Link Sharing: What Is AI Reading?

H/T: Greg Galant, CEO, Muck Rack

Generative AI isn’t a neutral consumer of media; it has reading habits. Muck Rack’s latest report, What is AI Reading, analyzed more than 1 million links cited by AI systems like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude. The findings show that earned media, recency, and outlet authority shape how AI answers questions.

For communicators, this means the discipline of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is quickly becoming as important as SEO. Knowing what AI “reads” is the key to influencing what it says.

1. Citations change the story

Enabling or disabling citations doesn’t just add references—it changes the answer itself. AI systems fundamentally shape responses around the sources they cite.

Takeaway for communicators: Monitor where your brand is cited. What AI chooses to “read” will determine what it says about you.

2. Earned media dominates

More than 95% of links cited by AI are unpaid media, and 89% are earned coverage. Journalism accounts for 27% of links—and when queries request recency, that number nearly doubles to 49%.

Takeaway for communicators: GEO is not pay-to-play. Strong earned media strategies will have disproportionate influence on AI outputs.

3. Recency is rewarded

AI favors fresh content. Among journalistic citations, the most common publication date was the day before the query was run. OpenAI models showed the strongest bias toward recency.

Takeaway for communicators: Timeliness is critical. Tie messaging to current events and ensure updates are published quickly to maximize visibility in AI.

4. Authority matters

AI often favors established outlets like Reuters, AP, and the Financial Times. But patterns vary by model and industry: for example, government and NGO sources rise in healthcare, while hospitality sees more owned media cited.

Takeaway for communicators: Target high-authority outlets while also focusing on niche publications that dominate in your sector. Authority plus relevance is the winning formula.

5. Query framing shifts sources

The way a question is asked affects citations. Encyclopedic lookups tend to cite static or aggregator sources, while advice- or opinion-seeking prompts draw more dynamic links, often including earned media.

Takeaway for communicators: Anticipate how stakeholders might query AI about your company. Build content designed to answer both factual and interpretive questions.

The Bottom Line

Generative AI has become a new stakeholder. To shape what it says, communicators must think beyond SEO and embrace GEO anchored in earned coverage, timeliness and authority.

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