4 Steps to Win Back Budget With AEO

Let’s be honest: You’ve been asked to do more with less. 

While your marketing colleagues’ budgets have grown, backed by performance dashboards and conversion metrics, your PR budget has likely stayed flat (or even shrunk). And yet, the pressure on you hasn’t gone away. If anything, then it’s intensified. Why? Because the way people discover information is changing right under our feet. 

AI-powered search is replacing lists of links with direct, synthesized answers. That shift makes brand visibility harder to secure, impact harder to measure and leadership’s questions about ROI louder than ever.

That’s why I don’t say this lightly: This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for PR to expand its influence. The PR pros who embrace the Answer Economy, and with it answer engine optimization (AEO), will thrive.

In the Answer Economy, AI models don’t send people to websites; they pull from credible sources to generate answers on the spot. Citation becomes the new currency of visibility. Those who adapt will shape the conversation and those who don’t risk being sidelined.

Here’s why I’m optimistic: PR is built for this moment.