United States

Today, PR teams aren’t just tracking media coverage and share of voice. They’re also measuring how their brand shows up in AI-generated answers, search summaries, and large language models (LLMs). This new LLM visibility layer is quickly becoming a critical part of PR performance.

15 Must-Have PR KPIs and How to Track Them

Influencer marketing is evolving, and so is the way brands measure success. That’s why Meltwater is proud to announce a new partnership with YouTube, integrating YouTube’s Creator Partnerships API directly into our Influencer Marketing platform.

Introducing Verified YouTube Data in Meltwater Influencer Marketing

See how one platform can power every decision across PR, communications, and marketing.

The Meltwater Blog

Blog Topics: Generative Engine Optimization, Media Intelligence, Media Relations, Social Listening, Consumer Intelligence, Influencer Marketing

Find out how you can leverage Facebook to boost your brand's online presence and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

Facebook Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage Instagram to boost your brand's visual appeal and gain a competitive edge. Explore our category page today!

Instagram Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage LinkedIN to grow your professional network and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

LinkedIn Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage TikTok to elevate your brand with creative content and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

TikTok Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage X / Twitter to engage your audience effectively and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

X / Twitter Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage YouTube to create engaging video content and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

YouTube Blog | Meltwater

Every day billions of conversations take place on social media: tweets, posts, comments, blogs, reviews, podcasts, and much more.
Learn how to use social listening to make sense of all of that data.

On our social listening category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around social listening and social media monitoring. Read more.

Social Listening Blogs | Category

Business Reputation Management: What does it take to add reputation management to your marketing strategy? More importantly, how do you keep your reputation sparkly and shiny? Here’s your all-access guide to online reputation management for the long term.

On our reputation management category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around business reputation management. Read more.

Reputation Management Blogs | Category

From your brand's logo to your website, your social media presence to your customer support—these elements combined are what constitutes a brand in the minds of customers. But, there are thousands of other businesses that have a logo, website, social media presence, and website. So, how can you position your business on the market and make it stand out from the competition?
The key to success is branding & brand management!

On our brand management category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around brand management. Build your strategy and reach your goals!

Brand Management Blogs | Category

Competitive intelligence and the act of collecting competitive data can be seen as growth drivers for a company. Our guide will help you understand the concept of competitive intelligence (CI) by answering questions such as: What is the definition of competitive intelligence? How is competitive intelligence useful to organizations? What is the goal of competitive intelligence? And more.

On our competitive intelligence category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around competitive intelligence. Learn how to stay ahead.

Competitive Intelligence Blogs | Category

Let’s dive into the customer journey framework and how to optimize the process by creating a customer journey map and using metrics that matter when analyzing the customer journey.

On our customer journey category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around mapping and understanding the customer journey.

Customer Journey Blogs | Category

What Is Data Analytics? [Beginner’s Guide 2023]
How can I grow my business? 
How do customers interact with my newly launched product?
How do I increase the productivity of my employees?
How do I know if my marketing efforts are working?
We have just two words for you...Data analytics!

On our data analytics category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around AI and data analytics. Technical and still easy to understand.

AI & Data Analytics Blogs | Category

Public relations and media relations can add impact to any marketing strategy. It’s an opportunity for brands to grow their reach beyond traditional sales messages. PR helps to shape the image you want people to have of your brand.
So, what is PR and how do you use it? This guide shows you everything you need to know to build a strong public relations foundation.

On our public relations (PR) category page, you find all our blogs covering public relations and communications topics. Step up your PR game.

Public Relations (PR) Blogs | Category

We all know exactly what the roles of sales or accounting are in a company, right? We might even have a slight idea of what the IT guys are doing.
But there is another business discipline, that plays a crucial role in organizations, even more so during the pandemic – internal communications!
But what exactly do we mean by that, what purpose does it serve and what steps can you take to ensure you and your employees will communicate effectively?

On our internal communications category page, you find all our blogs about internal comms topics. Learn about the intranet, internal newsletters, and more.

Internal Communications Blogs | Category

As the internet has taken root in more areas of our lives — everything from entertainment to shopping to paying bills and more — traditional marketing is becoming less impactful. As any marketer knows, you need to focus on where your audience is if you want to reach them. Since the average person spends about seven hours a day online, it’s no surprise that content has maintained its hold on marketers.

Here's a closer look at what content marketing is and why it matters more than ever in our digital-first economy.

On our content marketing category page, you find blogs about content marketing topics. Learn about strategies, KPIs, tips, and more. Make your content king!

Content Marketing Blogs | Category

The rise of the influencer marketing space – today a $10 billion industry, growing 50% per year – is one of the clearest examples of how social media is transforming traditional marketing. These days having a business website, presence on social, PR coverage, and your own content isn’t enough to compete.
We'll dive into the intricacies of influencer marketing to help ensure that you're equipped with the insights needed to be successful in this space.

On our influencer marketing category page, you find blogs about influencer marketing topics. Build your strategy, find influencers, and measure results.

Influencer Marketing Blogs | Category

Have you just launched a new product or service that you want to get the word out about? Maybe you want to share with consumers why it is awesome and how it is so much better than the one your competitors offer.

Well, then, there is one thing you can't do without...Marketing!

On our marketing category page, you find blogs about marketing topics. Learn about all the different angles and types of marketing and improve your results.

Marketing Blogs | Category

In this guide, we want to give you a peek into the definition of social media management, the daily schedule of a social media manager, social media platforms to promote your business, and the do’s & don’ts of social media management.
Are you ready to begin the journey of becoming a social media superstar?

On our social media management category page, you find blogs about social media management topics. Build and manage your online community.

