SEO is changing by the day and exponentially it seems, not least since Google started incorporating AI into its search engine, and has shifted the goalposts somewhat. And what about digital PR? Well, it’s changing too, ever so subtly, but enough to make a difference.

And here’s the PR professional’s dilemma – they know what a journalist wants, and only cares about, the story. Journalists don’t care one jot about your link building strategy, or your desire to add muscle to your domain authority. Why should they? They need to sell newspapers and magazines, retain online subscribers, or get their five-minute field-based news slot in the can.

However, in recent years, digital PR has evolved, and while all the above still applies, it sits much more closely with its digital marketing siblings, aiding SEO strategy and helping to drive traffic, and generate leads.

But while digital PR has evolved, SEO, too, is having to dance to a new tune, ushered in not only by Google’s AI (Gemini, a large language model (LLM)) but also with the introduction of generative engine optimisation (GEO).

GEO is the process of optimising your website’s content to boost its visibility in AI-driven search engines such as Google’s Gemini (which manages their new AI overviews), ChatGPT, Copilot, Perplexity, and others.

Where SEO is a strategic move to place your website up the Google rankings, AI overviews are now pushing these rankings back down the page. Google’s AI overviews will always rank right at the top of search results, pushing rank 1 down the page and impacting your website’s visibility. In fact, according to Forbes, less than 1% of users get to the second page of search results, likewise, the top-ranked search results typically have 3.8 times more backlinks than lower-ranked results.

So where does that leave you and your digital marketing plans?

In a pretty good place, actually. In fact, since PR moved from traditional print coverage to digital coverage, and then more latterly to digital coverage plus link building from high authority sites, it could be argued that digital PR rules the roost. It gives you, our client, ample opportunity to see your story in the outlets your customers and prospects consume, while boosting your online prowess.

This means that digital PR and SEO has to be more strategic, more streamlined to ensure efforts are rewarded. GEO focuses on getting content included in AI overviews, and ranked in the top three. The focus has shifted to creating content that balances AI search engines and human users. Conversion rates need to be optimised at all times – any content you produce needs to drive the user to their desired destination quicker, and easier.

Digital PR is now more integral to your lead generation efforts than ever, and SEO is no longer just about peppering editorial with key words. Your domain authority (DA) will benefit hugely from online articles full of relevant and rich content placed across multiple high ranking news outlets, industry publications and authoritative blogs.

In addition, you might already have an agency doing your SEO, but have they reached a ceiling on what they can achieve with on page optimisation and blog content alone? PR can generate quality backlinks, which improves DA – typically, the higher the DA, the higher you will rank, and your chances of landing your next customer is dramatically improved.

Since Google started using AI, moving more from a mere search engine towards an answer engine, much debate has been had around the impact upon website traffic, as Google trawls and scrapes information to give an answer rather than trawl and direct the user to the appropriate websites.

As search behavior continues to advance, securing visibility in AI-generated responses is crucial for ensuring your brand stands out in this new era of digital marketing. It’s not just about being noticed, it’s about connecting with potential customers, clients, and audiences in meaningful ways, no matter where their search journey begins.

With GEO, we see search optimisation move rapidly towards AI optimisation, and that’s where digital PR comes back to the fore, in that highly relevant and regularly updated content, with longtail keywords, stand a greater chance of being picked out by the LLMs, across multiple publication sites.

Why digital PR and SEO is a ‘win win’ situation

Working in harmony, digital PR and SEO helps to lift brand presence, boost online performance and build trust. Backlinks that point to your online content from high ranking sites hold significant value, and Google rewards you for this. A backlink is like a vote of confidence from Google because the publication endorses your content.

When high-authority websites with established credibility and influence link to your site, your website’s search engine rankings improve. This boost in visibility leads to increased organic traffic, making it easier for prospects to find your site while searching for relevant information online.

As SEO travels further down the AI road, and let’s never forget, right now AI is the worst it will ever be, your SEO strategy needs to not only incorporate AI and GEO, but also digital PR to ensure brand awareness remains high, and credible, and that search engines such as Google see it for exactly that.

It seems digital PR has always supported SEO

While securing backlinks is now crucial, it doesn’t end there. In fact, PR’s impact has always boosted SEO because:

Final thought

Don’t be like Bono. There’s heaps of information landing weekly about how SEO, link building, and digital PR are being impacted and how marketers need to adjust. Google will always call the shots and AI is becoming more powerful as ‘big data’ drives change in our digital world.

But long gone are the days of linkfarming, or white-on-white keyword cramming and content remains king. But more than ever, that content needs to be fresh and relevant, and for Google to reward it for being so, digital PR and SEO provide the best route to boosting reputation, and ranking.