Search is evolving fast, and for brands, the rules of visibility are being rewritten.
Today, discovery isn’t just about ranking highly on Google. Increasingly, it’s about whether large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Google’s AI Overview, and Perplexity know who you are, understand what you do, and trust you enough to recommend you.
Traditional search is no longer the primary gateway to brand discovery. This shift is seismic: search has moved from “find and choose” to “ask and receive.”
LLMs don’t just return a range of options; they recommend best-fit answers. So, if your brand isn’t visible in the sources these models trust, you may not appear at all.
In this piece, we break down how LLMs are reshaping search — and why strategic PR is now essential to ensure your hotel tech or proptech brand stays discoverable, credible, and competitive.
AI search works differently and that changes everything
Unlike Google, LLMs like ChatGPT don’t rank websites. They absorb and synthesize information from across the internet to recommend what they determine is the most relevant and credible solution.
Here’s how the modern AI-driven funnel works:
1. Awareness
When a user asks a question, the LLM pulls from sources it recognizes as authoritative – media articles, product reviews, and analyst commentary. If your brand is cited consistently and positively in these places, you’re far more likely to show up.
2. Consideration
LLMs don’t just share your homepage. They surface insights, quotes, and commentaries that help users evaluate your credibility and expertise. Your thought leadership matters — especially when it appears in respected outlets.
3. Decision
Finally, when recommending a solution, LLMs prioritize brands with strong reputations, positive associations, and credible third-party validation. PR helps you build all three.
In short: strategic PR gives your brand the authority, visibility, and relevance needed to be selected by AI — and chosen by humans.
Why PR has become mission critical in the AI era
In this new landscape, PR is no longer just about brand awareness. It’s about influencing how AI models perceive and prioritize your brand.
That’s because LLMs operate on semantic association. They recognize not just keywords, but the relationships between words and ideas. For example, if your brand is frequently mentioned alongside terms like “easy to use” or “AI-powered,” those links become embedded in the model’s understanding of your brand.
PR plays a key role in shaping those associations, especially when you are mentioned in:
- Top-tier industry media and press
- Trusted product review platforms (e.g. G2, Trustpilot, HotelTechReport)
- Thought leadership pieces on LinkedIn or Medium
- Educational content (FAQs, how-tos, webinars)
- Wikipedia and industry reports
The more authoritative sources you appear in, the stronger your “trust signal” becomes. PR helps you go beyond visibility, it can teach the AI model who you are and why you matter.
Case study: PR’s role in AI recommendations
We tested this ourselves. We asked ChatGPT: “What is the best property management system in hospitality?”
The response included a shortlist of well-known companies, based on factors such as integration, support, and user experience. What those brands had in common wasn’t just strong websites — it was:
- Consistent media coverage
- High ratings on review platforms
- Expert commentaries in top publications
We then ran another query: “What are the best examples of property management companies using AI agents?”
With the live browsing feature enabled, ChatGPT pulled answers from Hotel Management Network, PhocusWire, Wikipedia, and an industry consulting report. Most of the brands mentioned weren’t cited because of their websites, they were chosen due to credible PR coverage.
This is how PR provides external validation, which is what LLMs prioritize.
Five ways to strengthen your brand’s AI visibility
If you want to improve your chances of being found in the world of AI-driven search, start with this:
- Earn positive media coverage in top-tier outlets such as Skift, PhocusWire, Wired or TechCrunch and trade-specific publications such as Hotel Management, and Hospitality Investor.
- Ensure positive reviews on product review platforms and encourage user feedback.
- Publish query-driven and unique content like blogs, whitepapers, and thought leadership.
- Engage and increase visibility in online conversations, from Reddit to LinkedIn.
- Improve your presence on Wikipedia and other relevant data directories.
Think of your AI visibility strategy like a pyramid:
- A solid SEO is still your foundation.
- Unique content is your middle layer.
- Strategic PR is your amplifier.
As AI reshapes discovery, old visibility strategies fall short. It’s best to avoid:
- Relying solely on your website or blog
- Optimizing for keywords without telling a cohesive brand story
- Ignoring third-party validation or industry engagement
- Treating PR as a one-off campaign
- Focusing on backlinks without considering trust signals
AI models learn from patterns. If your brand shows up inconsistently, or in low-trust environments, you’ll get filtered out.
What to prioritize in the next 90 days
Not sure where to begin? Start here:
- Audit: Search your brand on ChatGPT and Perplexity. Are you visible? Are the associations accurate? Which competitors are showing up? How are they being positioned?
- Build: Craft a narrative that aligns with your brand’s positioning and choose the topics you want to own.
- Amplify: Launch strategic PR campaigns that build your presence across media, industry commentary, and trusted platforms.
- Monitor: Track earned media mentions, Share of Voice on key topics, and—emerging now—your brand’s inclusion in AI-generated responses.
Conclusion
The way people search for and discover brands is evolving. The machines doing the recommending are also getting smarter.
If your brand isn’t consistently visible across authoritative, credible sources, you risk disappearing from the conversation altogether.
Strategic PR ensures that your story isn’t just seen. It’s trusted. It’s repeated. And it’s recommended.
Are you a proptech brand operating across hotels, short-term rentals, multifamily, and serviced living, and want to understand how strategic PR can keep you visible and relevant in the age of LLM’s. Drop us a line.