Social Media Management Blogs | Category

Building a following and using social media platforms to reach a wider audience requires a well-planned social media marketing strategy. In this guide, we’ll be looking at why social media marketing is so essential and how you can make it work for your business.

On our social media marketing category page, you find blogs about social media marketing topics. Learn how to get the highest paid social ROI!

Social Media Marketing Blogs | Category

In the fast-evolving realm of digital marketing and public relations, utilizing the right tools is crucial for success. Our interdisciplinary category showcases all the pertinent tools for digital marketing & PR. These tools help in enhancing your online presence and effectively reaching target groups, whether through reputation management, influencer marketing, or social media management.

On our digital marketing and PR tools category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around mapping and understanding the customer journey.

Digital Marketing & PR Tools Blogs | Category

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is transforming how brands show up in AI-powered search. Explore insights, strategies, and best practices to help your content rank and resonate across conversational engines like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot.

Explore insights and strategies for Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) to help your brand stay visible and discoverable in AI-powered search.

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) Blog Collection | Meltwater

With AI quickly becoming the first stop for trip planning, LLM recommendations are driving which brands travelers choose for their vacation plans. In our previous analysis, we saw how prompts about hotel deals surface a handful of globally recognized online booking websites. For this investigation, we turned our attention from hotels to airlines to see which brands achieved the highest visibility in answers to the prompt: What are the best airline deals to travel around Europe in spring 2026?

Using GenAI Lens, we analyzed responses across eight leading LLMs  — ChatGPT, Claude, DeepSeek, Gemini, Google AI Overviews, Grok, Llama, and Perplexity — from February 24 to March 17, 2026. The results revealed how low-cost carriers dominate AI-driven discovery, while legacy airlines fall behind in reaching high-intent, budget-conscious consumers. 

AI Models Prioritize Low-Cost Airlines in Spring Break Flight Deal Searches

<div style="max-width:1000px;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;background:#ffffff;border-radius:12px;box-shadow:0 4px 12px rgba(0,0,0,0.08);border:1px solid #eaeaea;overflow:hidden;">

  
  <div style="height:6px;background:linear-gradient(90deg,#28bbbb,#b627a1);"></div>

  
  <div style="padding:16px 20px;">
    <div style="font-size:18px;font-weight:600;color:#000;">Airline Performance Overview</div>
  </div>

  
  <div style="padding:0 16px 16px 16px;">
    <table style="width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;table-layout:fixed;font-size:14px;color:#4c4d4f;text-align:center;">

      
      <tr>
        <th style="padding:12px;">Visibility Ranking</th>
        <th style="padding:12px;">Airlines</th>
        <th style="padding:12px;">Visibility Score</th>
        <th style="padding:12px;background:#eef3f7;">Total Mentions</th>
        <th style="padding:12px;">Prevalence Score</th>
      </tr>

      

      
      <tr style="border-top:1px solid #eaeaea;height:64px;">
        <td>1</td>
        <td style="font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">Ryanair</td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#28bbbb" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="88 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">88%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
        <td style="background:#eef3f7;">283 </td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#28bbbb" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="78 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">78%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="border-top:1px solid #eaeaea;height:64px;">
        <td>2</td>
        <td style="font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">easyJet</td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#28bbbb" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="87 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">87%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
        <td style="background:#eef3f7;">237 </td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#28bbbb" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="77 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">77%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="border-top:1px solid #eaeaea;height:64px;">
        <td>3</td>
        <td style="font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">Wizz Air</td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#28bbbb" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="81 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">81%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
        <td style="background:#eef3f7;">198 </td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#28bbbb" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="72 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">72%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="border-top:1px solid #eaeaea;height:64px;">
        <td>4</td>
        <td style="font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">Vueling</td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="48 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">48%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
        <td style="background:#eef3f7;">96 </td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="49 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">49%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="border-top:1px solid #eaeaea;height:64px;">
        <td>5</td>
        <td style="font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">British Airways</td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="31 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">31%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
        <td style="background:#eef3f7;">54 </td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="30 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">30%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="border-top:1px solid #eaeaea;height:64px;">
        <td>6</td>
        <td style="font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">Lufthansa</td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="26 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">26%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
        <td style="background:#eef3f7;">44 </td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="27 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">27%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="border-top:1px solid #eaeaea;height:64px;">
        <td>7</td>
        <td style="font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">Eurowings</td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="25 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">25%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
        <td style="background:#eef3f7;">42 </td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="23 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">23%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="border-top:1px solid #eaeaea;height:64px;">
        <td>8</td>
        <td style="font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">KLM Royal Dutch Airlines</td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="16 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">16%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
        <td style="background:#eef3f7;">24 </td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="13 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">13%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="border-top:1px solid #eaeaea;height:64px;">
        <td>9</td>
        <td style="font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">Air France</td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="16 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">16%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
        <td style="background:#eef3f7;">22 </td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="14 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">14%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="border-top:1px solid #eaeaea;height:64px;">
        <td>10</td>
        <td style="font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">Transavia</td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="16 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">16%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
        <td style="background:#eef3f7;">19 </td>
        <td>
          <svg width="44" height="44" viewBox="0 0 36 36">
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#eaeaea" stroke-width="4" fill="none"/>
            <circle cx="18" cy="18" r="16" stroke="#ff6221" stroke-width="4" fill="none" stroke-dasharray="13 100" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 18 18)"/>
            <text x="18" y="21" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#000">13%</text>
          </svg>
        </td>
      </tr>

    </table>
  </div>
</div>

Ryanair and easyJet dominated in LLM visibility through a combination of frequent, prominent mentions and high prevalence across responses. Ryanair led with 88% visibility, closely followed by easyJet at 87% thanks to frequent, prominent mentions, often in the beginnings of AI-generated answers. 

