FAQs

A Large Language Model (LLM) is what powers AI tools like ChatGPT and Google’s AI Overviews. It’s trained on massive amounts of online data—everything from websites to books—and uses that training to generate human-like answers. Instead of returning a list of links like a search engine, it creates a single, synthesized answer to a user’s question. That means the sources it draws from—and the way your brand is represented across the web—matter more than ever.

GEO shifts the focus to what truly matters now: high-authority citations from credible sources—especially earned media, including news articles and expert quotes—which LLMs rely on to generate answers. To appear in AI-driven results, brands must rethink their approach. To remain visible in this new landscape, brands must go beyond just SEO. GEO is redefining how visibility works—and it’s quickly becoming the new standard.

GEO is often used interchangeably with terms like Artificial Intelligence Optimization (AIO), AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) and Artificial Intelligence for Search Engine Optimization (AI SEO). While the terminology varies, the idea is the same: earning visibility in AI-generated results.

When LLMs use earned media to shape their responses, the brands mentioned most often in trusted sources–like news outlets and other forms of earned media–are the ones that show up. That makes visibility in AI search a communications priority, not just a marketing or SEO goal. PR pros are uniquely positioned to lead here, using their expertise in storytelling, media outreach, and reputation-building to influence how their brands are represented by AI.

Generative Pulse by Muck Rack is a groundbreaking new tool designed to help PR and comms teams monitor how their brand and competitors appear in AI-generated search results. The product displays which journalists, media outlets, and specific sources are shaping what LLMs say about a topic, so you can adjust your strategy, refine your outreach, and boost your visibility in this new type of search.

Yes, Generative Pulse supports GPT-5 and it’s a game changer for PR and Generative Pulse users. With enhanced reasoning, summarization, and language capabilities, GPT-5 marks a major shift in how people engage with AI-generated content. That means how your brand shows up in AI answers is becoming a critical part of your public narrative.

As consumer adoption of GPT-5 and other models emerge, we’re committed to staying on the cutting edge so Generative Pulse users are always equipped with the most advanced tools to monitor, understand and respond to the stories shaping their brand.

Muck Rack is committed to helping PR and communications teams lead the way in AI-native visibility. That means we’ll keep expanding Generative Pulse with deeper insights, better data and tighter integration with the rest of Muck Rack, so comms teams can stay ahead as generative search becomes the new standard.

Generative Pulse is built into Muck Rack’s all-in-one PR platform. It works alongside your existing media lists, outreach tools, and reporting workflows—so you can see which journalists and outlets influence AI results, then take action right from the same place.

Right now, we monitor results from ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini—three of the most widely used large language models.

When web access is enabled, LLMs like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini pull from real-time content—news articles, Wikipedia pages, and other high-authority sites. They typically reference those sources directly in their answers, either as links or named citations, depending on the model.

In short: earned media. Content from credible, well-known sources like news publishers, expert quotes, and high-quality web pages tends to carry more weight than paid or branded content. Repetition across trusted sources also matters.

Generative Pulse shows how often your brand is mentioned in AI-generated answers, which journalists and outlets are driving those mentions, and how earned media is influencing your visibility across top LLMs.

Focus on earned media. LLMs cite trusted sources—like news articles, expert commentary, and high-authority websites. With Generative Pulse, you can identify who’s getting cited, strengthen those relationships, and shape the kind of coverage that AI models tend to repeat.