What AI citesMay 2026
- Earned media
- 84% of citations
- Journalism
- 27% of citations
- Paid or advertorial
- 0.3% of citations
Muck Rack, What Is AI Reading?, May 2026: over 25 million links from ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini.
Digital PR · United States
Adult digital PR measured by what people read, not by links
Adult digital PR is online press work for adult, sexual wellness, dating and nightlife brands: stories and data that earn coverage and brand mentions on sites your buyers read. We measure it by that coverage, by how many more people search for your name, and by what AI assistants say about you. Links are a side effect, not the goal.
The figures we track
Every campaign starts with a baseline for four measures, so the report shows change, not activity.
- Coverage
Where you appeared, how prominently, and whether the outlet reaches your buyers.
- Mentions
Every time your brand is named, linked or not, in articles, newsletters and podcasts.
- Branded search
Whether more people search for your name after coverage runs.
- AI answers
What ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini say when asked about your brand and your category, checked monthly.
Why coverage now shapes AI answers
People increasingly ask AI assistants about a brand before they buy. Those assistants lean on independent sources. In Muck Rack's May 2026 study of more than 25 million links cited by ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini, earned media made up 84% of citations and paid or advertorial content 0.3%. The earned share has stayed between 82% and 89% across three editions since July 2025.
Muck Rack's December 2025 edition found something just as useful: on average, only 2% of the journalists PR teams pitch most were among those AI engines cite most for their brands. For adult brands, that is an opening. The reporters who shape AI answers about your category are findable, and few of your competitors are pitching them.
We do not promise what an AI model will say. We earn the coverage it reads, check the answers each month, and set out the method in our adult digital PR guide.
Four formats that travel online
- Data story
Survey results or your own anonymized usage data, turned into a finding reporters can quote.
Format - Expert comment
Your founder or a specialist, quoted on news that is already running.
Format - Explainer
A clear guide to a law or platform change, offered to reporters covering it.
Format - Local angle
National trends told through one city, for regional outlets.
Format
Traditional pitching to print, broadcast and podcasts is covered on adult PR. Protecting what people find when they search your name is on brand reputation.
The Story package
Save 10%
Story
For a brand starting with one strong story.
$2,700 a month with a 3-month commitment
Flexible monthly $3,000
- One digital PR campaign, start to finish
- Baseline and monthly check of AI answers
- Pitching to matched online reporters
- Coverage and mentions report
Assets that earn coverage
| Asset | Why journalists use it |
|---|---|
| Original survey | New numbers they can report, with method shown |
| Anonymised first-party data | Trends nobody else can see |
| Interactive tool or map | Something readers can explore and share |
| Expert explainer | A credible voice on a confusing topic |
Reacting to news, carefully
When a law, court ruling or platform policy affecting adult categories makes headlines, journalists look for informed comment within hours. A brand with a ready spokesperson and a short, factual statement can be quoted widely. The risk is speed without care: commenting outside your expertise, or appearing to exploit a sensitive story. Prepare comment in advance on predictable topics such as age verification and privacy, and decline stories where you have nothing useful to add.
Links, mentions and what counts
Digital PR is often judged by links, but many publishers add no link, or a link that passes little search value. Mentions of the brand in reputable coverage still matter: they shape what people read, what search engines associate with the brand and, increasingly, what AI assistants cite. We report links and unlinked mentions separately, and judge each piece by the outlet's audience and relevance as well as its link.
Data done responsibly
Surveys about intimate topics need extra care: clear consent, anonymity, honest sample descriptions and no leading questions. Publish the method alongside the findings, report percentages accurately, and never round a minority into a majority. Journalists check, and a method that holds up makes the story more likely to run and to be cited later. Our guide to data-led PR sets out the method.
Where digital coverage appears
| Placement | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Online news and lifestyle sites | Broad reach; links vary by publisher policy |
| Specialist health and wellness sites | Strong relevance and trust |
| Newsletters | Engaged readers; often no link back |
| Podcasts | Long-form interviews; show notes may link |
Coverage and AI answers
Muck Rack's research found earned media made up the large majority of sources cited by major AI assistants in its May 2026 study, with paid and advertorial content a tiny fraction. For adult brands, whose paid options are limited anyway, that makes genuine coverage doubly valuable: it reaches readers directly and shapes what assistants say when people ask about the category. We track which articles assistants cite, so you can see whether coverage is working beyond its first audience.
Evergreen coverage
Some coverage keeps working for years: an explainer that ranks for a common question, a data study that other writers keep citing, an expert profile that appears whenever a topic returns to the news. Plan at least one evergreen asset each year, ideally early, keep it updated, and point new coverage back to it. Over time, evergreen pieces build authority that single news hits cannot.
Repurposing coverage
Coverage can keep working after publication. Quote it on your site with a link, share it in newsletters, mention it in sales conversations and include it in investor updates, always respecting the publisher's rules on reuse. A single strong article, used well, builds credibility with customers, partners and journalists who look you up next.
Choosing the first story
The best first digital PR story combines something only your brand can offer, such as first-party data or a credentialed expert, with a topic journalists already cover, such as privacy, dating trends or sexual health. Start there rather than with a product announcement, which few outlets will run. Angles are explored in our guide to adult PR story angles, and commentary in expert commentary.
Mistakes that cost coverage
Overstated survey findings, press releases about minor product updates, explicit images in pitches and links pushed into every sentence all make journalists less likely to run a story. Keep pitches factual, short and safe for work, and let the story carry the brand name.
Digital PR reports
| Measure | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Coverage and mentions by outlet | Reach and quality |
| Links and their context | Search value, reported honestly |
| Brand search and referral traffic | Effect on demand |
| Citations in AI answers | Whether coverage shapes assistant answers |
Fees are on pricing, and the full approach in our digital PR guide.
On the record
Not the way we run it. Links sometimes follow coverage, but we plan and report on coverage, mentions, branded search and how AI assistants describe you. A campaign that earns strong coverage and few links can still be a success.
Because people ask them about brands before buying. Muck Rack found earned media made up 84% of the sources ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini cited in its May 2026 study, so the coverage you earn shapes those answers.
You can, but they should be labeled as paid, and they carry little weight. In the same Muck Rack study, paid and advertorial content made up 0.3% of AI citations.
Against a baseline taken before the campaign: coverage count and quality, brand mentions, branded search volume, and a fixed set of questions asked to AI assistants each month.
Yes. Mentions in reputable coverage shape what readers learn, what search engines associate with the brand and what AI assistants cite. We report links and mentions separately.
For immediate release
Your brand has a story. Let us find the reporter who wants it.
The PR opportunity review is free. Tell us about the brand and any news coming up, and we reply with the angles we would pitch, the outlets that cover them, and what to leave alone.
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