By contrast, LLMs mentioned legacy carriers like British Airways (31% visibility), Lufthansa (26%), KLM (16%), and Air France (16%) much less consistently, frequently, and prominently. 

These rankings bode well for budget airlines, confirming their high visibility to cost-conscious customers, but less so for legacy airlines, which LLMs framed as secondary options during the critical discovery stage. 

<div style="max-width:1100px;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;background:#ffffff;border-radius:12px;box-shadow:0 4px 12px rgba(0,0,0,0.08);border:1px solid #eaeaea;overflow:hidden;">

  
  <div style="height:6px;background:linear-gradient(90deg,#28bbbb,#b627a1);"></div>

  
  <div style="padding:16px 20px 8px 20px;">
    <div style="font-size:18px;font-weight:600;color:#000;">Brands performance by model</div>
  </div>

  
  <div style="padding:8px 16px 8px 16px;">
    <table style="width:100%;table-layout:fixed;border-collapse:separate;border-spacing:6px;font-size:10px;color:#4c4d4f;text-align:center;">

      
      <tr>
        <th style="text-align:left;"> </th>
        <th>Gemini</th>
        <th>Grok</th>
        <th>Perplexity</th>
        <th>Llama</th>
        <th>DeepSeek</th>
        <th>ChatGPT</th>
        <th>Claude</th>
        <th>Google AI Overview</th>
      </tr>

      

      
      <tr style="height:52px;">
        <td style="text-align:left;font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">Ryanair</td>
        <td style="background:#5f8fc9;border-radius:6px;color:#fff;">63</td>
        <td style="background:#1e4fa0;border-radius:6px;color:#fff;">99</td>
        <td style="background:#2f6fbf;border-radius:6px;color:#fff;">86</td>
        <td style="background:#2f6fbf;border-radius:6px;color:#fff;">83</td>
        <td style="background:#1e4fa0;border-radius:6px;color:#fff;">98</td>
        <td style="background:#3f78c2;border-radius:6px;color:#fff;">78</td>
        <td style="background:#2a5fb5;border-radius:6px;color:#fff;">93</td>
        <td style="background:#7f9fc9;border-radius:6px;color:#fff;">42</td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="height:52px;">
        <td style="text-align:left;font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">easyJet</td>
        <td style="background:#6f95c5;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">52</td>
        <td style="background:#1e4fa0;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">99</td>
        <td style="background:#3f78c2;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">81</td>
        <td style="background:#2f6fbf;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">83</td>
        <td style="background:#1e4fa0;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">98</td>
        <td style="background:#3f78c2;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">78</td>
        <td style="background:#2a5fb5;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">92</td>
        <td style="background:#8aa6cc;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">39</td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="height:52px;">
        <td style="text-align:left;font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">Wizz Air</td>
        <td style="background:#5f8fc9;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">61</td>
        <td style="background:#1e4fa0;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">98</td>
        <td style="background:#7f9fc9;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">53</td>
        <td style="background:#2f6fbf;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">83</td>
        <td style="background:#1e4fa0;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">98</td>
        <td style="background:#4a82c6;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">67</td>
        <td style="background:#3f78c2;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">83</td>
        <td style="background:#8aa6cc;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">39</td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="height:52px;">
        <td style="text-align:left;font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">Vueling</td>
        <td style="background:#9fb4cc;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">35</td>
        <td style="background:#2f6fbf;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">85</td>
        <td style="background:#8aa6cc;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">51</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">0</td>
        <td style="background:#4a82c6;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">73</td>
        <td style="background:#5f8fc9;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">56</td>
        <td style="background:#5f8fc9;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">58</td>
        <td style="background:#aabbd0;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">28</td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="height:52px;">
        <td style="text-align:left;font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">British Airways</td>
        <td style="background:#b7c5d6;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">21</td>
        <td style="background:#aabbd0;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">33</td>
        <td style="background:#5f8fc9;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">60</td>
        <td style="background:#aabbd0;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">30</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">0</td>
        <td style="background:#c7d2de;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">17</td>
        <td style="background:#b7c5d6;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">22</td>
        <td style="background:#5f8fc9;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">60</td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="height:52px;">
        <td style="text-align:left;font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">Lufthansa</td>
        <td style="background:#d5dde7;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">12</td>
        <td style="background:#8aa6cc;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">41</td>
        <td style="background:#9fb4cc;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">38</td>
        <td style="background:#8aa6cc;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">42</td>
        <td style="background:#aabbd0;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">23</td>
        <td style="background:#aabbd0;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">26</td>
        <td style="background:#b7c5d6;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">22</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">11</td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="height:52px;">
        <td style="text-align:left;font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">Eurowings</td>
        <td style="background:#8aa6cc;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">40</td>
        <td style="background:#7f9fc9;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">47</td>
        <td style="background:#d5dde7;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">18</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">0</td>
        <td style="background:#9fb4cc;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">38</td>
        <td style="background:#aabbd0;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">30</td>
        <td style="background:#d5dde7;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">14</td>
        <td style="background:#d5dde7;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">12</td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="height:52px;">
        <td style="text-align:left;font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">KLM Royal Dutch Airlines</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">7</td>
        <td style="background:#d5dde7;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">15</td>
        <td style="background:#8aa6cc;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">48</td>
        <td style="background:#d5dde7;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">18</td>
        <td style="background:#d5dde7;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">19</td>
        <td style="background:#d5dde7;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">15</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">0</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">0</td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="height:52px;">
        <td style="text-align:left;font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">Transavia</td>
        <td style="background:#d5dde7;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">19</td>
        <td style="background:#d5dde7;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">15</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">12</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">0</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">12</td>
        <td style="background:#aabbd0;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">33</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">11</td>
        <td style="background:#d5dde7;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">15</td>
      </tr>

