Getting Noticed by AI: A Simple PR Guide

Why AI Search Matters

AI‑powered search tools—like ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Claude—are becoming the first place people look for answers. If your brand shows up there, you stand out. That means more awareness, more trust, and more customers.

How Brands Get Into AI

1. Do Something Newsworthy.

   • Launch a new product.

   • Win an award.

   • Announce a major partnership.

2. Work with PR.

   • Share your story with top news outlets.

   • A PR firm helps craft and place your news.

The Robots.txt File: Your AI Gatekeeper

Every website has a small text file called robots.txt. It tells automated bots which pages they can read and index.

• Allow your bot? List its name under User-agent: and use Allow:

• Block your bot? List it and use Disallow:

If you don’t allow a bot, it won’t see or share your content.

Top News Sites for ChatGPT

To boost your chances in ChatGPT’s results, aim for coverage on sites that let its crawler in. Here are ten to target:

• reuters.com

• ft.com

• nypost.com

• wsj.com

• thesun.co.uk

• dw.com

• washingtonpost.com

• theatlantic.com

• thetimes.co.uk

• businessinsider.com

Top Sites for Other AI Tools

• Claude (Anthropic):

  • economist.com

  • bloomberg.com

  • theguardian.com

• Perplexity:

  • dw.com

  • businessinsider.com

  • latimes.com

  • politico.com

(Ask your PR team to review each site’s robots.txt before outreach because this changes all the time.)

Who Blocks the Most Bots?

Some publishers block nearly every AI crawler. Top 10 blockers include:

• dailymail.co.uk

• metro.co.uk

• cnbc.com

• seattletimes.com

• nytimes.com

• buzzfeed.com

• huffpost.com

• pcmag.com

• bbc.com

• ft.com

Blocking means these sites won’t show up in AI search.

Who Welcomes All Bots?

A few sites make their content fully open:

• asiatimes.com
• bangkokpost.com
• channelnewsasia.com
• dallasnews.com
• foxnews.com
• time.com
• vice.com

What This Means for You

• Plan your PR around sites that welcome your chosen AI bots.

• Check robots.txt. It’s a quick way to see who allows or blocks each AI.

• Balance control and visibility. Your site has a robots.txt file too!  If you block all bots, AI can’t share your news. If you allow the right bots, you tap into powerful new audiences.

With the right strategy, your brand can rise to the top of AI search results—putting you ahead of the competition.

About The Author

Dave Burnett

I help people make more money online.

Over the years I’ve had lots of fun working with thousands of brands and helping them distribute millions of promotional products and implement multinational rewards and incentive programs.

Now I’m helping great marketers turn their products and services into sustainable online businesses.

How can I help you?

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