Public Relations Society of America – Counselors to Higher Education

Details

Reputation isn’t just what you say; it’s the connection you keep. Carnegie joins the CHE community to help senior leaders move beyond reactive communications and toward proactive brand truth. By applying student-centered insights and data-driven strategy, we help institutions protect and project the values that resonate most with students and stakeholders alike.

Presentation

What AI Thinks of You: Redesigning Visibility and Experience for the Age of Generative Search

Presented by Deb Fiddelke, Vice President, Strategic Communications
Wednesday, March 11 | Azalea

Generative AI has fundamentally rewritten the rules of student discovery. Today, prospective students don’t search with keywords; they start with complex questions, and AI systems increasingly decide which institutions have the most credible, contextualized answers. This shift demands more than technical SEO, it requires AI Engine Optimization (AEO). In this session, we’ll explore how higher education marketers can create content that is both human-centered and AI-ready, optimized for the questions, comparisons, and “what’s right for me?” moments driving modern search. Drawing on data from Carnegie’s AEO work and Profound’s visibility analytics, we’ll share what AI already “knows” about your institution and provide a framework to ensure your content is part of the conversation, not left out of it.