      
      <tr style="height:52px;">
        <td style="text-align:left;font-weight:600;color:#28bbbb;">Air France</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">7</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">8</td>
        <td style="background:#aabbd0;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">31</td>
        <td style="background:#8aa6cc;color:#fff;border-radius:6px;">42</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">6</td>
        <td style="background:#b7c5d6;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">21</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">0</td>
        <td style="background:#eaeaea;color:#4c4d4f;border-radius:6px;">0</td>
      </tr>

    </table>
  </div>

  
  <div style="padding:12px 20px 16px 20px;">
    <div style="height:10px;border-radius:6px;background:linear-gradient(90deg,#eaeaea,#9fb4cc,#5f8fc9,#2f6fbf,#1e4fa0);margin-bottom:6px;"></div>
    <div style="display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:11px;color:#4c4d4f;">
      <span>0–11</span>
      <span>11–19</span>
      <span>19–33</span>
      <span>33–51</span>
      <span>51–81</span>
      <span>81–99</span>
    </div>
  </div>

</div>

As always though, LLM recommendations were far from uniform. With visibility varying significantly across models, consumers’ exposure to airlines appears to be highly dependent on which models they use. For example, while Ryanair was highly visible on Grok (99%), DeepSeek (98%), and Claude (93%), it was much less so on Google’s Gemini (63%) and AI Overviews (42%). Instead, on AI Overviews, arguably one of the more prominent platforms for the everyday consumer, British Airways scored highest with 60% visibility.

Overall, Grok, DeepSeek, and Claude recommended low-cost airlines more aggressively for the best flight deals, while Perplexity and Google AI Overviews mentioned a slightly wider range of brands. 

Strategic Takeaway: For legacy and hybrid carriers targeting cost-conscious travelers, and indeed for brands targeting consumers in any industry, optimizing for the LLMs they use most is key to staying competitive. 

<div style="max-width:1000px;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;background-color:#ffffff;border-radius:12px;box-shadow:0 4px 12px rgba(0,0,0,0.08);overflow:hidden;border:1px solid #eaeaea;">
  
  
  <div style="height:6px;background:linear-gradient(90deg,#28bbbb,#b627a1);"></div>
  
  
  <div style="padding:16px 20px 8px 20px;">
    <div style="font-size:18px;font-weight:600;color:#000000;margin-bottom:4px;">
      Airline Brand Sentiment Overview
    </div>
    <div style="font-size:13px;color:#4c4d4f;">
      Visibility, sentiment drivers, and strategic implications across major European airlines
    </div>
  </div>
  
  
  <div style="padding:8px 16px 16px 16px;">
    <table cellpadding="10" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;border-collapse:separate;border-spacing:0;font-size:14px;color:#4c4d4f;">
      <thead>
        <tr>
          <th style="text-align:left;background-color:#c4f4f4;border-bottom:1px solid #eaeaea;">Brand</th>
          <th style="text-align:left;background-color:#c4f4f4;border-bottom:1px solid #eaeaea;">Visibility</th>
          <th style="text-align:left;background-color:#c4f4f4;border-bottom:1px solid #eaeaea;">Positive Sentiment Drivers</th>
          <th style="text-align:left;background-color:#c4f4f4;border-bottom:1px solid #eaeaea;">Negative Sentiment Drivers</th>
          <th style="text-align:left;background-color:#c4f4f4;border-bottom:1px solid #eaeaea;">What It Means</th>
        </tr>
      </thead>
      <tbody>
        <tr>
          <td style="color:#28bbbb;font-weight:600;">Ryanair</td>
          <td>88%</td>
          <td>Very strong on price and network coverage</td>
          <td>Highest negatives (17) driven by fees, baggage, and add-ons</td>
          <td style="font-weight:500;color:#000000;">High visibility amplifies trade-offs</td>
        </tr>
        <tr style="background-color:#f9fefe;">
          <td style="color:#28bbbb;font-weight:600;">easyJet</td>
          <td>87%</td>
          <td>Price + convenience (main airports, flexibility, usability)</td>
          <td>Fee-related concerns (13) but less severe</td>
          <td style="font-weight:500;color:#000000;">Best balance of value + experience</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td style="color:#28bbbb;font-weight:600;">Wizz Air</td>
          <td>81%</td>
          <td>Low fares and strong Eastern Europe coverage</td>
          <td>Fees, baggage costs, and add-ons (13)</td>
          <td style="font-weight:500;color:#000000;">Strong value but trust gap</td>
        </tr>
        <tr style="background-color:#f9fefe;">
          <td style="color:#28bbbb;font-weight:600;">Vueling</td>
          <td>48%</td>
          <td>Competitive pricing and strong regional routes</td>
          <td>Fees and ancillary costs (lower volume)</td>
          <td style="font-weight:500;color:#000000;">Good perception but low scale</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td style="color:#28bbbb;font-weight:600;">British Airways</td>
          <td>31%</td>
          <td>More stable experience, fewer complaints</td>
          <td>Limited negatives but weak link to “deals”</td>
          <td style="font-weight:500;color:#000000;">Not seen as value</td>
        </tr>
        <tr style="background-color:#f9fefe;">
          <td style="color:#28bbbb;font-weight:600;">Lufthansa</td>
          <td>26%</td>
          <td>Reliability and full-service quality</td>
          <td>Minimal negatives but low relevance to deals</td>
          <td style="font-weight:500;color:#000000;">Strong equity but low inclusion</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td style="color:#28bbbb;font-weight:600;">Air France / KLM</td>
          <td>~16%</td>
          <td>Balanced, fewer negatives</td>
          <td>Very low negatives but also low presence</td>
          <td style="font-weight:500;color:#000000;">Missing from “deals” conversation</td>
        </tr>
      </tbody>
    </table>
  </div>

</div>

Being recommendations, LLMs inherently had more praise than critique for the airlines they mentioned. However, responses were not 100% positive, nor did they highlight the same qualities across airlines.

