The way buyers and investors discover hospitality and proptech brands is changing.
At the end of 2024, Google’s share of global search dipped below 90% for the first time since 2015. That may look like a small change, but it signals a clear shift in behavior: decision-makers are moving to generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity for faster, consolidated answers.
In these tools, there is no familiar results page. The model provides a single, direct answer. That answer is increasingly the first point of contact for a hotelier researching PMS software, a property manager comparing channel managers, or an investor looking into ESG-focused proptech.
Why AI answers differ from search results
Generative AI models do not scan and rank the web in the way search engines do. They rely on a mix of pre-trained knowledge and recent retrieval from a limited set of trusted, public sources.
Even if your website is up to date and your marketing is strong, those changes will not automatically surface in AI answers. Without well-placed, authoritative coverage, the model will fill gaps with outdated data — listing old integration partners, quoting a former CEO, or even confusing your company with another in the same category.
Why earned coverage influences AI
AI tools tend to feature third-party, earned coverage ahead of brand-owned content because it is:
- Authoritative – From sources with a proven track record of accuracy.
- Corroborated – Supported by multiple, independent references.
- Structured – Presented in consistent formats that AI can process easily.
- Perceived as neutral – Seen as more impartial than marketing copy, even when the facts are the same.
For hospitality and proptech brands, a verified feature in a trusted outlet or a structured listing is far more likely to shape an AI-generated answer than owned materials alone.
The sources AI relies on
Across the sector, the same types of sources appear repeatedly in AI citations:
- Sector-specific news and analysis
- Structured databases such as Crunchbase, Wikipedia, review platforms, and product directories
- Recognized podcasts or video channels with credible hosts and engaged audiences
These are favored because they are public, updated regularly, and present information in verifiable formats.
Thought leadership in these sources matters too. While product-specific prompts depend on fact-rich listings, broader prompts such as “emerging technologies in hotel operations” or “future of sustainability in STRs” draw from bylined articles and interviews that link your brand to bigger industry narratives.
GEO and AEO: two sides of AI visibility
There are two goals to focus on when building AI presence:
- Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) – Ensuring your brand appears in relevant answers.
- Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) – Ensuring the description is accurate, current, and strategically positioned.
PR supports GEO by securing frequent mentions in authoritative sources and supports AEO by delivering precise, up-to-date facts that models can quote directly.
Running an AI visibility audit
An AI audit is the quickest way to see how you currently appear in model answers – or if you appear at all. The process involves testing specific prompts in multiple AI tools, checking which sources are cited, and assessing accuracy and positioning. The results create a visibility baseline and show what should be incorporated into your PR Strategy to maximize visibility.
The risk of being absent
When reliable coverage is missing, AI tools either use outdated details or omit your brand entirely. In list-based queries, this means you are not even presented as an option. Over time, absence becomes self-reinforcing: less visibility leads to fewer mentions, which leads to even less presence in future retrievals.
Breaking this cycle requires supplying consistent, high-quality, and strategically placed information into the channels AI already uses.
What counts as high-impact PR for AI
Coverage that influences AI visibility typically has four traits:
Not all PR moves the needle in AI answers. The coverage that matters most has four qualities:
- News value – A story worth telling. That might be a new product, but it could also be a fresh angle on a trend, a data insight, a customer result, or a milestone. LLMs surface why you matter, not just what you have launched.
- Strong messaging – Positioning your company clearly within its category, with your USP, technology, and audience consistently linked to your name.
- Relationships with trusted press – LLMs favor sources they have cited repeatedly in training. Strong press relationships put your news into the places the models already watch.
- Distribution across high-authority domains – Where your story appears is as important as what it says. Models lift most from outlets they already consider credible and well-established.
Short mentions in low-authority blogs will have little impact compared with detailed coverage in respected outlets or verified listings.
Turning insights into action
Once you know the gaps:
- Target coverage in outlets most often cited in your sector’s AI results.
- Keep facts consistent across public databases and review sites.
- Maintain a regular cadence of earned coverage.
- Align story angles with your strategic priorities, such as AI in STR management or ESG in proptech.
- Publish proprietary data or case studies that can be cited as evidence — and ensure they reach the right journalists.
Hospitality and proptech purchase decisions are increasingly influenced before a prospect ever visits your website. AI tools are becoming a default first step for vendor discovery, comparison, and research. The story they tell about your brand depends on the sources they can access — and strategic PR is one of the most effective ways to ensure that story is accurate, timely, and competitive.
Watch the full webinar for insights on AI, PR, and how HospitalityTech and PropTech brands can take control of their reputation in an AI-curated world.
About Amy Deverson
Amy Deverson is a seasoned communications specialist with over six years of experience creating successful, high-impact campaigns across diverse industries. Over the past two years, Amy has honed her expertise in the hospitality technology sector, working closely with clients to amplify their media presence and establish them as thought leaders in the industry.
