How to optimise press releases for journalists and AI search across international markets
A well-planned press release gives journalists the facts, evidence and context they need to assess a story. But a press release also has a new audience; one that it didn’t even cater to just a few years ago. The information it contains can also help AI platforms understand what a business does, assess its credibility and determine whether to reference it in AI-generated responses.
For global B2B brands, this creates an opportunity to build visibility with both journalists and AI-powered search platforms across multiple markets. However, a press release is only one part of the GEO picture. Different AI platforms draw on different sources, and no single release can deliver the visibility a brand needs on its own.
GEO therefore needs to form part of an integrated international communications strategy, where credible, engaging stories are supported by relevant media coverage and content across multiple channels. For international brands, that also means adapting stories to the interests, expectations and news priorities of individual markets, without losing consistency in the overall brand message.
Start with a story journalists actually want
GEO might be changing the way content is discovered, but it hasn’t changed the basic requirement for a press release to contain genuine news. A release needs a good reason to exist, particularly if the goal is to secure relevant media coverage that can also strengthen a brand’s visibility in AI-generated search.
A new product launch in a new region will still leave journalists asking the question: why should readers care? The stories that resonate are those that connect an announcement to a wider business problem, industry development or meaningful change for customers.
Original research can be particularly effective here, providing journalists with credible evidence and fresh insights they can reference. For international research campaigns, global findings can offer an overarching narrative, while market-specific data gives local journalists a relevant story angle for their region. The resulting coverage can also add to the independent sources of information that AI platforms may draw on when generating responses.
Involving local PR teams early helps identify which aspects of a story are most newsworthy in each market, increasing its potential to earn relevant coverage rather than relying on the same announcement everywhere.
Make information easy for journalists and AI platforms to understand
A well-structured press release helps journalists quickly identify the key facts and understand why a story is important to the publication’s readers. The same principles can also make information easier for AI platforms to interpret. Descriptive headlines, clear opening paragraphs, consistent terminology and accurately attributed claims help establish the subject and credibility of an announcement.
For international PR campaigns, this clarity needs to extend across different language versions. However, consistency in the core message shouldn’t come at the expense of local relevance. The language buyers use to describe their challenges can vary significantly between countries, so simply translating a release word for word may not be enough.
For GEO, maintaining accurate and consistent information about a brand, its products and its expertise across markets is particularly important. Local PR teams can adapt terminology and context while ensuring the underlying facts and claims remain aligned.
There are also practical considerations when publishing releases online. Descriptive page titles, attributed statistics and relevant supporting links can make information easier to find, understand and verify. For multilingual releases, appropriate language metadata and links between corresponding pages can also help search engines identify the correct regional version.
Build a wider PR campaign around the press release
A press release can provide the starting point for a much broader communications campaign, which is where its contribution to GEO becomes more valuable. A research announcement, for example, might lead to expert commentary and thought leadership articles in relevant publications, LinkedIn posts from company executives and short AEO videos for YouTube answering questions buyers are asking.
Together, these activities create multiple opportunities for a brand’s expertise to be discovered, referenced and reinforced across different sources. Independent editorial coverage adds third-party credibility, while owned content gives businesses more control over how their expertise is explained. Both have a role in supporting GEO, making integration important to the overall strategy.
Measure visibility across markets, not just globally
The impact of a press release should be assessed in the context of the wider campaign, rather than through coverage volume alone. Relevant media placements, backlinks, message accuracy and association with priority industry topics can all help demonstrate its contribution.
GEO adds another dimension as brands can monitor whether they appear in AI-generated responses to important industry questions, which sources are cited and whether the information accurately represents the business. Tracking these results over time can provide useful insights into overall visibility, even if individual AI mentions cannot be attributed directly to a press release.
For international campaigns, these assessments should be carried out at market level as well as globally. A release might generate substantial international syndication but little coverage in the trade publications that influence buyers in a priority market. Equally, a company might appear in English-language AI search results but be absent from comparable questions asked in French or Spanish.
These differences can help teams identify where local media relationships, content or messaging need strengthening. Shared objectives and reporting measures also make it easier to compare performance across markets and refine future campaigns.
Globally aligned and locally optimised
Optimising press releases for journalists and GEO starts with strong news, credible evidence and information that is easy to understand. But their real value comes from how they contribute to a wider communications programme that builds visibility and credibility across multiple channels.
For international B2B technology brands, success depends on combining a consistent global narrative with the local knowledge needed to make stories relevant to journalists, buyers and AI search environments in individual markets.
That balance sits at the heart of the WIN PR Group approach. Get in touch with us at hello@winprgroup.com to find out more.