Hidden gem publishers outperform major media on audience affinity: Study

Hidden gem publishers have 1.7x higher audience affinity than major media outlets, even though they attract 130x less traffic. If that makes you rethink your 2026 earned media strategy, it should. Fractl’s latest SparkToro-backed research suggests most digital PR teams still build media lists using outdated SEO metrics such as domain authority and traffic. ( Disclosure : I’m the co-founder of Fractl.) In AI-driven search, entity authority shapes brand visibility . A narrow media-list strategy is increasingly misaligned. If you’re still learning about generative engine optimization ( GEO ), entity authority is the cumulative signal created…

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