UpSpring launches AI Authority Audit tool

New York, NY UpSpring, a public relations, marketing, and growth partner for brands across the built environment, has launched its AI Authority Audit — a new tool designed to help architecture firms, interior design studios, product manufacturers, developers, and construction companies increase their visibility in AI-driven search and large language model (LLM) platforms through Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).

A study by Eight Oh Two found that 37% of consumers start their searches with AI rather than Google. As decision-makers increasingly turn to platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity to research and evaluate partners, a new kind of shortlist is being formed, often before a single RFP is issued. The firms AI recommends are winning more business, and the ones it doesn’t are invisible to the decisions that are happening. UpSpring’s AI Authority Audit provides a clear framework for understanding and improving how brands are surfaced, cited, and recommended in AI-generated results.

“The selection process in the built environment has fundamentally changed, and most brands haven’t caught up yet,” said Sarah Terzic, president at UpSpring. 

“The AI Authority Audit is designed to give firms a clear understanding of how they are being surfaced in AI results and what specific steps they can take to improve their presence, relevance, and competitiveness in this new discovery landscape.” Drawing on UpSpring’s 17 years of positioning firms and products across architecture, interior design, and construction, the audit is calibrated to the specific prompts, competitors, and decision criteria that shape specification and selection.

Unlike conventional SEO, AI platforms surface brands based on authority signals, including third-party editorial coverage, consistent positioning, expert commentary, and credible mentions across trusted sources. Companies with strong portfolios but weak authority scores regularly lose ground to competitors whose work outranks that in quality. A recent audit conducted by UpSpring for a NYC-based architecture firm revealed that a single publication accounted for nearly half of its highest-ROI placements in terms of AI visibility. As a result, the team was able to refine its KPIs to prioritize securing coverage in that outlet, while also aligning its sector focus and messaging more directly with the firm’s core business development goals.