LLMs positively mentioned Ryanair’s and easyJet’s prices, route availability, and flight frequency. Plus, easyJet enjoyed additional praise for its airport access, ease of use, and flexibility. Wizz Air stood out for its strong Eastern/Central Europe coverage, and Vueling for its strength in Southern Europe. Overall, outside of just low fares, AI prioritized broad and convenient networks in its recommendations to European spring breakers on a budget.

On the flip side, lack of transparency was a recurring theme in less than favorable brand mentions. LLMs frequently warned consumers to “watch for extra fees” or “check baggage policies”, driving home the narrative low prices come with caveats.

For low-cost carriers, negative sentiment drivers highlight opportunities to build trust through price transparency and simplicity. For legacy airlines, the challenge comes in demonstrating total cost efficiency. 
Strategic Takeaway: Winning the AI-driven discovery game for cost-conscious consumers may depend on ensuring that “deals” are not just seen as cheap, but as genuinely valuable.

Brand Websites Had Limited Influence on LLMs

<div style="max-width:1000px;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;background-color:#ffffff;border-radius:12px;box-shadow:0 4px 12px rgba(0,0,0,0.08);overflow:hidden;border:1px solid #eaeaea;">
  
  
  <div style="height:6px;background:linear-gradient(90deg,#28bbbb,#b627a1);"></div>
  
  
  <div style="padding:16px 20px 8px 20px;">
    <div style="font-size:18px;font-weight:600;color:#000000;margin-bottom:4px;">
      Top Sources
    </div>
    <div style="font-size:13px;color:#4c4d4f;">
     
    </div>
  </div>
  
  
  <div style="padding:8px 16px 16px 16px;">
    <table cellpadding="10" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%;border-collapse:separate;border-spacing:0;font-size:14px;color:#4c4d4f;">
      <thead>
        <tr>
          <th style="text-align:left;background-color:#c4f4f4;border-bottom:1px solid #eaeaea;">Website</th>
          <th style="text-align:left;background-color:#c4f4f4;border-bottom:1px solid #eaeaea;">Mentions</th>
          <th style="text-align:left;background-color:#c4f4f4;border-bottom:1px solid #eaeaea;">Source Type</th>
        
        </tr>
      </thead>
      <tbody>
        <tr>
          <td style="color:#28bbbb;font-weight:600;">Kayak.com</td>
         
          <td>63</td>
           <td>Travel Deal Platform</td>
        </tr>
        <tr style="background-color:#f9fefe;">
          <td style="color:#28bbbb;font-weight:600;">Momondo.com</td>
          <td>56</td>
          <td>Travel Deal Platform</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td style="color:#28bbbb;font-weight:600;">Virginatlantic.com</td>
          <td>55</td>
          <td>Airline</td>
        </tr>
        <tr style="background-color:#f9fefe;">
          <td style="color:#28bbbb;font-weight:600;">Thriftytraveler.com</td>
          <td>43</td>
          <td>Travel Deal Resource and News Website</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td style="color:#28bbbb;font-weight:600;">Expedia.com</td>
          <td>40</td>
          <td>Travel Deal Platform</td>
        </tr>
        <tr style="background-color:#f9fefe;">
          <td style="color:#28bbbb;font-weight:600;">Travelocity.com</td>
          <td>39</td>
          <td>Travel Deal Platform</td>

        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td style="color:#28bbbb;font-weight:600;">Skyscanner.com</td>
          <td>37</td>
          <td>Travel Deal Platform</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td style="color:#28bbbb;font-weight:600;">Easyjet.com</td>
          <td>32</td>
          <td>Airline</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td style="color:#28bbbb;font-weight:600;">Britishairways.com</td>
          <td>27</td>
          <td>Airline</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td style="color:#28bbbb;font-weight:600;">Going.com</td>
          <td>27</td>
          <td>Travel Deal Platform</td>
        </tr>
      </tbody>
    </table>
  </div>

</div>

For brands across industries, reshaping LLM narratives begins with developing strategies for the sources that influence them most. In the case of spring break airline deals, travel deal platforms were more influential than brand websites in informing AI-generated responses. They accounted for six of the ten leading sources, led by Kayak with 63 mentions and Momondo with 56 mentions. 

Three brand websites ranked among the top ten sources, including Virgin Atlantic which did not achieve a top visibility score. A lone earned media source, Thrifty Traveler, also made the list, highlighting just how influential niche websites with consistent, expert-informed content can be. 

Collectively, however, LLMs relied far more on aggregator content than on brand-owned messaging when constructing recommendations, likely perceiving them as more objective and useful.  

Strategic Takeaway: First, for airlines, winning in AI requires strong presence in aggregator ecosystems and trusted, niche websites, not just owned channels. Second, brands regardless of industry must ensure that third-party sources accurately reflect their value proposition so that the LLMs that reference them do as well.

As AI increasingly shapes how travelers discover and evaluate options, visibility in LLM responses grows more closely tied to consumer demand. For airlines and travel brands, gaining an edge lies in understanding where, how, and how often you appear compared to competitors. It also requires aligning messaging across the third-party sources LLMs rely on most.

