Walker Sands Unveils AI Domain Impact Index to Boost B2B Brand Visibility in the Age of Generative AI
As generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) continues to redefine how audiences discover, trust, and engage with brands, Walker Sands, a leading marketing and public relations firm, has launched the AI Domain Impact Index. This groundbreaking tool is designed to help B2B organizations optimize their PR strategies and maximize visibility in an era dominated by AI-powered search and decision-making workflows. By providing actionable insights into earned media performance, the AI Domain Impact Index equips marketers with the tools they need to stay ahead in today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape.
The Shifting Landscape of B2B Audience Engagement
The decline of Google’s traditional search dominance and the rise of GenAI platforms have fundamentally altered how B2B audiences consume information. These platforms rely heavily on credible third-party content to generate responses, making strategic media placements more critical than ever for building brand visibility and trust. Unlike traditional search engines, which prioritize keywords and backlinks, GenAI platforms curate information based on a complex set of signals that evaluate content relevance, authority, and timeliness.
This shift demands a new approach to PR measurement and target media prioritization. Brands can no longer rely solely on outdated assumptions about which media outlets are most influential. Instead, they must adapt to the unique requirements of AI-driven buyer journeys, where earned media plays a pivotal role in shaping how brands appear in AI-generated results.
“The AI revolution is transforming how people discover and interact with information,” said Annie Gudorf, EVP at Walker Sands. “Marketers can’t afford to stick with old-school strategies when it comes to media placement. The AI Domain Impact Index provides brands with the critical insights they need to remain visible and credible by identifying the digital domains that matter most in today’s GenAI-driven world.”
A Data-Driven Approach to Measuring Media Impact
The AI Domain Impact Index introduces a new standard for evaluating the effectiveness of earned media in the age of AI. Each web domain is assigned a score between 0 and 100, based on an evaluation of five weighted criteria:
- Organic Search: How well the domain performs in traditional organic search rankings.
- Inclusion: The likelihood of the domain being included in GenAI responses.
- On-Page Content: The quality and relevance of the domain’s content.
- Real-Time Retrieval: The freshness and recency of the domain’s information.
- Citation Appearance: How often the domain is cited as a credible source across other platforms.
Unlike traditional vanity metrics like impressions or mentions, the AI Domain Impact Index connects PR outcomes to tangible visibility in AI search results. This ROI-driven approach gives marketers a clearer understanding of how their PR efforts influence brand discoverability over time.
Importantly, the scores within the AI Domain Impact Index are dynamic, reflecting the constantly evolving nature of GenAI models. These models continuously adjust how they prioritize sources and publications to optimize for large language models (LLMs). As a result, brands must adopt flexible, data-informed media strategies to keep pace with shifting AI behaviors.
Initial Findings: Insights from Over 600 Earned Media Placements
To validate the effectiveness of the AI Domain Impact Index, Walker Sands conducted an initial analysis of over 600 earned media placements from client programs, evaluating 292 unique media domains. The findings were both insightful and encouraging:
- 51% of placements were categorized as high impact, meaning they are highly likely to influence GenAI search responses.
- 44% were moderately impactful, offering some visibility but requiring optimization for greater reach.
- Only 4% fell into the low-impact tier, highlighting the importance of targeting the right platforms.
Notably, outlets such as TechTarget, Apple Podcasts, ZDNet, and ITPro ranked among the highest-impact sources. Surprisingly, some traditionally trusted media platforms scored lower, underscoring the fact that AI search visibility depends on a different set of content signals than traditional SEO. These findings validate the need for earned media strategies to adapt to the unique requirements of GenAI platforms.
“We’ve observed significant shifts in domain rankings within GenAI responses over just a few months,” said John Fairley, SVP of Marketing Operations and SEO at Walker Sands. “Additionally, we’ve seen media publications actively optimizing their content to improve discoverability in AI-driven environments. The AI Domain Impact Index provides us with real-time insights into these changes, enabling us to partner with clients to maximize their discoverability potential through earned media.”
Why the AI Domain Impact Index Matters
The launch of the AI Domain Impact Index couldn’t come at a better time. As GenAI platforms increasingly drive traffic and influence purchasing decisions, brands must rethink their approach to PR and media strategy. Traditional metrics and assumptions about media influence are no longer sufficient in a world where AI curates information based on credibility, relevance, and timeliness.
By leveraging the AI Domain Impact Index, B2B organizations can:
- Identify the most impactful media outlets for their target audiences.
- Optimize earned media strategies to align with GenAI platform requirements.
- Gain real-time insights into shifting AI model behaviors and adjust accordingly.
- Drive higher visibility and credibility in AI-driven buyer journeys.
About Walker Sands
Walker Sands is an outcome-based B2B marketing agency with expertise in strategy, content, creative, strategic communications and digital marketing. The agency helps B2B brands grow, build reputation, generate demand, drive engagement and strengthen market position. A 10-time Inc. 5000 honoree, Walker Sands is one of the fastest-growing B2B agencies in the world, proudly serving 100+ clients from offices in Chicago, Seattle and Boston.
