GEO proves your media list should be 80/20

Muck Rack’s new AI search report has a wild finding:

For a given brand, roughly half of AI’s citations come from about 20 outlets. And that “power 20” is different for every brand.

If you’ve been following me a while, that should sound familiar. For years I’ve taught a simple rule of thumb:

Pitch as many people as you want, but make sure 20% of the people get 80% of your attention.

Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto noticed that in almost any setting, 80% of outcomes come from about 20% of inputs.

In media relations, that means something like this:

• 80% of your coverage comes from about 20% of your effort.
• 80% of the right coverage comes from about 20% of your contacts.

If you track this, you’ll see it happens naturally. A small group of journalists and outlets drives most of your meaningful visibility. The GEO report is basically Pareto with receipts: AI leans hard on a relatively tiny group of sources when it talks about you and your category.

Quick sidebar: Since we’re on AI, Muck Rack is also trying to understand how PR pros are actually using it (or not). They’re running a quick 10-minute survey on AI in PR. Your responses will power their upcoming State of AI in PR 2026 report, and you’ll be among the first to get a copy early next year. You’ll also be entered into a drawing for a $50 gift card. Take the survey here.

Back to 80/20.

The GEO findings don’t mean you stop pitching widely. You still chase new relationships and smart one-offs.

They do mean you should get ruthless about who gets your best energy.

Here’s how I’d apply 80/20 in the GEO era:

1. Find your top 20. Look at the last year of coverage for your brand and closest competitors. Which outlets and bylines show up again and again on your priority topics?
2. Cross-check with AI. Ask your favorite model questions about your category, your problems, and your solutions – not just your brand name. Note the outlets it keeps citing.
3. Build a “Power 20” plan. Devote about 80% of your pitching time, customization, and follow-up to that short list.

If you can line up the 20% of media relationships that create 80% of your impact and overlap with the 20 outlets AI leans on most for your space, media relations gets really fun 😊.

P.S. Here are those links ICYMI:

Download Muck Rack’s “What Is AI Reading?” report here.

Complete their new survey on AI use in PR here.