Share
\  Machines begin referencing your brand in relevant categories. This loop creates machine memory, the durable association between your brand and a category. machine memory This Is Not SEO This Is Not SEO Many CEOs confuse this with link-building. It is not. As explained on page 12: SEO optimizes for rankings on search results pages.
GenAI-Referenced Media optimizes for inclusion in machine-generated answers. SEO optimizes for rankings on search results pages. SEO GenAI-Referenced Media optimizes for inclusion in machine-generated answers. GenAI-Referenced Media SEO wants to climbsearch results.GenAI RM wants to benamed in the answer. climb named These are different objectives, different algorithms, and different outcomes. The Executive Risk: You May Already Be Invisible The Executive Risk: You May Already Be Invisible Low reported AI use ≠ low AI influence. Low reported AI use ≠ low AI influence. Even users who claim to “not use AI” are being shown AI summaries in: Google search
inboxes
news feeds
productivity tools Google search inboxes news feeds productivity tools Executives must internalize a new reality: Your audience does not need to choose AI for AI to choose what they see. Your audience does not need to choose AI for AI to choose what they see. “If you don’t know whether AI is naming your brand, you don’t know what opportunities you’re losing.” — The New Tier of Earned Media “If you don’t know whether AI is naming your brand, you don’t know what opportunities you’re losing.” — The New Tier of Earned Media “If you don’t know whether AI is naming your brand, you don’t know what opportunities you’re losing.” The New Tier of Earned Media In a world where LLMs shape discovery, shortlists, and decisions, GenAI-Referenced Media gives brands a new path to influence that single, critical moment: the answer. the answer. If you’re not in it, you don’t exist. CTA: Download the Full White Paper CTA: Download the Full White Paper To go deeper into the methodology, checks, examples, and operational roadmap, download the original white paper: → The New Tier of Earned Media: Why GenAI-Referenced Media Matters in the Age of Generative Search → The New Tier of Earned Media: Why GenAI-Referenced Media Matters in the Age of Generative Search The New Tier of Earned Media: Why GenAI-Referenced Media Matters in the Age of Generative Search The New Tier of Earned Media: Why GenAI-Referenced Media Matters in the Age of Generative Search

This story contains new, firsthand information uncovered by the writer.

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