AI search proves what we always knew: great storytelling wins
Recent research from Muckrack, analysed over one million AI-generated responses and the results are clear: AI systems value authentic, credible and well-told stories.
We’ve pulled together our three key takeaways from the research – and the five ways you can align your content strategy to ensure it keeps being seen.
AI systems are biased toward quality journalism and earned media
Almost 90 percent of all links cited by AI come from earned media sources, with journalism accounting for a remarkable 27 percent of all citations. This jumps to nearly 49 percent for queries seeking recent information.
While traditional SEO has been dominated by technical optimisation and paid placement, AI search rewards the very thing we do best: securing authentic, credible media coverage.
Recent reigns supreme
AI systems show a strong preference for fresh content with 56 percent of journalism citations from openai models published within the last 12 months. This is in stark contrast with older encyclopaedic sources that dominated traditional search results.
This means your recent wins – that industry report launch, the media interview, the thought leadership piece – aren't just momentary victories. They're assets that can drive brand visibility.
There’s a sweet spot between authority and niche
The research reveals a compelling pattern: while authoritative outlets like Reuters, Associated Press, and Financial Times frequently appear in AI citations across all industries, AI systems actively seek out niche-specific sources when responding to industry-focused queries. This creates a goldmine opportunity for brands willing to invest in industry-specific content.
The human story wins
While the technology behind AI search is sophisticated, the fundamental truth remains beautifully simple: we're all drawn to good stories (and compelling narratives will rise to the top).
This is where brands have an incredible advantage. Every organisation has amazing stories to tell. The challenge isn't finding these stories – they're everywhere. The opportunity is in telling them strategically, crafting narratives that resonate with both human readers and algorithmic systems.
Five ways to align your content strategy:
Invest in journalist relationships: With journalism accounting for 27-49 percent of citations, those media relationships are more valuable than ever. But journalists don’t want to be bogged down in even more media releases – send them great stories and be prepared with what they need – photos, video, available talent.
Think beyond national media: Industry-specific publications are winning citations in their niches. Get to know your industry publications, what they’re looking for and who their audiences are.
Create consistently: Fresh content has a significant advantage in AI citations. You’ll need a wide range of to achieve this so set yourself up with a great strategy to place your stories in front of all of your audiences.
Tell complete stories: AI systems favour comprehensive, well-sourced content over surface-level pieces. Use your angle as an opportunity to dig deeper and understand why this is a story and what’s driving it.
Build authority: Be a trusted voice that speaks with expertise, and grow your authority – you’ll be great talent for media to call on and provide AI with an authoritative voice it can trust.
The future is story-driven platforms
AI systems value the same things we've always championed: credible sources, recent information, and quality storytelling – after all, they’re optimising to serve the humans who use them.
The organisations that invest in creating compelling narratives, building media relationships, and consistently sharing their stories will find themselves not just visible in traditional search, but prominently featured in the AI-powered search results that are increasingly shaping how people discover information.
The question isn't whether your audience will start using AI for information discovery – they already are. The question is whether your organisation's stories will be there when they do.