Software companies saw it first. Media companies felt it next. The PR industry is about to face the same shift — and most firms aren’t ready.
Get Started → Submission GuidelinesWhen someone wants to research a company, find a local business, or learn about an industry development, they increasingly don’t scan ten blue Google links. They ask an AI.
ChatGPT, Google’s AI Overviews, Perplexity, Gemini — these tools are rapidly becoming the first point of contact between people and information. Google’s own AI Overviews now appear in the majority of search results, synthesizing answers before any traditional link.
The user never scrolls down. The user never clicks through.
Traditional wire services were built for newsroom fax machines, then adapted for Google keyword search. Neither model survives the transition to AI-driven discovery. A wire release lives in a feed for 48 hours and disappears. It’s not structured for AI retrieval. It has no local authority. It’s invisible to the tools that are rapidly becoming how people find information.
This isn’t about incremental improvement. It’s a fundamentally different approach to press distribution — one built for how information actually gets discovered in 2026.
| Feature | Traditional Wire Services | HERE City Network |
|---|---|---|
| Content Lifespan | 48–72 hours in feed | ✓ Permanent publication |
| AI Discoverability | × Not optimized | ✓ Schema markup, structured data |
| Local Authority | × Generic distribution | ✓ 89 locally trusted publications |
| Editorial Integration | × Wire feed only | ✓ Published alongside real local journalism |
| Google E-E-A-T Signals | Minimal | ✓ Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust |
| Geographic Targeting | Broad / national only | ✓ 31 states + DC, city-level precision |
| Cost per Placement | $400–$2,000+ per release | Starting at $150 per city |
AI tools don’t randomly select sources. They evaluate content based on several key factors:
Domain Authority: Is this a trusted, established website with a consistent publishing history? Wire feeds and press release aggregator sites carry significantly less weight than local news publications with years of editorial content.
Structured Data: Does the content include proper schema markup, FAQ structures, and metadata that AI can easily parse? The HERE City Network’s architecture is built specifically for this.
Geographic Relevance: For local queries, AI models prioritize content from sources with established local authority. A press release on HEREColumbia.com carries more local weight than one on a national wire service.
Content Permanence: AI models favor content that remains accessible over time. Wire releases that expire in 48 hours are effectively invisible to AI training and retrieval.
Editorial Context: Content published alongside genuine journalism signals higher credibility than content on a standalone press release distribution site.
No hidden fees. No per-word charges. No mandatory bundling.
25-city bundles and custom packages available on request.
Every industry disrupted by AI has followed the same pattern: early movers establish position while incumbents hesitate. By the time the mainstream catches up, the competitive advantage has already been claimed.
Content published now is content that AI models are indexing now. Waiting means your competitors’ clients own that space first.
We’re offering complimentary placements through the end of February. No risk. Just results.
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