Written by Lora
Search is no longer one channel. It’s a behaviour. People are heading to multiple platforms and being influenced in more places than ever before.
AI-powered search is rewriting the rules of visibility. The rise of AI-powered search, from Google’s AI Overviews and search summaries to conversational agents, is creating the most significant shift in digital visibility we’ve seen in years. And for those of us in PR, this is not a challenge, but a massive opportunity.
AI overviews, conversational AI agents, and search summaries mean the first impression people have is often a mention. And mentions come through the kind of work PR does best: reputation building, authoritative media coverage, and a consistent narrative around what a brand stands for.
They evaluate brand signals, including how often and where a brand is mentioned, in what context, and by whom.
In short, if people aren’t talking about you, AI isn’t either.
It’s no longer enough just to be relevant for a single keyword. AI models care about topics and entities. Brand mentions in trusted publications inform AI training models. For example, if your brand consistently appears in content around ‘bedding’ or ‘sustainability’, then AI begins to associate you with those core topics.
PR’s role in shaping those associations, through thoughtful narrative and repeated exposure in relevant media, is crucial. As PR’s we are building the entity recognition that AI relies on.
The sources that AI engines are returning in search are more diverse than ever before. From editorial sources to social platforms like Reddit and Pinterest. These are the channels and spaces where your brand needs to be visible. Validation from customers on review platforms and recommendations from creators are also helping to inform AI and decide which brands and content to return in search.
PR has always been about reputation, recognition, and relevance. These three areas are now more central to modern search than ever.
Given how fundamentally AI is changing the search landscape, the way we measure PR needs to be approached differently. We need measurement and reporting frameworks that reflect what is actually driving visibility in AI search.
Metrics like branded search volumes, brand clicks, share of search, and increases in mentions in AI summaries or overviews.
I genuinely believe there’s so much opportunity for PR in this new search landscape, it really is an exciting time to be working in the industry.
PR’s core has always been building trust and positive reputation through earned media, in a landscape where visibility and credibility are tied to how discoverable a brand is, PR is crucial.
PR is informing AI’s decisions to cite and recommend a brand, making PR-first strategies essential.
AI search is here. PR doesn’t just complement SEO; it’s now a core marketing channel for visibility. If your brand isn’t being mentioned and associated with the topics that matter, you won’t be seen in this new search landscape.