Across industries, the AI era is challenging marketers to pinpoint exactly how these platforms characterize and perpetuate information to a wide range of high-intent buyers. GenAI Lens makes that research feasible at scale, finally giving brands the chance to take control of their AI narrative. 

FAQ: Airline Deals, AI Recommendations, and LLM Visibility

Which airlines have the best deals for Europe travel in spring 2026?

According to Meltwater’s GenAI Lens analysis of flight deals for spring break, low-cost carriers like Ryanair, easyJet, and Wizz Air are most frequently recommended by AI models. These airlines dominate visibility due to their strong association with affordability, route availability, and frequent service across Europe.

How do AI tools decide which airlines to recommend for cheap flights?

Meltwater’s GenAI Lens analysis shows that LLMs prioritize airlines based on factors like price competitiveness, network coverage, and how often they appear in trusted third-party sources like aggregators and travel deal sites. This means brands with strong presence on platforms like Kayak or Momondo are more likely to be recommended.

Do different AI models recommend different airlines?

Yes. Meltwater’s GenAI Lens analysis of LLM recommendations for spring break airline deals in Europe reveals significant variation across models. For example, Ryanair has near-total visibility on Grok and DeepSeek but is much less prominent on Google AI Overviews, where British Airways performs better. This highlights how airline discovery depends heavily on the AI platform used.

What factors influence airline rankings in AI-generated answers?

According to Meltwater’s GenAI Lens analysis of LLM recommendations for spring break airline deals, key factors include visibility (how often a brand appears), prevalence (how consistently it’s included), frequency (total mentions), and prominence (placement within responses). Airlines that perform well across all four metrics are more likely to dominate recommendations.

What are the pros and cons of low-cost airlines according to AI?

Meltwater’s GenAI Lens analysis of LLM recommendations for spring break airline deals shows that AI consistently praised low-cost airlines for price and route coverage, but also flagged drawbacks like extra fees, baggage costs, and pricing complexity. This creates a “cheap but with trade-offs” narrative in AI-generated answers.

Why don’t airline websites influence AI recommendations for flight deals very much?

Meltwater’s GenAI Lens analysis found that AI models rely heavily on third-party sources like aggregators (e.g., Kayak, Momondo). They potentially perceive these websites as more objective and useful than brand websites.

How can airlines improve their visibility in AI search results for flight deals?

Based on Meltwater’s GenAI Lens insights, airlines can improve visibility by strengthening their presence and consistent value messaging on aggregator platforms.

Why does AI visibility matter for airlines and travel brands?

As highlighted in Meltwater’s GenAI Lens analysis, AI recommendations have the potential to shape early-stage travel decisions. Airlines that are consistently visible in LLM recommendations have greater exposure to high-intent travelers, likely giving them a competitive advantage in bookings and brand preference.

The European Airlines Dominating LLMs

PR has quietly shifted under everyone’s feet. You’re still pitching stories, still building relationships, but that’s not where the story ends anymore.

Now there’s another layer sitting on top of everything, with AI tools pulling from thousands of sources, stitching together a version of your brand, and handing that to your audience as the answer. Not a list of links, not a balanced mix of opinions from different sources, just one clean response.

So the real question isn’t whether you landed the coverage, it’s how AI perceives your brand narrative, because that’s what your audience is starting to see first.

This is where Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) comes in. It gives you a way to influence how AI systems describe your company, your category, and your relevance, and if you get it right, you don’t just show up in AI platforms, you show up accurately, consistently, and in the right context.

The Shift: From Gatekeepers to Synthesizers

How Meltwater Can Help You Optimize Your PR Strategies for GEO

Key Takeaways: Mastering Narrative Control in the Age of AI

PR used to be straightforward. You pitched a story, a journalist wrote it, and your audience read it. Now, AI sits in the middle, pulling from thousands of sources at once - it doesn’t just pass information along, it rewrites it, compresses it, decides what matters.

So instead of one story being told, you’ve got this blended version of your brand floating around, built from dozens or hundreds of inputs, and you don’t get to approve it.

Earned media still matters, but it’s no longer the final word. AI is looking across sources, weighing them, spotting repetition, and if something shows up often enough, in similar terms, it starts to look like the truth.

That’s where things get tricky, because if your messaging isn’t consistent, or if competitors are more disciplined than you are, their version of the story starts to win.

You can’t rely on isolated wins anymore, one strong article won’t carry your narrative. What matters is the full picture. Every mention, every quote, every page on your site, it all adds up to create the version of your brand and your organization that AI sees and passes on to its users. 

That means your PR, SEO, and content teams need to work together, not in silos. You’re not just telling stories any more, you’re making sure those stories line up, everywhere, all the time. Clean, simple, repeatable, because that’s what AI understands.

3. GEO as Category Creation & Domination Strategy

5. The Defensive GEO Playbook (Proactive Protection)

6. Crisis Communications in the Age of GEO (Reactive & Long-Term Repair)

Visibility sounds simple, but in this context it’s not just about being seen, it’s about being understood clearly and consistently. That difference matters more than most teams realize, because AI doesn’t just surface your brand, it interprets it.

AI leans heavily on sources it already trusts, like major publications, analyst reports, and established platforms, so if you’re not showing up in those places you’re already behind. But even when you are present, what really matters is how those sources describe you, because that language becomes part of how AI defines your brand.

This is where things often break down. A lot of brands try to sound ambitious or forward-thinking, and in doing so they drift into vague, overcomplicated language that doesn’t hold up. AI needs clarity to work with, not clever phrasing, so if you can’t explain what you do in simple, direct terms, it won’t be able to either.

