Investing in PR could be your secret weapon when it comes to AI-driven discovery

Most business owners in Suffolk know about SEO, backlinks and Google rankings. Lately, the conversation has shifted: people ask, “How do I get seen in AI overviews?” or “How can I make sure local chat tools point to my business instead of a competitor?”

The short answer is straightforward: earned media from PR.

Of course, there are lots of technical elements to consider, but PR activity, particularly earned media, is one of the fundamentals that you can focus on when it comes to AI-powered search.

What do we mean by “AI overviews” and why they matter

AI overviews are the short summaries and suggestions produced by chat tools and large language models (LLMs). When someone asks, “Would a report writer be able to help me?” or “Who can write my website in Ipswich?” these tools pull together information from websites, news articles, social posts and other public signals. They then offer a short answer and often link or reference sources.

I think that this should excite you and worry you in equal measure.

Excite: If you’re regularly mentioned in news stories, trade press, community outlets and expert commentary, AI systems have more evidence to rank and recommend you.

Worry: If your brand appears rarely online, the AI has very little material to say about you.

There are hundreds of people declaring that SEO is dead, and that GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) is more important now that AI-powered search is mainstream.

This is all utter rubbish.

It’s too soon to tell exactly what you should be doing, which is why you need to focus on good practice.

Keep focusing on your traditional SEO techniques. Make sure that you are optimising for Google, you are writing genuinely helpful content that adheres to Google’s helpful content mandate, and keep prioritising your customers’ wants and needs.

But alongside those fundamentals, you have a secret weapon in your pocket.

PR is now a key signal that helps LLMs learn who you are, what you do, and whether you’re worth recommending.

Why is digital PR an important part of your visibility on AI overviews?

Let’s think about it.

You have your website. It’s where you add your content, offers, news, updates, etc. You might also share that information on your social media channels.

Those chat tools and LLMs might be using that information to aid their learning. But that’s all they have to go on.

If you invest in a digital PR strategy, you’re actively trying to achieve earned media coverage across a variety of news sites, trade publications, and community groups. You’re investing in proactive outreach as well as reactive commentary to specific journalist enquiries, across a broad spectrum of topics (not just your sales hooks). The details of your services or products are much more visible. You might start to see customers converting into brand advocates, increasing your social media engagement or talking about you in more detail on forums.

Chat tools, LLMs and AI overviews rank brands by the breadth and recency of published mentions. A drip-feed from a retainer increases the frequency of mentions. Simply put, this means that those AI tools have more material to associate with your brand.

You can see how the image changes, that there are so many more places for the ‘brain’ of the LLM to trawl for information and learn much more about you.

Why a PR retainer beats one-off PR for AI discoverability

If you read my recent blog post about retainer PR vs project-based PR, you’ll know that there are different solutions for every-sized business.

But when it comes to AI visibility and getting found in AI overviews, a retainer PR contract is your best solution for SMEs on limited budgets.

• One-off press releases and short campaigns can spark a moment of attention. They rarely create the repeated, varied mentions that AI systems favour.
• A retainer is different because it creates a drip-feed of content and coverage over time.

How a retainer PR contract helps AI systems learn about your brand

As you can clearly see in the above graphic, having a consistent, ongoing approach to PR activity means that you are always giving the AI algorithms new information about who you are and what you do. Your local brand visibility will increase.

• The breadth of news earned media is vital: Coverage across news sites, trade media, local outlets and blogs gives AI multiple contexts to understand your services.
• It’s all about the latest information: Regular activity keeps your brand in the latest content that AI indexes.
• Going into as much detail as possible: Repeated commentary, thought leadership, opinion pieces and feature stories build a richer picture of who you are, what you do and your expertise.
• Signals beyond the website: AI looks at social media, community forums, awards pages and third-party articles as trust signals.

The best news is that your PR activity will provide long-term reputation management.

The bonus of investing in a digital PR strategy to aid your brand visibility in AI overviews is that it will simultaneously boost your reputation amongst your potential customers.

