Looking to secure a follow link in press coverage? Follow our traffic light system
Securing backlinks from publishers has become an increasingly important part of the PR function, but picking up those all-important links is increasingly difficult to do.
Publishers are more aware than ever of how the content they put up affects their own DA. With search providing a wealth of evergreen traffic to their site we are now at a point where most hacks wont link back to a brand’s site unless they absolutely have to.
So how do we make a compelling case for them to change their mind?
At 72Point, we use a traffic light system. Stories that fall into the red light category are unlikely to get many links at all, certainly from high domain authority publishers, while those with an amber rating might pick up a handful of referrals from across the board.
But projects that hit green light criteria generally clean up with high-DA links from a range of publications, as well as a high percentage of follow links vs no-follow links.
Here’s how the classification breaks down:
RED – Link to my dot com
We give a red light to stories where the link is simply inserted as the brand citation, or within the copy as a dot com without leading to any supplementary information. These are the easiest links for publishers to remove because there is nothing compelling them to include them. It comes across as salesy, spammy and low-quality; everything most digital journalists are looking to avoid.
AMBER – Link to further information
A step up from this is using additional information, multimedia or resources to add value to the story. We give an amber light to stories where the link gives publisher’s a reason to link through and also demonstrates a natural, symbiotic relationship between the link target and the published piece of content. This may be an interactive quiz which relates to the story, a piece of multimedia content or running survey results in full so readers can delve deeper into your research.
GREEN – Making the link target the story
We give a green light to stories where the link target is the story. Digital publications are increasingly interested in writing about things that happen online, so creating an asset that is both newsworthy and sits on the client’s site is an SEO win for us.
An example of this is a campaign we recently ran for online retailer Lyst. They wanted to optimise their site in search around the keyword “sneaker”, so we developed a “sneaker intelligence unit” campaign and invited sneaker fanatics to apply for their dream job by completing an MI5-esque quiz hosted on their site. The resultant press coverage from the campaign led to 143 pieces of coverage, 82 of which linked back to Lyst.
The key to the success was that publishers had to run the link for the story to make sense, which gave a significant boost to the SEO performance of the project.
For more info on our SEO services, visit this page: https://www.72point.com/pr-services/digital-outreach-seo/
Get in touch today to see how we can help with your SEO projects.
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Lizzie Singleton Joins the 72Point Team
We announce the appointment of Action Global Communications’ Lizzie Singleton to the post of Campaigns Director.
Lizzie brings with her a wealth of PR experience having worked in-house as PR Manager for Debenhams, at ZPR as Account Director and Action Global Communications as Senior Account Director in Dubai.
During her career, Lizzie has worked on campaigns for P&G, Debenhams, Coral, Whistles, JD Williams, Mamas and Papas and many more.
We have enjoyed consistent 30% growth in the last two years, debuting in the PRWeek Top 150 list in 2018 at number 54. Lizzie will join a growing team with key players including former Freuds Head of News, Jay Williams.
Lizzie will add an international perspective to our creative campaigns, scaling up the already unrivalled levels of coverage we achieve in top news publications and sites. Lizzie said: “It’s great to be joining such a thriving agency with a very unique proposition.”
We are a top 20 consumer agency that provides unique creative and unrivalled distribution for some of the UK’s biggest brands such as, British Airways, Virgin Media and Sky.
Lizzie added: “I look forward to working with the talented 72Point team to deliver stand-out campaigns for our clients in the months ahead.”
Chris Pharo, Managing Director said: “We are thrilled to have Lizzie join the team – she brings with her a broad understanding of creative, strategic and crisis PR and alongside the rest of our brilliant creative team, I am sure she will play a crucial role in our continued development as we move into a bright new future.”
Lessons in Storytelling: Aesop, Samuel Johnson and Prehistoric Life
Storytelling isn’t new – as a form of communication, it’s existed for over 40,000 years.
It’s been a durable format, fulfilling its purpose from rock painting to hoop dancing, mythology to fables - all the way to the printing press and our current marriage of mobile tech and social media.
However, the core principles of telling a good story haven’t changed in all this time, and it’s worth raiding this 40,000 year legacy to see what we can learn from the best and boldest storytelling practitioners
Here are three such examples, with my thoughts on how to apply these creative lessons from history to modern news generation, branded content and publishing strategies.
Cave paintings
Cave paintings date from prehistoric times – the oldest examples, found in Indonesia and Australia, were created over 35,000 years ago.
Though they may have religious or ceremonial connotations, the primary purpose of these paintings were to communicate news, warnings and stories of heroism to the next group of settlers in the area.
