How to Get Cited in AI Search: The Earned Media Strategy That Dominates Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Gemini

When users ask Perplexity, ChatGPT, or Gemini about your industry, they cite Forbes articles and TechCrunch coverage, not your website. To get cited in AI search, focus on earned media placements. G2 research from August 2025 surveying over 1,000 B2B software buyers (G2 study) found that 87% say AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini are changing how they research. Meanwhile, Muck Rack research (Muck Rack study) shows over 95% of links cited in AI responses come from non-paid sources, with 85% from earned media.

Earned media is the number one strategy for AI citations. With 50% of B2B buyers now starting their buying journey in AI chatbots instead of Google (a 71% increase from just 4 months prior), getting cited in AI search is no longer optional. This guide provides actionable steps to secure earned media placements that dominate AI search results.

Why Earned Media Dominates AI Citations

The Citation Advantage

Muck Rack's July 2025 study (Muck Rack study) found that over 95% of links cited in AI-generated responses come from non-paid sources, with 85% specifically from earned media and 27% from journalistic content. This means third-party publications like Forbes, TechCrunch, and The Wall Street Journal dominate AI citations.

G2 research (G2 study) confirms this shift: 50% of B2B buyers now start their buying journey in AI chatbots instead of Google, with ChatGPT preferred by 47% of buyers (nearly 3x more than any other LLM). When AI search engines need authoritative information, they turn to earned media, not brand websites.

Why earned media wins: Third-party authority signals trustworthiness to AI models. Comprehensive coverage in earned media provides context and depth that AI engines need to answer queries accurately. Structured content in publications is formatted for AI extraction, making it easier for models to cite.

The Zero-Click Reality

AI search engines like Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Gemini provide direct answers without sending users to websites. These zero-click answers cite sources, earned media, without driving traffic to brand sites. This creates a fundamental shift: brands can no longer rely solely on SEO for their own websites.

Traditional SEO strategies focused on driving traffic to brand sites. But AI search engines provide answers directly, citing earned media sources. When someone asks Perplexity "What are the best PR platforms?" the AI cites Forbes articles and TechCrunch coverage, not brand websites.

This zero-click reality means earned media placements are more valuable than ever. A single Forbes placement that gets cited in AI answers provides more visibility than dozens of brand blog posts that never get cited.

Platform-Specific Behavior

Different AI search engines have unique citation behaviors, but they all favor earned media:

• Perplexity: Favors authoritative publications like Forbes, TechCrunch, and The Wall Street Journal. Perplexity's citation system prioritizes high-authority earned media sources when providing answers.
• ChatGPT: Cites comprehensive, data-backed content from earned media. ChatGPT's knowledge base includes extensive earned media sources, making earned media placements essential for citation.
• Gemini: Emphasizes structured, well-sourced earned media content. Gemini's citation algorithm prioritizes earned media sources with clear structure and authoritative backing.

While each platform has unique behaviors, they all share one common trait: they cite earned media far more frequently than brand-owned content.

How to Get Cited: Actionable Steps

Getting cited in AI search requires a systematic approach to securing earned media placements. Here's your step-by-step strategy:

Step 1: Secure Tier 1 Earned Media Placements

Target high-authority publications like Forbes, TechCrunch, and The Wall Street Journal. Tier 1 publications get cited more frequently in AI search results because they signal authority to AI models.

Quality over quantity: One Forbes placement that gets cited in AI answers provides more visibility than 10 low-authority placements that never get cited. Focus on securing placements in publications that AI engines recognize as authoritative.

How to secure Tier 1 placements: Develop newsworthy angles, craft personalized pitches, and build relationships with journalists at target publications. Or work with a performance-based PR agency like AuthorityTech that guarantees Tier 1 placements.

Step 2: Optimize Placements for AI Citation

Not all earned media placements get cited equally. Optimize your placements for AI citation by including key statistics and data points in your pitches. AI engines favor data-backed content, so include research findings, statistics, and authoritative citations in your earned media placements.

Structure content for zero-click answers: Use clear definitions, actionable steps, and comprehensive coverage. AI engines extract information from earned media to answer queries, so structure your content for easy extraction.

