Why visibility in AI search starts with authority

David Gravel, an Account Manager in Press Box’s B2B department, which specialises in iGaming, payments, technology and crypto, explains how Press Box PR helps clients increase visibility in AI search results and LLM recommendations

Many companies have no idea whether they exist in AI search, and the ones that do are usually finding out because a competitor got there first.

This is already happening, and it is a conversation we have been having with clients for the better part of a year.

Someone runs a search in ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Gemini, sometimes out of curiosity or because a buyer mentioned it. Suddenly, they find a rival being named as the leading voice in their space, while their own expertise is harder to find. By the time they come to us, they are already trying to catch up.

The reason this catches people off guard is that AI search works differently from Google, building answers around recognised expertise and authority.

When buyers ask these platforms who they should trust, the answer is influenced by a history of credible content, expert commentary and repeated association with specific areas of expertise. Building that recognition takes time and comes through PR strategy, sustained thought leadership, and placing the right content in the right places.

That is PR. And that is exactly what we have been doing at Press Box PR.

Credible coverage, incredible results

The value of a well-placed byline was always bigger than the impression count. AI search has just made that visible. Coverage in the right outlets helps platforms understand which voices have earned authority in their field.

Across our client portfolios, the results have been measurable. A compliance and audit firm operating in a market dominated by the Big Four advisory practices ran a test on ChatGPT and Perplexity, asking which experts were the leading voices in their respective niches. Their lead spokesperson came up first on both platforms following a three-month thought leadership programme focused on bylined content, consistent expertise and the terminology buyers actually use.

The same pattern has played out elsewhere. A data and trading technology company now sits in the top two across ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini for their core service area. Six months ago, that was not the picture across every platform. Consistent, focused editorial helped build that recognition.

A licensing and governance consultancy surfaces reliably when buyers search for expertise in their jurisdiction following a carefully sequenced content strategy focused on authority over volume.

What these examples share is the same underlying principle. The platforms buyers use to make purchasing decisions draw on a body of published, attributed, credible work. If that body of work does not exist, neither does the brand, at least not in the moment it matters.

The way people search for expertise is changing, but the principle remains the same. Authority takes time to build. The brands thinking about AI visibility now will be easier to find when those decisions are being made. 

Those waiting until competitors own the conversation may find they are already trying to catch up.


Email David: david.gravel@pressboxpr.co.uk