In spite of being distributed disparately throughout Europe, Asia and Australasia, most cave paintings are remarkably similar and share characteristics such as drawings of animals, depictions of weather patterns and the use of human handprints.
Cave paintings weren’t always located at the mouth of the cave – they were sometimes found in less accessible locations were only the initiated would know where to find them.
What brand storytellers can learn from prehistoric culture:
Universal truths and commonalities will resonate – young vs old, heroic deeds, the weather, health warnings….certain story angles will always get people talking and sharing. Any story that creatively incorporates these angles will attract more readers, greater shares, higher ad revenues and most importantly, the approval of journalists and editors.
Only stories worth telling are worth sharing – impact stories were written in the caves, there was no chit-chat or filler! If you’re three paragraphs into your story and starting to run out of steam, then it’s probably not worth telling. Consider handing it over to a journalist instead, who could help to provide that newsworthy edge.
Identify your audience then locate them – stories were left in caves for future generations, while tailored stories were painted only in areas where specific people (perhaps the young and agile, or the strongest) were likely to go exploring and find them. Before telling your story, think about who you’re talking to, where they are and which of their behaviours you’re trying to affect – then shape and distribute the story to meet these criteria.
Aesop
Aesop was an ancient Greek fabulist and storyteller - a body of work attributed to him is famously collected as Aesop’s Fables.
His existence has been questioned as none of his work survives, but numerous tales credited to him have been gathered across the centuries in a storytelling tradition that continues to this day.
The fables, morality tales that originate from the 5th century BC, have enduring qualities such as relatable characters (often animals with human characteristics) and universal, everyday dilemmas that still form the backbone of many modern movies/novels.
They also provided us with numerous maxims, such as ‘familiarity breeds contempt’ (The Fox and the Lion), ‘one person’s meat is another’s poison’ (The Ass and the Grasshopper) and ‘slow and steady wins the race’ (The Hare and the Tortoise).
Lessons we can learn from Aesop:
Relatable characters endure – find archetypes, case studies and relatable majorities (65% of Brits prefer ketchup to brown sauce) that mirror your target audience and your stories will be shared in greater volume and travel further.
Great stories outlive their sell-by date – uncover a story with a major hook or unearth a new, universal truth that a crowd can agree with, and your story will outlive its shelf-life and earn you more residual coverage.
The joy of the substantiated myth – Aesop may or may not have existed, but tales of his existence were substantiated by some fairly heavyweight sources – not least Aristotle and Herodotus. When creating your story, give some thought to who will endorse it by word-of-mouth in offices, shops, buses and over the garden fence – then shape the story to their taste and publish it in a place they’ll find it
Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson – the most distinguished man of letters in British history – was the poet, essayist and moralist whose nine years of research gave us the inaugural English dictionary in 1755.
Though a sufferer of what would now be diagnosed as Tourette’s Syndrome, Johnson, a powerful orator, critic and quick-witted raconteur, attracted many pretenders to his throne.
Each week, Johnson and his entourage would meet at gentleman’s clubs to participate in what was essentially the earliest form of a rap battle, where a crowd would watch fellow academics go anecdote-for-anecdote with Johnson and try to outdo his stories for flair, originality and wit.
However, with payoffs such as ‘a man who’s tired of London is tired of life’ and ‘love is the wisdom of the fool and the folly of the wise’, Johnson always retained his crown us the ultimate literary end-of-level boss.
How we incorporate Johnson into our comms strategy:
Wit wins – there’s no two ways about it, the ability to make someone laugh is a powerful tool. Add a little humour to someone’s day with your story and you take a significant step towards engaging them with the brand associated with the story.
Original stories travel – with a proliferation of stories published daily, your angle needs to be unique – uncovering a new trend/behaviour or simply putting a new spin on a familiar tale will give your story cut through against the daily noise.
Great storytellers draw a crowd – Johnson drew a crowd based on reputation alone – tell consistently entertaining stories to the right audience in the right location and they will begin to proactively seek you out in the news.
Lack of Female Role Models for Girls in the Media
It’s painful just how hugely teenage girls obsess over beautiful celebs, isn’t it?
Even more painful is remembering being exactly the same way.
As an awkward pre-teen, the waist of my trousers still that bit too high, I directed all my adolescent envy towards two TV babes: Holly Valance (Neighbours fan – weren’t we all) and Frankie, of the highly-regarded eight-piece ensemble, the S Club Juniors. Pause for emphasis.
They were older than me; I guess around 14 - slim, clear-skinned and so unbearably good-looking.