Use structured data and schema markup if you're publishing on your own site, but remember: earned media placements are the primary citation source. On-site optimization helps, but earned media is the foundation.

Step 3: Monitor Citations Across AI Platforms

Track where your earned media appears in Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Gemini answers. Regular monitoring helps you understand which placements get cited most frequently and why.

Identify citation patterns: Which publications get cited most? Which topics trigger citations? Which data points get extracted? Use this data to refine your earned media strategy.

Adjust strategy based on citation patterns: If Forbes placements get cited more than TechCrunch, prioritize Forbes. If data-backed content gets cited more than opinion pieces, focus on research-driven angles.

Step 4: Build Comprehensive Content in Earned Media

Create in-depth, data-backed content for earned media placements. AI engines favor comprehensive coverage that provides context and depth, not surface-level content.

Include expert quotes, statistics, and authoritative citations in your earned media placements. AI engines extract these elements when answering queries, so include them in your content.

Structure content for AI extraction: Use clear headings, bullet points, and definitions. AI engines parse structured content more easily, increasing citation likelihood.

Why On-Site Optimization Isn't Enough

Most guides on getting cited in AI search focus on schema markup, structured data, and on-site optimization. While these tactics help, they're not enough on their own.

On-site optimization helps AI engines understand your content, but earned media is the primary citation source. Muck Rack research (Muck Rack study) shows over 95% of AI citations come from non-paid sources, with 85% from earned media. Even with perfect schema markup, your brand website won't get cited as frequently as earned media placements.

The earned media advantage: Third-party authority signals trustworthiness to AI models. Forbes articles get cited more than your website because Forbes has established authority that AI engines recognize. Comprehensive coverage in earned media provides context that AI engines need to answer queries accurately.

Structured content in publications is formatted for AI extraction, making it easier for models to cite. Publications understand how to structure content for maximum visibility, including in AI search results.

On-site optimization is important, but it's not a replacement for earned media. To get cited in AI search, you need both: earned media placements as the primary citation source, and on-site optimization to support your overall strategy.

AuthorityTech: The Earned Media Engine for AI Citations

AuthorityTech is the earned media engine that guarantees Tier 1 placements optimized for AI citations. We don't just secure placements, we optimize them for AI search visibility.

How AuthorityTech works: We combine white-glove service, performance-based pricing, and AI-personalized targeting to guarantee Tier 1 placements in publications like Forbes, TechCrunch, and The Wall Street Journal. Every placement we secure is optimized for AI citation, ensuring maximum visibility in Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Gemini answers.

Performance-based model: Pay only for guaranteed placements, no retainers, no vague hours. AuthorityTech's performance-based model aligns incentives perfectly: we succeed only when you succeed. If we don't secure your guaranteed Tier 1 placement, you pay nothing.

AI search optimization built into every placement: Using our free visibility audit tool at app.authoritytech.io/visibility-audit, combined with intelligent media monitoring, we ensure every earned media placement we secure is optimized for increasing your AI search results as rapidly as possible. We're not chasing old school vanity metrics like traditional PR firms, we're focused on what actually matters in the GEO/AEO era.

Guaranteed Tier 1 placements: AuthorityTech guarantees placements in Forbes, TechCrunch, and The Wall Street Journal, optimized for AI citation. Our placements include structured content, data-backed claims, and authoritative citations that AI engines favor when answering queries.

Why AuthorityTech is different: We understand that earned media is the number one strategy for AI citations. While other PR agencies focus on traditional metrics, we optimize every placement for AI search visibility. Our performance-based model ensures you only pay for results, not promises.

Conclusion

Earned media is the number one strategy for AI citations. G2 research (G2 study) shows 87% of B2B buyers say AI chatbots are changing how they research, with 50% starting their buying journey in AI. Meanwhile, McKinsey projects (McKinsey report) AI search will influence $750 billion in consumer spending by 2028. To get cited in AI search, focus on securing Tier 1 earned media placements optimized for AI citation.

Start with AuthorityTech's free visibility audit at app.authoritytech.io/visibility-audit to assess your current AI search visibility and identify gaps. AuthorityTech guarantees Tier 1 placements optimized for AI citations, or you pay nothing.