Why News Matters Again

We have spent the past fifteen years optimising for Google. Keywords, backlinks, rankings. SEO was the game. But search is evolving. AI-powered tools like  Claude, and ChatGPT work differently than Google ever did. They don't rank websites. They synthesise information from authoritative sources. They pull from journalism. They prioritise editorial coverage.

This shift from SEO to what's now called AEO, Answer Engine Optimisation, changes everything for charities.

When someone asks an AI tool like Claude or ChatGPT about rare diseases, child welfare, or animal rescue, that tool draws on what's been reported in The New York Times, The Guardian, specialist publications, and local BBC radio stations. It draws on earned media.

Which means something interesting just happened: news matters again.

For charities, this is genuinely good news. You have what tech companies struggle with: authentic stories worth telling. Real impact. Genuine change. The things journalists actually want to cover.

The problem is many charities have spent the last decade focused inward. Website optimisation. Social media. Content they control. Meanwhile, in this AEO world, what actually matters is getting your story told by credible external sources. Being quoted in publications people trust. Having your impact validated by journalists.

That's earned media. That's PR. And it's suddenly essential.

At Goodwork, we've spent thirteen years helping charities do exactly that. Building relationships with journalists. Securing coverage in publications that matter. Understanding what makes a story resonate with editors. We say that Goodwork’s purpose is to “Make the Important Interesting”. In this new AEO world where answer engines draw from credible sources, that work becomes even more essential.

-Sean, Managing Director of Goodwork