Did you know that by 2026, more than half of all online searches are projected to happen inside AI-powered assistants, like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude, rather than traditional search engines?¹ For architecture, engineering, construction (AEC) and design firms, this reordering means your next client may not discover you through Google, but through a generative AI model summarizing your brand, your projects, and what others have written about you.
The question is simple: will your firm be part of that story, or be overlooked?
Generative AI isn’t just another search tool. Unlike Google, it doesn’t display a ranked list of websites for users to choose from. Instead, it generates an answer in real time, and that answer is shaped by the sources it considers trustworthy, timely, and relevant.
According to Muck Rack’s Generative Pulse 2025 study:
For AEC + design marketers, this shift is significant. It means a well-designed website and occasional press releases are no longer enough. To influence what AI systems say about you, your brand must be consistently visible in credible, independent sources.
For years, marketers have focused on search engine optimization (SEO), adjusting websites, keywords, and backlinks to improve rankings on Google. That made sense when most clients and end-users began their research with a traditional search bar.
Now, as more people rely on AI assistants, a new discipline has emerged: Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).
Unlike SEO, which helps your website appear in search results, GEO is about shaping the answers AI generates. Instead of offering a list of links, AI delivers a direct response and cites the sources it trusts most.
That means:
For AEC firms, GEO is the next generation of visibility. Just as SEO reshaped marketing in the 2000s, GEO will reshape how clients discover architecture, design, and product brands in the years ahead.
Imagine a hotel developer opens an AI assistant and asks, “Which interior design firm specializes in luxury hospitality projects?”
Instead of producing a list of websites, the AI generates a summarized answer:
Several design firms are recognized for their hospitality work, including [Firm A], recently profiled in Interior Design magazine, and [Firm B], featured in Metropolis for their innovative boutique hotel concepts. Another firm, [Firm C], contributed expert commentary in a Hospitality Design article on wellness-driven spaces.”
What’s the takeaway? If your firm hasn’t been written about by these kinds of outlets, it won’t appear in the AI assistant’s response, no matter how outstanding your website and portfolio are.
That’s why consistent, credible media coverage has become more than just a visibility tactic. It’s now a deciding factor in whether or not AI introduces you to your next potential client.
Imagine a hotel developer opens an AI assistant and asks, “Which interior design firm specializes in luxury hospitality projects?”
Instead of producing a list of websites, the AI generates a summarized answer:
Several design firms are recognized for their hospitality work, including [Firm A], recently profiled in Interior Design magazine, and [Firm B], featured in Metropolis for their innovative boutique hotel concepts. Another firm, [Firm C], contributed expert commentary in a Hospitality Design article on wellness-driven spaces.”
What’s the takeaway? If your firm hasn’t been written about by these kinds of outlets, it won’t appear in the AI assistant’s response, no matter how outstanding your website and portfolio are.
That’s why consistent, credible media coverage has become more than just a visibility tactic. It’s now a deciding factor in whether or not AI introduces you to your next potential client.
Shaping your visibility for AI-driven discovery can have a measurable business impact.
While the benefits are clear, adapting to AI-driven search isn’t easy. In-house marketing teams and AEC + design firms can struggle to gain consistent visibility in the channels AI values most.
One common hurdle is bandwidth. Marketing and business development teams are often already stretched thin managing proposals, project photography, award submissions, and client communications. Proactive media outreach, pitching, and relationship-building with editors and journalists can fall to the bottom of a very long list.
Another challenge is limited media presence. Many firms rely heavily on owned content, like their website or social media channels, without building enough third-party coverage. AI algorithms prioritize outside validation, so a lack of media mentions can hurt discoverability.
Then there’s the reality of navigating an emerging field. Understanding how AI evaluates credibility, which media outlets it favors, and how often to publish requires continuous research and specialized knowledge.
Consistency also proves difficult. One-off press placements or sporadic commentary aren’t enough. AI systems are designed to favor brands that maintain steady, ongoing presence in the media. Without that cadence, firms risk falling behind.
Lastly, firms can struggle to measure impact. Unlike web traffic analytics, the connection between earned media and AI visibility can be harder to see. Without clear metrics, PR investments can feel less tangible, even when the influence is real.
Staying visible in an AI-driven world requires more than traditional public relation tactics. It’s about building a strategy that blends credibility, recency, and relevance.
The first step is investing in relationships with the media. AI trusts what journalists and editors trust. Firms that regularly appear in respected publications gain credibility that extends beyond human readers to algorithms shaping answers.
Equally important is developing a steady rhythm of content. A consistent flow of project announcements, thought leadership pieces, and expert commentary signals to AI—and to people—that your firm is active and relevant.
To maximize impact, your content must emphasize clarity and authority. AI favors fact-driven, explanatory information over marketing-heavy copy. Sharing data, lessons learned, and project insights creates content that is more likely to be cited.
Finally, firms need to balance breadth and depth. National coverage builds prestige, but trade media ensures relevance. Together, they create the footprint AI systems use to describe your expertise.
For most firms, sustaining this approach requires collaboration with an agency. Public relations firms with deep AEC + design knowledge and strong media relationships can help navigate GEO, craft AI-friendly content, and maintain the consistency that visibility demands.
By ensuring your firm’s voice is part of the evolving story AI tells, UpSpring can build a PR strategy that keeps you top-of-mind for prospective clients.
AI is rewriting the rules of visibility. For AEC + design firms, it’s not enough to have a polished website or a handful of project features. To remain discoverable, you need to appear consistently in the independent sources that AI recognizes as credible.
By building trust through earned media, positioning your leaders as experts, and maintaining a steady flow of relevant content, your firm can shape how AI presents you to future clients and collaborators.
[1] Gartner, “The Future of Search,” 2024.
[2] Muck Rack, Generative Pulse 2025 Report.
[3] Muck Rack, Generative Pulse 2025 Report.
[4] Muck Rack, Generative Pulse 2025 Report.
[5] Muck Rack, Generative Pulse 2025 Report.
[6] Edelman, Trust Barometer 2024.
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