Most people aren’t searching for your brand by name, they’re searching for solutions or trying to understand a category, which means you need to show up in those broader conversations. If you’re missing there, you’re invisible at the exact moment someone is forming a shortlist or making a decision.

Your website acts as your foundation, because it’s where AI goes to confirm what’s true. When your owned content is clear and consistent, it strengthens everything else, but if it’s vague or contradictory, it creates doubt that carries across every other mention.

You don’t need to overcomplicate this. Start by defining exactly what you are, in plain language, and use that same description everywhere, from your website to your press coverage to your interviews. Check how AI describes your brand from time to time, adjust when it drifts, and make sure your PR and SEO teams are aligned so you’re not sending mixed signals into the system.

AI doesn’t rely on a single signal to understand your brand, it looks for patterns it can trust, and those patterns are built over time through repetition across multiple sources.

A top-tier mention still matters, but on its own it’s just one data point in a much larger picture. What really shifts perception is consistency across many credible sources, where the same ideas show up often enough to feel reliable.

The power of repetition across mid-tier publications

This is where mid-tier and niche publications start to play a bigger role than most teams expect. Individually they may not carry the same weight as a major outlet, but together they reinforce the same message again and again, which is exactly the kind of signal AI looks for when forming a view.

Every time someone speaks on behalf of your brand, whether it’s an executive, a spokesperson, or a partner, they’re adding another layer to that pattern. If the framing shifts slightly from one conversation to the next, those differences don’t go unnoticed, they accumulate.

Why scattered messaging weakens AI inclusion

Inconsistent messaging doesn’t cancel itself out, it blends into something less defined. Over time, that creates a version of your brand that feels unclear or diluted, and in some cases, just plain wrong.

AI doesn’t select the most polished or strategic version of your message, it defaults to what it sees most often, which means repetition carries more weight than intent.

You don’t need a long list of messages to get this right, you need a small set of clear ideas that show up consistently everywhere. Once those are defined, the real work is in discipline, making sure every piece of content, every interview, and every mention reinforces the same core narrative, and going back to fix anything that doesn’t.

If you don’t clearly define your category, someone else will do it for you, or worse, AI will fill in the gaps based on whatever signals it finds.

When you introduce a clear, specific term and use it consistently, you give AI something stable to anchor to. Over time, if analysts, journalists, and other voices start adopting that same language, it stops being your label and becomes the industry’s default.

Shaping how analysts and media describe the space

Analysts and journalists aren’t just observers, they actively shape how your category is understood, and their language often carries more weight than your own. Since AI pulls heavily from these sources, the way they describe your space can quickly become the version that gets repeated.

Aligning product pages, press releases, and executive commentary

This only works if your own channels are fully aligned. When your product pages, press releases, and executive messaging all describe your category in slightly different ways, you introduce confusion that AI will carry forward into its summaries.

AI also decides who you’re grouped with, which means your category definition directly affects your competitive positioning. If you’re not clear about where you sit, you can easily end up compared against the wrong companies, which weakens your story.

How To Use GEO For Category Creation & Domination

The approach here is simple, but it requires discipline. Be deliberate about the language you use, apply it consistently across every channel, and actively push it into conversations with media and analysts. Then keep checking how AI defines your category over time, and when it drifts, adjust and reinforce until your framing sticks.

Thought leadership isn’t just about getting your name out there anymore, it’s about giving AI something credible, structured, and easy to reuse when it builds answers.

Why expert quotes shape generative answers

AI tends to favor insight that’s clearly attributed, because it signals authority. When your leaders are quoted consistently across trusted sources, their perspective starts to carry more weight, and over time, those quotes become part of how AI explains your category.

There’s a clear difference in how these formats are interpreted. Bylined articles come across as expertise and original thinking, while press releases read more like announcements, and AI treats them that way, prioritizing content that feels more substantive and opinion-led.

Podcasts, keynote transcripts, and panels as data sources

A lot of value sits in spoken content, especially once it’s transcribed. Those transcripts turn conversations into structured text that AI can actually use, which means interviews, panels, and keynotes can quietly become some of your most useful inputs.

As your leaders appear more frequently in consistent contexts, speaking about the same themes, AI begins to associate them with that specific expertise. Over time, they become recognizable entities that the system can reference and trust.

The focus here should be on depth rather than volume. Give your leaders clear, well-defined perspectives, place them in conversations that allow for real substance, and make sure their messaging stays consistent wherever they show up, so each appearance reinforces the last rather than diluting it.

Crises don’t behave the way they used to. They don’t just spike and fade, they hang around, especially in an AI-driven environment where past coverage keeps getting pulled back into the present.

When enough negative content builds up across credible sources, AI starts to interpret that pattern as the dominant narrative. It doesn’t distinguish much between what’s current and what’s simply repeated, so over time that version of events can start to feel like the default.

The compounding effect of repeated coverage

Even when coverage isn’t adding anything new, it still adds weight. Each article, mention, or recap reinforces the same storyline, and that accumulation is exactly what AI looks for when deciding what to surface.

This is why what you build before a crisis matters so much. If you’ve already established a strong, consistent narrative, you have something to fall back on, which makes it harder for a single negative thread to take over completely.

Long-term narrative repair through saturation

Fixing the narrative doesn’t happen overnight. It takes sustained effort, where you continue to publish, reinforce, and distribute clearer, more accurate signals until they start to outweigh what came before.

Narrative control in 2026: PR strategies for AI & GEO

Search has changed. You see it every time you Google something and get a full answer before a list of links even loads. That answer is a Google AI Overview, and it shapes what people learn about a brand in seconds. If you're not tracking it, you’re left simply guessing how your brand shows up in one of the most important spaces in search.

