Why PR is your secret weapon for AI search

Just this week, an event planning client let us know they landed a $75K lead. But the lead didn’t come from traditional SEO. It came from AI search, which had pulled in media coverage we won for them.  

AI search is clearly the hot new thing. Google still handles about 14 billion searches per day, while ChatGPT uses search to answer about 38 million queries a day. But the way people use Google is changing. 60% of searches now result in no clicks at all because of AI summaries. 

Does that mean SEO is dead? Not even close. 

If you’ve already been implementing SEO best practices, you’re probably already ahead. But the old playbook isn’t enough anymore: you also need PR to ensure you’re mentioned in AI search.   

PR gives AI search what it wants so your company gets found

AI overviews aren’t just scraping your website. More and more, they’re pulling from news articles, interviews, how-to content, and other sources that signal authority. And if you’re being covered in the media, AI takes note and actually seems to be prioritizing it. 

We’ve seen it happen: clients with otherwise average SEO start showing up in AI searches after getting some solid media coverage. Not because we gamed the system, but because we gave AI what it values: content that has authority and credibility. 

And when you appear in an AI search, buyers take notice. 90% of B2B buyers say that they click on the sources that AI finds in its overview. 

In one case, an event planning client landed a $75,000 lead from an AI search. They hadn’t spent anywhere near that much on hiring a PR firm. Their site was fine, but nothing special. 

What made the difference? Publications in big event planning markets like LA and New York were talking about our client, and AI picked up on it. 

SEO still makes you visible 

Building a content marketing foundation is still important, even if SEO has changed. You still want to engage with the 40% of users who choose to click on links outside the AI overview. 

For example, if you sell lawnmowers for tall grass in Dallas, your product pages should say that clearly and repeatedly. Include key phrases like “tall grass lawnmowers in Dallas” in your page titles, meta descriptions, and headers. Add image alt tags that describe exactly what’s pictured (“tall grass lawnmower cutting overgrown backyard in Dallas”). 

You should also be publishing helpful how-to guides or blog posts around lawn care topics your customers are likely searching for. Terms like “how to cut tall grass without damaging your mower” or “best mowers for Texas weeds.” This builds authority and gives search engines more content to crawl.

You can make a data-informed guess about what your potential clients are searching for, and then build your web content around that. If it’s done well, SEO can be pennies-on-the-dollar marketing. In fact, 49% of business owners believe it has the best ROI of any marketing tactic. 

PR fills the gaps in your SEO 

We’ve seen firsthand how PR lifts our own rankings. Media mentions help us get leads, even when people don’t click on our site. We’ve had two leads just this week from potential clients who used AI to search for “tech PR firms.” 

While most of our time is spent working for clients, if journalists are looking for an expert source to comment on public relations, communications, or content marketing, we send over our thoughts. That’s resulted in coverage in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Business Insider, and other major publications. 

When AI models see that Mind Meld PR is being discussed as a trusted source, we rise to the top of the AI results. The same thing happens with our clients. In crowded markets where it’s hard to stand out, getting into the news helped them leapfrog their competitors. 

AI search is trending towards winner-take-all 

With traditional SEO, the goal is to show up somewhere on page one. You could aim for the first position, but showing up in position three or four is good too. But with AI-generated overviews, you’re either in the summary or you’re invisible. That’s why getting mentioned in publications that have authority in the AI models is more important than ever. 

And getting there first is key. Companies have been focusing on SEO for decades, and there are best practices that every marketing team follows. That can get you clicks. But as there are less clicks, you need PR to show up in AI summaries.  

How to combine PR and SEO for maximum visibility

PR and SEO don’t need to live in separate silos. In fact, the best results happen when they work together. Here’s how to make it happen:

• Use your SEO research to guide PR story angles. If your keyword research shows that customers are searching for “affordable AI tools for startups,” you could craft a PR pitch about how a startup can save money as investment declines, while improving their efficiency. 

• Add SEO value to your media wins. When you land coverage, sharing the link on social media is the bare minimum. You should also be including those wins in blog content and email newsletters to make sure they’re visible to both search engines and AI models. 

• Update your press page. Make sure it includes your best media hits, along with proper metadata and alt tags. 

• Turn interviews and quotes into optimized content. If you’re quoted in the media, repurpose that into a blog post that adds more context to the story written by the reporter. 

The key is to make your expertise easy to find, credible, and valuable, no matter how your customers are searching for your services. 

AI search isn’t replacing SEO, but it is evolving it. If you want to stand out in this new era of search, PR is your edge. Media coverage builds the authority AI is looking for. SEO makes sure you’re discoverable. Together, they help your brand show up, stand out, and get chosen by potential customers. 

Need help building the authority AI search is looking for? Contact Mind Meld PR today.