5 Essential Things You Need to Know About PR and AI Search

Our team members, Amy and Max, working in the office.

In today’s digital landscape algorithms dictate visibility, relevance, and trustworthiness.

But it’s no longer just a question of “How do I rank on Google?” Instead, your question needs to be “How can I make sure my business or brand is part of the conversation AI search engines rely on?”

AI algorithms are setting the pace when it comes to brand visibility and to align with the preferences of AI algorithms, your business or organisation must have a strong digital footprint.

For this reason, public relations – particularly media relations and content generation - is becoming more vital than ever.

As AI-driven search technologies evolve, the importance of earned and owned content in shaping a brand’s online reputation has skyrocketed. But how exactly does PR influence AI algorithms, and what can your business do to capitalise?

Five key takeaways.

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1. Earned and Owned Content Drives AI Rankings

AI algorithms favour brands with a strong mix of quality earned content (think media coverage, podcasts and backlinks) and owned content (blogs, authoritative articles, white papers and websites). These elements boost credibility, domain authority, and search visibility.  Focus is on expert-driven content as AI overviews pull from high-authority sources.

2. PR Boosts Domain Authority and Search Relevance

Media mentions and backlinks signal trust to search engines but also to AI sites such as ChatGPT, CoPilot or any other large language models (LLM) you’re using. This means any good quality media coverage or online content becomes the source for relevant AI queries.

Google snippets, also known as featured snippets, are becoming a game-changer for brand visibility. These snippets provide concise, direct answers to user queries at the top of Google’s search results, often positioned above the first organic result. They’re the first things coming up on a search.

As AI continues to refine search algorithms, featured snippets are becoming even more critical for brands looking to establish authority and increase traffic. Snippets also play an essential role in voice search results since voice search queries often pull directly from featured snippets. Without a strong media presence or good, owned content, your competitors could quite easily own this growing space.

3. AI Rewards Engaging and Popular Content

AI evaluates user engagement—traffic, social shares, and comments—as indicators of valuable content. PR strategies that drive this engagement can improve search rankings and visibility.  AI favours expert insights and commentary so ensure these form part of your PR and content strategy also. Aim to secure media coverage organically and cultivate brand mentions naturally.

4. PR Mitigates Negative Publicity in Search Results

AI will highlight both positive and negative content. Proactive PR helps control the narrative by ensuring positive content outranks negative mentions, protecting a brand’s online reputation. 

5. AI Will Shape the Future of Your Online Reputation

As AI advances, businesses and organisations must adapt. Crafting concise, authoritative content, whether it’s earned or owned media, will help brands stay ahead in AI-driven search environments. Search could move directly into CoPilot and ChatGPT in the coming months with users asking AI tools to take the pain out of Google search.

To find out more about how Altitude can help raise your profile and boost your brand visibility, get in touch.