AAPC Podcast Episode | Beyond SEO: Optimizing for AI-Driven Visibility in Politics

This episode explores the emerging world of GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) and AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) and what it means for 2026 midterm strategy. Julie Sweet, AAPC’s Director of Advocacy & Industry Relations and Mary Coller Albert, Principal at Dewey Square Group’s digital practice will examine how AI models are trained, why platform authority matters, the role of Wikipedia and Reddit in shaping AI-generated answers, and how paywalled or inaccessible political content may disappear from AI visibility altogether. The discussion also addresses the “crawler gap,” transparency concerns surrounding AI training data, ideological imbalances in indexed content, and the growing importance of multi-platform authority beyond traditional SEO — offering practical insight into how campaigns, consultants, advocacy organizations, and public affairs firms can adapt their communications strategies for an AI-driven information environment.