ABM Connect has launched its "Content-driven GEO" service, emphasizing the concept of linking "people–media–AI" to build brand credibility in the online world.
On 10 Sep 2026 GMT+7, as consumers increasingly use AI to search for brand information, compare products and services, and seek advice before deciding, the way to build brand trust has evolved. While consumers still value real experiences, brand expertise, and media reports—which serve as endorsements from independent sources—ABM Connect launched its Content-driven GEO service to help Thai companies and brands build online credibility and increase the chances that AI will select their brand information to answer queries on platforms such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews.
Mr. Seri Sirinphuwangsakorn, Executive Director of ABM Connect Company Limited, explained that trust itself hasn’t changed, but the way to build it has. Previously, credibility came from people’s experiences and relationships with brands, including word-of-mouth and endorsements from trusted third-party sources. What’s changing now is how people discover and perceive this trust. Today’s AI can search, understand, and connect information from multiple sources even before consumers visit the brand’s website.
Historically, brand trust was built Human to Human through experience, word-of-mouth, experts, and trusted media. Then, in the digital age, search engines, websites, social media, and online reviews became more influential. Today, AI is creating a new path for brand trust: Human→AI→Human, with AI acting as the key intermediary between brands and consumers, gathering information from various sources before delivering answers to those seeking brand information.
Today, businesses no longer compete merely to be "found" through SEO (Search Engine Optimization) but must ensure AI can discover, understand, and trust their brand information to use it in answering queries. This is the role of GEO (Generative Engine Optimization).
SEO helps brand websites be found via Google, while GEO increases the chance that AI recognizes brand data as credible sources and uses it to generate answers. The brand’s path to reaching consumers thus shifts to DISCOVERED → TRUSTED → CITED.
GEO is not just about structuring data for AI readability; brands must have clear, accurate online content and credible trust signals. No matter how good a website is, if there are no credible external sources mentioning the brand, the likelihood that AI will use its data as answers diminishes.
In the past, PR played a crucial role in helping brands build credibility with the media, since editorial space chosen by media is not purchasable like advertising. Brands needed compelling stories, expertise, or valuable perspectives to attract media interest and coverage.
Recent research supports this trend. Muck Rack’s May 2026 study "What Is AI Reading?" analyzed over 25 million links AI referenced and found that 84% of AI citations come from third-party earned sources. Similarly, a 2025 University of Toronto study examining consumer electronics in the U.S. found that GPT systems accessing website data drew 92.1% of information from independent third-party sources.
"Getting media to highlight and present brand stories has always been important because trusted media build consumer credibility. In the AI era, the media’s role is even more vital, as online earned media are key sources AI can find and use to generate answers for searchers," Mr. Seri summarized.
ABM Connect views GEO as a new form of PR in the AI era, employing the Trust Network concept to build a network of credible data for brands through multiple sources—trusted media, genuine expertise from executives and specialists, brand-related information, and real consumer experiences.
"Some brands appear in trusted media but have limited online data, while others have strong owned content but lack external references. This information must align and mutually reinforce to give AI a complete picture of the brand that it can use to generate answers," Mr. Seri added.
ABM Connect’s GEO service combines Digital PR and Earned Media to build a Trust Network for brands using proprietary tools: ATOM Matrix, which guides what type of content a brand should present and where to increase AI discovery chances; and AI Optimax Methodology, a six-step process to create content that AI can easily find and understand.
Manita Olarat, Project Director of Digital Publishing at ABM Connect, revealed that they do not see GEO as a separate technical service but as a new form of PR reflecting the need for brands to adapt communication to changing information consumption behaviors. They start by examining how AI understands the brand, where AI sources its data, and what credible signals are missing. Then, their proprietary AI tools analyze and strengthen content to boost visibility and place content where AI can use it to generate answers.
Their trust-building journey follows the sequence: CONTENT → VISIBILITY → CREDIBILITY → AUTHORITY → TRUST → CITATION.
"Brands cannot control algorithms or dictate how AI will respond about them, but they can strengthen the data fed into the AI ecosystem. Although technology and AI evolve constantly, what people always trust are real experiences, expertise, evidence, and credible sources—especially the media," he said.