Welcome to The SPEC Sheet, created to share PR insights, trends, news, and inspiration with friends, colleagues, and acquaintances.
We promise to keep it pragmatic, and we hope you find some value. Feedback? Please send it straight to me at van.holmes@specpr.com. And, of course, tap that Unsubscribe if you want out.
If you make it past this intro, you’ll see our initial SPEC Insights, where Tyler summarizes recent key learnings about how AI is impacting PR. We don’t pretend to be AI experts, but we’re definitely paying attention to how it impacts PR, as well as the evolving tools and tactics.
“Am I making this different, or am I making this better?” is a simple, guiding question we ask when our team is considering a new trend, tool, or process, and we suggest everyone consider this question when making changes around AI.
Are you using AI strategically, pragmatically, and effectively? We’re seeing a wide range of adoption and application in our circles. I’d love to hear from you on this: What AI tools are you using, and how frequently?
One thing we remain confident about is the importance of spending time outdoors. It’s in our Mission: To inspire outdoor experiences while empowering clients to differentiate and grow.
Maybe AI will help you be more efficient so you can get outside more often? Or maybe you just need a break from the screens. Simply taking a short walk provides a reset and can increase your productivity.
OK, enough from me. Thanks for reading, and hope to see you outdoors soon!
Van
Founding Partner, SPEC PR
Strategic, Pragmatic, Effective Communications
SPEC Insights
For the first time in over 10 years, Google’s market share in online search fell below 90%, while AI usage has increased 233% this year according to a SalesForce study. In a Dynata survey of 1,000 participants conducted in April, 29% said they begin research with LLMs more often than Google, and 52% said AI search has made it easier for them to find new brands. These are just a few signals of a larger trend of people moving away from traditional online searches towards AI platforms to get answers.
With the rise of “Zero-Click” searches, many media outlets and brands are experiencing a significant drop in organic traffic, with some reporting up to 50% in just six months. This may raise concerns for brands that have optimized their digital marketing to maximize traffic, but with the rise of AI, zero-click doesn’t have to mean zero-impact if we look beyond traffic metrics.
Similar to SEO strategy influencing search results, “AI Optimization” is being used to influence the results of AI. The industry is moving fast, and has landed on two key strategies, AEO and GEO.
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO): Having your content appear as the answer when a user asks a question.
- “What is the best product for [scenario]?”
- “What are the top brands in [industry]?”
The content LLMs produce relies on consistent, direct information from a variety of sources including:
- Journalism: Featured articles and mentions in trusted publications signal credibility for AI.
- Owned Content: Company websites, blogs, and structured content like FAQs and pressrooms.
- Third-Party Platforms: Wikipedia and Reddit’s organic, open-source information.
- Social and Professional Networks: LinkedIn and Instagram are now being indexed.
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): The actions taken to influence AI models to use your content, ensuring your message is accurately represented and distributed by AI.
- Ensuring accurate content is shared on credible platforms.
- Optimized formatting and structure of content for AI legibility.
Thankfully, much of what we already do in PR directly contributes to strong AI performance. Here’s how traditional PR concepts translate to this new landscape:
- Ideal Customer Profiles: Knowing who you’re trying to reach and answering the questions they’re asking is more important than ever.
- Consistent messaging: Repetition through multiple sources trains AI to associate specific phrases and expertise with a brand.
- AI-formatted content: Placements should be formatted to be read by both people and AI through clear, direct language.
- Structured answers: Structuring important information into Q&As, lists, and clear summaries trains AI on how answers should be delivered.
PR strategy is becoming increasingly important for AI optimization as reliance on these tools grows. The brands who start first will have an immediate advantage in volume and history of AI-optimized content online, further establishing credibility and attention of users.
Tyler
typer.hutt@specpr.com
References:
https://muckrack.com/webinars/how-pr-drives-geo/thank-you
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7330947216741715970
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/cspenn_ai-generativeai-genai-activity-7330933003986030592-ux0z
https://storage.pardot.com/651383/1749591535UMz2Jrp7/PAN_BrandExperienceReport_2025.pdf
Something to Think About
Axios recently reported that, “AI is writing about half of the articles on the internet.”
Not a fan? Referencing a white paper by Graphite, an SEO firm, Axios also shared the theory that too much AI content could overload the Internet and LLMs could “… choke on their own exhaust.”
The upside? The Axios story summarized that “Content farms may also be learning that AI-generated content isn’t prioritized by search engines and chatbot responses,” and “… even robots still prefer human-written content.”
For better or worse, we’ll keep penning our own prose here at SPEC, even if we tap a chatbot for some creative brainstorming.
References:
https://www.axios.com/2025/10/14/ai-generated-writing-humans
https://graphite.io/five-percent/more-articles-are-now-created-by-ai-than-humans
Client Spotlight
Ever ride a bike 525 miles in 8 days? The 25th anniversary of the Arthritis Foundation’s annual California Coast Classic Bike Tour, known as “The Ride of a Lifetime” has raised over $1.4M this year.
Onsite at the event this past September, we witnessed hundreds of cyclists enduring challenges and enjoying community with enthusiasm, grit, and positive vibes.
If you ride, you should check out this bucket list adventure for 2026. If you write about cycling and/or great causes, hit us up for all the scoop, interview opportunities, press kits, and story angles. If your brand wants to align with a cause that directly impacts 1 in 4 people in the US, let’s talk about a beCause Marketing campaign.
The Arthritis Foundation Cycling Experiences are an awesome example of the positive things that can happen when a group of people get outside and work towards a common goal to help others. It’s a great reminder of the best in people, and worth experiencing at least once.
Learn more here: https://californiacoastclassic.org and follow at: https://instagram.com/arthritisfoundationcycling
https://facebook.com/arthritisfoundationcycling
Closing Thoughts
Pro Tip: Working out of hotel? Make friends with the valet with a generous tip and some friendly conversation to learn the ins and outs, how much lead time you need to get your vehicle, and what challenges they have with guests (so you can avoid being that challenge). Valets can (sometimes literally) hold the keys to your success when you need to move fast. Take care of the valets, and good valets will take good care of you.