AI Search Shifts the Spotlight to Editorial Credibility as the Key Driver of Brand Discovery and Trust

For years, we've preached the gospel of earned media, thought leadership, and building genuine authority. This isn't just about getting a mention; it's about strategic positioning. With the advent of AI Overviews, conversational search, and intelligent assistants, these principles aren't just best practice – they're the very bedrock of your brand's future visibility, reputation and ultimately your lead generation.

AI thinks like an editor (a very, very fast one)

For now, imagine Google's AI Overviews, as the most sophisticated, incredibly swift editor on the planet. Its primary goal is to provide concise, accurate, and trustworthy answers to user queries. To do this, it doesn't just crawl every page on the internet equally. Instead, it prioritises sources that demonstrate authority, expertise, and a history of factual reporting, specific to the search query.

This means that a well-researched article in a respected industry publication, a feature in a major publication, or a quote from a recognised expert carries far more weight than, say, a promotional blog post or paid-for advertorial on your own website. AI is learning to discern quality and trustworthiness, and it’s relying on the signals that established editorial processes provide.

Visibility is no longer just about clicks

In the past, success in search was often measured by click-through rates to your website. While that’s still important, AI search introduces a new dimension: direct answers. Users are increasingly getting their information summarised directly by AI, often without ever needing to click through to an external site.

This means your brand's presence in an AI summary - even a brief mention - becomes a powerful touchpoint. If AI accurately and positively references your brand, it builds instant credibility and awareness, shaping perception before a user even considers visiting your site. Conversely, if your brand isn't being picked up by credible sources, or worse, if misinformation about you exists, AI could inadvertently amplify it.

E-E-A-T: More important than ever

Google's E-E-A-T framework (experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness) isn't just an SEO buzzword; it's the guiding principle for AI's content evaluation. Editorial credibility is the clearest, most robust signal of E-E-A-T. When reputable publications feature your brand, reference your experts, or cite your data, they are essentially providing a powerful endorsement of your E-E-A-T to AI algorithms.

This is where the true value of strategic PR and communications shines. Our role isn't just to get you noticed, but to get you noticed by the right voices – the ones that AI systems are trained to trust.

The human element in an AI world

We’re in an exciting, sometimes unsettling, era where AI is creating content at scale. But here’s the critical distinction: AI can process and summarise, but it doesn't inherently possess human judgment, ethics, or the ability to truly build trust. That still comes from credible human sources and robust editorial processes.

For brands, this means doubling down on authenticity, transparency, and genuinely valuable content. It means ensuring that your subject matter experts are accessible and vocal. And it means cultivating relationships with journalists and media outlets who maintain high editorial standards.

So, what does this mean for your marketing and communications strategy?

1. Prioritise earned media: Focus on securing coverage in reputable news outlets, industry publications, and expert-driven platforms. These are the sources AI will trust and draw from.

2. Amplify your experts: Position your internal experts as thought leaders. Their authentic insights, when published in credible forums, enhance your brand's authority.

3. Invest in quality content: Ensure all your content, whether owned or earned, is factually accurate, well-researched, and genuinely helpful to your specific audience.

4. Think beyond the click: Consider how your brand's narrative will be summarised by AI. Is it positive, accurate, and reflective of your desired perception?

The AI search landscape is, in my opinion, an opportunity for brands that truly understand the power of editorial credibility to rise above the noise and the relentless volume to build deeper trust, and ultimately, become the definitive answer in any relevant AI search

This is where DUO Marketing + Communication is focusing our energies for ourselves as well as for our clients, and it’s where you should too if you’re serious about long term quality business leads.