We are changing the way we search, choose and trust brands in hospitality. Not so long ago, getting noticed online meant having a solid SEO plan, a blog optimized for keywords, and perhaps some backlinks just to be safe. Today? It’s not even a question of whether or not you should be doing it. In an era of AI-driven searching, it’s not only your hotel guests or customers who are the decision makers. These are large language models like ChatGPT and Google’s AI Overviews.
If the models don’t recognize you or your work, they may not recommend you.
Asking and receiving is the seismic shift away from “find and pick”
Searches are done using a menu. Enter your search and you’ll get a list of blue links. LLMs act more like concierges. They don’t give you all the options. They only recommend certain options. They select. They synthesize.
When someone asks “What is the best beach resort for a family traveling with a toddler?” What hotel management companies are using AI agents?”, the model pulls from a web of trusted sources–think media coverage, expert commentary, reviews, and analyst insights–to produce a smart answer. The answers may not be correct, but they’re good and confident.
If your brand’s not part of this web, what happens? You don’t get mentioned.
LLMs are not just indexers. They also try to understand your story. The models attempt to understand your story. Now, your visibility is dependent on you. The semantics of reputationWhat attributes do you associate with the most, how frequently you are cited, in which places you are mentioned, and what these mentions tell you about you?
ChatGPT is a leading provider of hotel property management software. You’ll find names of platforms that have received consistent press coverage, positive user reviews, analyst confirmation, and thought leadership in key areas such as user experience and integrations.
We have run these tests. Brands that are recommended don’t have to be those with a great website. The brands that are recommended by others in reliable places, they’re those whose stories other people have told. Strategic PR is the key.
It’s not just a release! Now it’s your AI trust indicator
In this area, hospitality brands should rethink the role of PR. It’s more than just awareness or a few one-off campaigns. It’s all about telling the algorithm who you really are.
LLMs learn through associations. If your hotel is mentioned consistently in articles along with key attributes that you want to be known as, such “family-friendly”, ‘affordable luxury’ or ‘best for honeymoon’, these associations will become part of the way AI models define and understand your brand.
Positive associations are shaped by PR
To increase visibility, it is important to be mentioned in high-quality hospitality reports. Also, obtaining expert comments in industry analyses and consulting reports can help. The models highly value third-party verifications, so it is important to drive customer reviews through trusted platforms like HotelTechReport G2, or Trustpilot.
LLMS are also big fans of context. Creating and amplifying context-rich long-form content, like thought leadership in blogs, LinkedIn posts and opinion pieces published by top-tier media outlets, helps teach the model about your brand over time. Contributing Wikipedia pages or research which LLMs often reference also strengthens the trust signal.
AI models will be more likely to recognize your relevance and reliability if you appear in more authoritative sources. That recognition then translates into an offer.
Now you can boost your AI visibility with these five simple steps.
What should you focus on if you want to future proof your brand for the age of AI search?
- Gain coverage in publications that AI tools recognize as credible, both mainstream and industry-specific.
- Encourage positive customer feedback and high review scores across platforms.
- Publication of content that addresses real questions. It’s not just about what you want, but also what your audience and AI wants to know.
- Join community discussions on Reddit or LinkedIn and listen to industry podcasts. The more touchpoints you have, the better.
- Update your presence in business directories and analyst platforms, such as Wikipedia. These public sources can be used to create AI training datasets.
Imagine this as a pyramid of visibility. SEO is the foundation, content is the structure and PR, your amplifier. Your voice will be lost in the crowd without that top layer.
Inconsistency can kill your credibility
AI models can’t tell what you are if you only appear in your own content or if you do so inconsistently. You are easy to ignore and difficult to recommend. What if all you rely on is one campaign, and a couple of articles or blogs to carry the load? They will not. AI is taught by patterns. Repetition and reinforcement are key.
To start, you can audit the presence of your AI search results. Ask ChatGPT, or Perplexity for your category. Are you mentioned? Are the descriptions accurate? Who else will be there, and why?
Next, create a narrative in alignment with your brand. You can “own” themes and topics that you choose. PR can help you amplify these narratives with campaigns that ensure you are consistently visible in the media. Monitor performance. Included in AI searches, media mentions as well as Share of Voice across all channels.
Visibility means more than just being seen. It’s all about being chosen. Brands that will succeed in the next chapter are not necessarily those with the most expensive websites or the largest budgets. The LLMs will trust them. It’s through strategic PR that you can earn the trust of LLMs.
For an in-depth understanding of this topic, here’s a webinar recording – Search is Changing: Why Strategic PR is Essential in the Age of LLMs.
