AI is radically reshaping how companies communicate. Recent Bain & Company research (February 2025) reveals that 80% of consumers now rely on AI-generated summaries for at least 40% of their searches, with 60% of searches ending without clicking through to a website—resulting in a 15-25% drop in organic web traffic. When investors, analysts, or journalists seek information about companies today, their first stop is ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, or Google AI rather than a company website.
This behavioral change creates both unprecedented risk and opportunity for companies, both private and public. At ICR, we recognize that Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) has become as critical to investor relations and corporate communications as traditional media strategies, and work with companies to stay ahead of the curve.
The New Reality: AI as Your Company’s Front Door
In a matter of a few years, Generative AI has become the primary gateway for corporate information discovery. When stakeholders ask: “What does [Company] do?” or “What were [Company]’s Q2 results?” they are as likely (if not more likely) to ask AI as Google. The answers they receive will be based on AI-synthesized narratives drawn from multiple sources – press releases, earned media, owned content, and social channels. The model has fundamentally changed from Content → Search ranking → Website clicks → Conversion to Integrated content → AI training → Brand citations in LLM responses → Discovery.
The stakes are significant. If your materials are outdated, poorly structured, lack consistency, or buried in complex formats, AI systems may present incomplete information, rely on competitor framing, or generate responses based on third-party interpretations rather than your own strategic messaging. Conversely, well-optimized content ensures AI platforms accurately represent your business model, financial performance, and strategic priorities. AI looks for patterns across multiple authoritative sources—message consistency is paramount.
ICR’s GEO Methodology
Content Architecture Analysis: We audit your existing materials across all channels, identifying structural barriers that prevent AI systems from accurately parsing information. This includes format issues, inconsistent messaging, and outdated materials. AI needs structure to parse effectively – clear headers, subheaders, and semantic clarity over jargon are essential.
Narrative Consistency Framework: GEO requires uniform company descriptions across all touchpoints. We develop standardized language that reinforces your strategic positioning every time AI encounters your content. This consistency is critical because generative models rely on repeated patterns from authoritative sources to understand and represent your business accurately.
AI-Optimized Structure: Here are a few key ways our team will help you approach AI-readability:
- Natural, conversational language (avoiding jargon and complexity)
- Clear definitions, statistics, and citation-worthy quotes
- Key takeaways formatted as bullet points or numbered lists
- Dates and “last updated” timestamps
- Text-searchable formats with structured data markup
- Descriptions (Alt text) for financial charts and graphics
Distribution Strategy: We leverage our understanding of how AI systems prioritize sources. This includes strategic newswire distribution for structured, timestamped, authoritative press releases; securing earned media in high quality outlets that provide third-party validation; and maintaining up-to-date web presence that generative models can reliably access.
Measuring Impact and Success
Effective GEO extends beyond initial optimization to ongoing performance measurement. We regularly monitor changes in AI-generated responses after we’ve optimized your materials, track narrative consistency across platforms, and identify emerging issues before they impact stakeholder perceptions. This isn’t about doing more – it’s about optimizing what you’re already doing for how people actually search now.
AI optimization is now integral to reputation management and can no longer be treated as a separate technical exercise. Our approach ensures that whether someone encounters your company through traditional research or AI-powered search, they receive the same accurate, compelling narrative that reflects your current strategic positioning.
Contact us for more information on how ICR can support your company’s GEO efforts.
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