B2B visibility in the age of AI search: The power of earned media
Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming how decision-makers, including investors, regulators and procurement leaders, discover and evaluate companies in the industrial and energy sectors. For B2B brands operating in technical fields such as energy, infrastructure, advanced materials, and manufacturing, generative AI tools have become essential for enhancing online visibility.
As AI platforms curate information from various internet sources, the importance of earned media — coverage in credible third-party publications — has never been greater. Unlike traditional SEO, which focuses on keyword strategy and backlinks, AI-powered search engines like ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini and Perplexity AI prioritize reputation and contextual authority. These models do not simply index web pages in isolation; they synthesize information from multiple sources and prioritize it based on the trustworthiness of each mention.
This means that articles in industry journals, features in financial media and expert commentary in reputable news outlets are much more likely to be highlighted than owned content such as blogs or digital advertisements. For B2B companies in the energy and technical sectors, securing strategic media placements is crucial and beneficial.
The importance of trade coverage in shaping AI search results
In AI-driven search, not all media holds the same weight. Mentions in reputable trade publications have significantly more influence than company blogs or press releases. These sources help shape the language models behind AI tools and form the foundation for their synthesized answers.
Obtaining earned media from these publications provides visibility to human readers and helps train AI models on a brand’s legitimacy, value proposition and market position. This is especially critical in technical industries, where factors like performance, operational efficiency, regulatory context, and safety credentials are vital to buyer decision-making.
While owned content remains important, a well-structured website with clear product information and updated leadership bios can enhance AI's understanding of a brand's core identity. However, without third-party validation, even the most polished owned content may struggle to appear in AI searches.
Why PR and SEO must align in today’s AI landscape
This shift necessitates a new content strategy. B2B firms must present their technical credentials in formats that AI can easily process such as detailed Q&A pages, glossary sections, product specifications, and thought leadership pieces that are designed for citation by others. These formats increase the likelihood that AI models will utilize and trust brand-supplied information.
As generative AI continues to reshape the digital discovery process, PR and SEO are converging. Both functions now target the same audience — not only human users but also AI interpreters that crawl the web to deliver summaries, recommendations, and rankings.
For companies in the energy, cleantech and other advanced sectors, the pathway to AI visibility lies in obtaining trusted coverage. Trade publications, industry podcasts and business features do more than just enhance brand awareness; they play a crucial role in shaping the next generation of search. As AI continues to evolve, earned media will only grow in value, influencing how companies are discovered, evaluated and remembered.
Contact Inside Media today to improve your AI search results through earned media.