“How should we be using AI to help our brand?”

This is a question we address daily with clients. Because AI is more than just an editor to help generate content. It’s changing how brands get discovered, evaluated, and trusted.

A new report from Muck Rack analyzed more than 1 million links cited by AI tools to understand what AI platforms are actually reading and referencing. The findings reinforce a shift we’re already seeing across client engagements.

• More than 95% of AI-cited links come from earned media
• AI platforms frequently prioritize expert commentary and industry publications
• Authority and credibility are becoming as important as traditional SEO

This is exactly why we’ve been focused on what we call Visibility Engineering.

Visibility Engineering is the intentional process of shaping how your brand appears across AI platforms, search engines, media coverage, and industry conversations.

Strategic PR still includes the fundamentals of consistent media relations. But it’s evolving to include activities that establish the right signals so your brand resonates with customers and prospects when they’re actively searching for answers.

At Ascend, we’re layering AI into how we:
• Identify the questions your customers are asking
• Develop thought leadership that answers those questions
• Position your experts in trusted media and industry outlets
• Structure content for AI discovery and citation
• Build consistent authority across platforms

When we address the question above, we explain that visibility is still critical. But it’s also important to understand how your brand is showing up as relevant when customers and prospects are looking for guidance.

In an AI-driven environment, a good question is: “Are people seeing our brand?”

The better question is: “Is our brand showing up when and where decisions are being made?

That’s Visibility Engineering.

Want to discuss further? Let’s chat.