In one sentence
Earned media is coverage of your brand you don't pay for, like reviews, gift guides, roundups and forum threads, and it's often what AI assistants read and cite when deciding which brands to recommend.
Earned media examples for ecommerce brands
- A "best of" roundup on a review site
- A gift guide in a magazine or newsletter
- A forum or Reddit thread where customers recommend you
- A creator's honest review video
- A news story about your launch
Earned vs. owned vs. paid media
Why earned media matters for AI visibility
When AI assistants answer a shopper question, they often lean on third-party pages: reviews, roundups and discussions. Those pages are their evidence. If your brand isn't on them, it's harder for the assistant to justify naming you.
Check the AI citations behind the answers you're losing. The sites cited there are your earned media target list.
How to earn more media coverage
- Find the roundups and threads AI cites for your shopper questions.
- Send products to the reviewers who write them, with no strings attached.
- Make it easy to cover you: clear specs, good photos, a fair comparison.
- Ask happy customers to review you where shoppers look.
Earned media FAQs
Does earned media help SEO too?
Yes. Coverage often comes with a backlink, and links from trusted sites still help pages rank.
Can I pay for earned media?
Not by definition. Once you pay for placement it's paid media, and it should be labeled as sponsored. Sending free product for an honest review is fine.
Do mentions without links still count?
For AI, often yes. Assistants read the text, so a brand mention on a trusted page can matter even with no link.
Related terms