Our GEO retainer for better visibility in the AI age
The communications landscape is changing rapidly. LLMs such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity or Copilot are no longer just toys – they are machines for orientation. More and more people are asking AI systems their questions first, not search engines. And these systems prefer to draw on editorial, high-reputation content.
This is precisely where the great opportunity for modern PR work lies – and exactly where we come in with our new GEO retainer!
Why PR agencies are already capable of GEO
GEO – Generative Engine Optimization – is often understood as a new, technical discipline. In truth, it is a communicative one. Because AI systems “trust” those sources that have been our core domain for decades: earned media, specialist articles, interviews, analysis, journalistic quality.
The core task of PR agencies is to persuade gatekeepers. PR agencies with a strong journalistic mindset are therefore ideally placed to shape a company’s semantic presence in AI systems. At TDUB, we have always curated narratives and contexts and created credibility and authority. For example, through agenda surfing, we bring topics to places where they are editorially reviewed and contextualised. And these very contents are now the building blocks from which AI models generate their responses.
In short: those who convince in earned media today will gain visibility in AI results tomorrow.
What we offer in the GEO retainer – and what we make of it
At the start of the GEO retainer, we assess:
- How does the AI talk about the company, its topics and products? TDUB identifies the relevant question patterns and reviews the status quo. Are you mentioned? In which position and how? Which sources do the relevant LLMs draw on? Why are competitors further ahead?
- Which sources do the models draw on? Trade press and national media, Wikipedia and blogs, social posts, forums, studies, reviews? In most cases, earned dominates owned. Shared and paid follow some way behind.
- Which narratives dominate – and are important aspects missing?
From this analysis, we derive concrete objectives and strategies :
- How should the AI speak in future about the company, its topics and products? Specific AI placements are also mentioned here (“create visibility for question X / get into the top 3 voices”)
- What assets and resources can the client offer? Experience, case studies, expertise, data, stories, budget for studies or surveys? Are there people in the company (experts, C-level, spokespeople) who are already active in the media or willing to be? What narrative gaps exist and can these be used to achieve the objective? What can the client fill?
- Which measures are suitable for this? Specialist articles, agenda surfing, expert or C-level placement, data PR or surveys?
- This results in a chronologically ordered action plan, usually covering 12 months, with a broader review after 6 months
Typical conclusions:
1. Rethink earned media
If AI systems give particular weight to certain media outlets, we prioritise their editorial significance. What disappears behind a paywall is not read by AI. Perhaps a specific trade publication is especially relevant – or we see opportunities in a business publication. Or we explain exciting new (B2B) technologies in one of the top five news outlets with the greatest reach. Sometimes even tools that were not previously highly ranked can gain new relevance.
2. Better connect owned content
We identify gaps: Which topics is the market not explaining sufficiently? Which questions are competitors answering – and we are not yet? From this, precise, relevant content emerges for media relations, website, blog, white paper or LinkedIn, for example.
3. Use shared media strategically
Community-driven content is also evaluated by AI systems. If certain discussions, reviews or expert profiles are repeatedly referenced, we strengthen positioning precisely there – with thought leadership, high-quality posts or precise comments.
4. Open up new channels
Sometimes the analyses show that AI models use surprising sources – such as previously overlooked channels with user-generated content, specific specialist portals or obscure reviews. We turn these insights into targeted pitching strategies and open up media that were previously not at the core of PR focus. This may also involve making a company’s own media (owned) more suitable for AI or using special paid offerings such as advertorials.
5. Iterative management
In the retainer, we continuously measure the results: Has the AI discovered and “understood” the new content? Is the client now being mentioned in the right contexts? Where are new opportunities emerging? It is precisely this interplay of analysis and PR expertise that makes the GEO retainer so strong.
Why we developed the GEO retainer
At TDUB Communications Consultancy, we have gathered profound and wide-ranging experience with LLMs:
- We have created a core competence team of 4 TDUB employees in which we exchange ideas continuously – by now almost daily.
- We have attended countless seminars and workshops, read texts, studies and analyses, …
- reviewed existing tools and developed our own (Have you heard about our agenda surfing tool yet?) and …
- expanded our writing expertise.
- We invited experts and conducted in-house workshops.
- As part of our membership in two international PR networks (IPRN and IPREX), we took part in numerous multi-day meetings in the USA, South America and Europe, where AI was a strong focus on the agenda and in discussions. In this way, we learned from the best – not least from the homeland of AI and PR – the USA.
- But we also actively contributed ourselves to the growth of the agency’s expertise – for example in this TDUB specialist article on the IPRN blog about the status of AI use in PR agencies from November 2025.
- As founders and Chair of the Tech Group at IPRN, as well as Global Tech Lead at IPREX, our founders Tilo Timmermann and Karsten Hoppe are in constant contact worldwide with other tech- and B2B-focused PR agencies.
We now use the new technology – naturally always within a rules-based framework – efficiently to offer our clients genuine added value.
Because our clients today expect to be visible in traditional media – and in AI results. Both belong together.
The GEO retainer, as a complement to PR work, brings this together:
- strategic PR
- iterative content planning
- curated earned media presence
- AI-relevant content for Owned, Shared & Paid
- continuous monitoring of AI visibility and proactive derivation of measures
This allows brand positioning to be anchored sustainably where people seek guidance today: in AI-generated answers.
We are happy to advise – without obligation and pragmatically. Whether it is an initial exchange of ideas or the concrete planning of a combined PR and GEO strategy: together, we examine how we can take the visibility of your brand, your company or your thought leaders to the next level in the AI age.