In this guide, we walk through how to understand, measure, and improve presence in AI Overviews. It builds on the core ideas in your brief but takes a clearer, more practical approach you can actually apply.

Understanding Google AI Overviews and Their Impact

Key Metrics for Measuring AI Overview Performance

Methods and Tools for Tracking AI Overview Data

Strategies for Optimizing Content for AI Overviews

Interpreting Data and Making Informed Decisions

Start Monitoring Your Brand in Google AI Overviews with Meltwater

Google AI Overviews sit at the top of search results and give users a direct, synthesized answer. They pull from multiple sources and present a clean summary, often removing the need to click through. That shift matters because content is no longer just competing for clicks, it is competing to be the answer itself.

When a brand appears in an AI Overview, it shapes perception instantly. Users may trust what they see there without ever visiting a website, and that means visibility is no longer just about rankings, it is about representation.

If you ignore this shift, you lose control of how a brand shows up, but when you track it, you gain a clear view of where your brand stands and where you can improve.

Google AI Overviews are AI-generated summaries that answer a user’s query directly on the search results page, combining information from different sources and presenting it in a way that feels complete and authoritative.

Think of them as a layer above traditional search results where, instead of ten blue links, users see a structured answer with supporting sources. If content is included, it becomes part of that answer, if not, it disappears from the most prominent space on the page.

An example Google AI Overview for the search query "What is GenAI Lens?"

Why does Google AI Overview tracking matter for my brand?

Brands need to track AI Overviews because they influence what people believe about a brand before they ever engage with it. That influence affects traffic, trust, and conversions in ways traditional SEO never fully captured.

When we monitor AI Overviews, we see whether a brand is included, how often it appears, and what is being said. We also see how competitors show up, which gives a direct view of what Google considers authoritative.

This data helps refine content strategy. Instead of guessing what works, we can build content that earns placement in AI-generated answers. Over time, that leads to stronger visibility and more control over the narrative.

We cannot improve what we do not measure, and AI Overviews require a different lens than traditional SEO. The focus shifts from rankings alone to presence, influence, and outcomes.

Visibility is the starting point. We want to know how often content appears in AI Overviews and for which queries. This shows whether Google sees the content as useful for answering real questions.

Click-through rate still matters, even though fewer users click. When they do, it signals strong interest and trust. A high CTR from AI Overview placements means the content stands out even in a summarized environment.

Engagement shows what happens next. If users land on a page and stay, scroll, and explore, the content is working. If they leave quickly, expectations set by the overview are not being met.

Conversion impact ties everything together. We need to understand whether AI Overview visibility leads to real business outcomes, including both direct conversions and assisted ones.

Tracking AI Overviews requires a mix of tools because no single platform provides the full picture yet. We need to combine search data, behavioral insights, and specialized monitoring.

Google Search Console provides a strong foundation. It shows which queries drive impressions and clicks and helps surface patterns that align with AI Overview triggers. While it does not always label AI Overviews directly, it still reveals the signals behind them.

Google Analytics fills in the gaps. It shows what users do after they land on a site, including engagement, conversions, and behavior tied to organic search traffic.

Manual searches still play an important role. When we run queries ourselves, we see exactly how brands appear, how competitors are positioned, and how the narrative is framed.

The real shift comes with automation. Tools like Meltwater GenAI Lens are built to track AI Overview visibility at scale. They monitor mentions, citations, and positioning across large keyword sets without constant manual effort, giving a clearer and more consistent view of performance.

GenAI Lens adds real value because it moves tracking from reactive to proactive. Instead of checking results one query at a time, we can see patterns across thousands of searches, understand where a brand is gaining or losing visibility, and identify gaps we would otherwise miss. 

It also captures both citations and unlinked mentions, which is critical in AI Overviews where attribution is not always direct. That broader view helps us understand not just where we appear, but how we are being represented, which is what actually shapes perception.

To appear in AI Overviews, content needs to be easy to understand and easy to extract. That means writing clearly, structuring information well, and answering questions directly.

Start with clarity. Each section should answer a specific question in a straightforward way. There is no room for filler, and the point needs to come quickly.

Think about how people search. Users ask questions, and content should respond in the same language. When intent is matched closely, the chances of being included in AI-generated summaries increase.

Structure matters. Clear headings, logical flow, and well-organized sections help both users and AI systems process the content. When it is easy to scan, it is easier to surface.

Authority builds over time. Depth, consistency, and relevance across content signal expertise. When Google sees a source as reliable, it is more likely to feature that content in AI Overviews.

Data only matters if we use it, so the goal is not just to collect metrics, but to turn them into actions that improve performance.

Look for patterns across the data to understand which topics drive AI Overview visibility, and which do not. Changes over time often reveal shifts in how Google evaluates content.

Always test assumptions. If a certain structure or format seems promising, apply it and track the results, then compare performance to similar content to understand what changed.

The Meltwater Blog

The European Airlines Dominating LLMs

Narrative control in 2026: PR strategies for AI & GEO

Tracking Google AI Overview Performance: Brand Monitoring Guide

Social Media News: The 5 Biggest Stories of the Week

How Booking.com and Expedia Dominate AI Travel Recommendations

AI in Brand Reputation Management: An Overview

Top 10 Tapfiliate Alternatives 2026: A Comprehensive Guide

How To Use AI for Competitive Analysis: A Strategic Imperative

What Is Crisis Communication? Plan, Examples, Strategy

5 Market Intelligence Tools For Smarter Strategy (2026 Guide)

AI for PR Teams: Accelerate Workflows with Mira

How to Approach Influencers Through Emails