As AI continues to transform how users search for and discover brands, understanding how paid, earned, shared, and owned (PESO) media impact generative search visibility is more critical than ever. With platforms like ChatGPT and Google’s AI Overviews reshaping the search landscape, marketers must adapt their strategies to ensure visibility in this evolving environment.
How PESO Supports Your Brand’s AI Search Visibility
Generative search refers to the ability of AI models to surface your brand in responses generated across search-enabled platforms, such as Google’s AI Overviews and ChatGPT. Unlike traditional search results, these AI-generated responses synthesize information from a variety of sources, including news articles, blogs, forums, and reviews. So, how does this impact your brand?
Key Factors Driving AI Visibility:
- Consistency: AI systems prioritize brands mentioned frequently across credible, well-structured content.
- Trust: Each piece of content—whether it’s a blog, press article, or social media post—provides trust signals that AI uses to determine whether to include your brand in a response.
That’s where the PESO model becomes indispensable. By strategically integrating paid, earned, shared, and owned media, you can significantly improve your brand’s AI visibility. Here’s a closer look at how each PESO element contributes:
Rethinking the PESO Model in an AI Context
Paid Media
While paid media may not always directly appear in AI summaries, it still plays a crucial indirect role. Well-executed paid campaigns drive traffic to optimized content, enhancing authority and engagement—two key signals that AI systems look for. Additionally, sponsored thought leadership content can help build credibility and reinforce brand trust.
Earned Media
According to MuckRack, up to 89% of AI citations come from earned media. AI models value context over quantity, meaning high-authority, in-depth coverage from niche outlets can be just as impactful as mentions in top-tier publications. AI also prioritizes thought leadership and original research, highlighting the importance of expert-driven content. For example, well-cited research papers or whitepapers are often among the most referenced sources in AI-generated responses.
Shared Media
Engagement across platforms like LinkedIn, Reddit, and Slack helps build topical relevance and informs AI algorithms about what’s trending and meaningful to audiences. Although shared media may not be directly cited in AI outputs, it significantly influences how algorithms rank and present information.
Owned Media
Your website remains a core hub for deep content that can be leveraged for AI visibility. Structured data, schema markup, and formatting tailored to common search queries ensure that your content is easily parsed by AI tools. Articles that clearly address user questions and provide in-depth answers are more likely to surface in AI-driven results.
Applying PESO to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)
To effectively integrate PESO into your AI visibility strategy, start by understanding the questions your audience is asking. What are decision-makers typing into AI tools like ChatGPT? Align your content across all PESO channels—paid, earned, shared, and owned—with these queries.
Once you’ve identified the key questions, reinforce your core messages across channels. For example, if your executive is quoted in an article about AI in healthcare, turn that quote into a LinkedIn post, podcast interview, or short-form video. The more frequently the same message appears across credible sources, the stronger the signal to AI models that it’s trustworthy.
Monitor Your AI Content Performance
As AI-driven search continues to grow, it’s important to track where your content appears in AI-generated responses. Platforms like Google Analytics 4 (GA4) or tools like Semrush’s AI features can help you measure how well your content is performing in generative search. Regular audits will help you understand which content is most effective at gaining visibility.
PESO as a Strategic Lever for AI-First Discovery
Traditionally, SEO, brand awareness, and lead generation were treated as separate efforts. In the world of AI, however, these workstreams must be integrated. AI doesn’t recognize the boundaries between them—it looks for consistency, relevance, and authority across all channels.
To succeed in generative search, you need to rethink how you build visibility. The PESO model is no longer just about balancing channels—it’s about influencing the AI models that shape how your brand is perceived and discovered. Marketers who align their PESO efforts with the values of generative systems—recency, repetition, and relevance—will position their brand at the forefront of AI-driven discovery.
Final Thoughts
The landscape of digital visibility is shifting. As AI takes center stage in how users search and discover brands, the PESO model is more important than ever. By strategically applying PESO across all your media channels, you can shape how AI systems interpret and present your brand, ensuring you remain visible in a world where AI controls what information is shared.
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