By prioritising genuinely useful and newsworthy information, working with community initiatives, sharing thought leadership and opinions and getting involved in award recognition, you’ll be improving your brand visibility for human audiences as well as algorithms.

This means that your budget will be getting twice as much bang for your buck.

For SMEs across the UK who need to be conscious of budgets and financial constraints, investing in PR for AI visibility could be the best long-term investment you make.

Common pitfalls to avoid with PR for AI search visibility

Of course, it’s worth noting that PR and reputation management are never a guarantee. As it’s earned media, there’s no promise that your PR activity will have an immediate impact, which is why you need to think about it as a long-term strategy, not a quick win.

Common mistakes to avoid include

• Relying on one press release and walking away. AI search visibility needs many and recent signals.
• Not checking that your website can handle spikes in traffic or that contact forms work.
• Forgetting to add coverage to your own site and social channels. If AI can’t find multiple sources, it’s less likely to trust you.
• Using inconsistent business names, addresses or service descriptions across sites. Consistency matters.

What if I don’t have a big budget for PR?

The amount you money you spend isn’t necessarily the thing you need to think about. Instead, it’s the consistency.

Successful PR and reputation management is about being consistent with your activity. Even investing in one day per month is enough to make a significant impact on your long-term goals.

I believe that PR should be affordable to businesses which is why I have three different packages for different budgets.

How PR works with SEO and digital marketing teams

PR should not be isolated. When PR, SEO and digital teams work together, you get the best results.

In an ideal scenario, you’ll have all of these partners working together collaboratively to help you maximise your brand visibility.

• SEO ensures pages are crawlable and optimised for relevant queries.
• PR creates third-party mentions and authority signals.
• Digital amplifies coverage across paid and owned channels to speed discovery.

When these teams collaborate, you get both immediate traffic and long-term discovery in AI overviews and chat tools.

But more importantly, you’ll be making a significant impact on your business reputation.

If you want to learn more about the technical improvements that you can make to your website, along with SEO best practices, I highly recommend you read this blog post from the incredible team from PC Futures. (If you are searching for an Ipswich web design agency, I highly recommend them!)

AI overviews haven’t replaced PR. They’ve made it more useful.

PR is no longer just about “getting into the press”. It’s about building a multi-sourced, recent and authoritative profile that search engines and LLMs can trust.

It’s about using your communications strategy to tackle disinformation and be seen as authoritative and trusted.

A PR retainer provides consistency and scale to that effort, and you don’t need a huge budget to begin.

Why not book a free 20-minute PR clarity call to pick the best route for your business? Let’s make sure AI and your future customers can find the real you.

Frequently asked questions

What is AI discoverability and why does it matter for small and medium-sized businesses?

AI discoverability refers to how easily your brand or business is found by AI-powered tools like chatbots and search engines using large language models (LLMs). It matters because these tools increasingly influence customer decisions by recommending businesses based on online visibility, credibility, and relevance.

How does PR improve my visibility in AI search results?

PR improves AI visibility by generating earned media coverage across trusted sources. These mentions act as authority signals that AI systems use to understand your brand, increasing the chances of being recommended in AI overviews and chat responses.

Is PR more effective than SEO for AI-powered search?

PR and SEO work best together. SEO ensures your website is optimized for search engines, while PR builds external trust signals through third-party mentions. For AI-powered search, both are essential. Your PR activity will boosts credibility, while SEO activity ensures discoverability.

What is a PR retainer and how does it help with AI discoverability?

A PR retainer is an ongoing contract that provides consistent media outreach and coverage. This steady stream of content helps AI systems stay updated with your brand, improving your chances of being featured in AI-generated summaries and recommendations.

Can I improve AI visibility with a small PR budget?

Yes. Consistency is more important than size. Even one day of PR activity per month can build long-term visibility. Focus on regular, newsworthy updates and community engagement to create trust signals that AI tools recognize.