Call me a shallow kid but if someone had said to me, ‘What do you want in life?’ I’d have thought, ‘Flick Scully’s complexion’ without pausing. I didn’t know what else to put my energy towards. School?
Perhaps it was a blessing then, that my only exposure to these girls was through music videos, CBBC and my monthly Sugar mag, so I was only mildly hateful of myself. Imagining what my life would have been like if I were 11 years old today….to endure the social media noise that teenagers have now… well that’s too stressful to think about.
It’s likely I’d be drip-fed a continuous stream of Holly and Frankie through their Twitter feeds; lapping it up as they churned out duck-faced selfies, holiday pics strewn with product placement, bikini mirror shots - at a Kardashian regularity. In a misplaced brainwave I’d probably have uploaded a ‘vlog’ of myself re-enacting a Fast Show sketch with a toy panda or something, which, years later, I would almost kill myself trying to remove. I might have even… enjoyed Zoella. It’s frightening, what might have been.
Imagining what my life would have been like if I were 11 years old today….to endure the social media noise that teenagers have now… well that’s too stressful to think about.
But the next generation – the millennials (apparently I might be a millennial, a fact I’d rather hide away from)- live each day in this media frenzy, which is barely being contained. We’re only beginning to see the dark side developing from this parallel world - the Instagram culture, the trolling, cyber bullying, revenge porn – and what an obsession with narcissistic, selfie-addicted reality stars might do to a teenager’s sense of self.
The problem lies in the fact that the really cool women – the explorers, zoologists, scientists, entrepreneurs, are NOWHERE to be seen. And the Kardashians, the Jenners, the cast of Towie - who are solely famous for publicity and looks, are EVERYWHERE. They aren’t particularly admirable, aren’t representing a viable career move and are spreading their own message of ‘you don’t look good enough’ to their young fans like a disease.
It’s mostly ‘the Kylie Jenner effect’ (the influx of girls getting lip fillers due to her sudden enormous pout) that made me write this post, as it got me thinking about idols. Aside from their own family members, not to be downplayed, and a stock list of historical figures like Marie Curie that are churned out in school, there are just reams and reams of glitzy celebs. Throw in a Karen Brady, a Michelle Obama and a Mary Portas and that’s it, really.
A space-travelling woman going to Mars may be mentioned in the news one day, or an athlete on another day, or a CEO on another And then she fades into obscurity as a ‘What has she done to her face?!’ story dominates the air time for weeks.
Put simply, there is no PR for the real idols girls need. No scientists, world explorers, chemists, psychologists. No web designers, charity workers, astronauts or business owners. And if we, as adults, don’t know anything about the women making real changes in the world but constantly seeing Kim Kardashian’s blonde mop gets a news headline, no wonder girls are chasing their goals right into the cosmetic surgeon’s office instead.
There is no PR for the real idols girls need
I want to hear about women that are worth looking up to and emulating, who have made something of themselves based on more than their cheekbones. Who have seen a problem and looked to solve it, through hard graft and innovation.
And we should research them, and talk about them, and share them, and give them the PR they deserve – but also (cue the Miss. World bit) because it’s what young girls deserve. The scope of what women are achieving isn’t bleak; they’re just humble enough not to be yelling about it. It’s up to everyone else to yell about them instead. It’s up to us change the situation.
International Women's Day is the 8th March. Don't forget to join the conversation using #IWD2015
Katie Earlam - Creative Q&A with PRWeek
Katie Earlam, 72Point's Campaigns Director spoke to PRWeek on how she got to where she is, her career highlights, and many more. Read the full article here.
Just Give Me The Recipe
By Jack Peat
Why is it so darn hard to find a recipe without the incessant guff these days?
Earlier this month Kathryn Watson, a reporter for CBS News, posted a concern that will have likely irked anyone who has ever used Google to search for the perfect meal.
“I hate recipes on the Internet”, she said. “I do not care about your cute little story and pictures. Just tell me the ingredients and how I’m supposed to turn them into deliciousness.”
We feel her pain, right?
Ever since foodie bloggers and gastro mags exploded on the internet we have been bombarded with alluring meal ideas which require you to navigate a barrage of nonsensical info before you get to anything remotely useful.
As actor Mickey White said in response to Watson’s grumble, “my favourite link on all Foodie blogs is “Jump To The Recipe””, which is surely one of the most utilised shortcuts on the internet right now.
Content-heavy approach
But the bloggers are not to blame for the infuriating scroll-frenzy that has become the scourge of most recipe searches; Google is.
A simple look through the recommended properties on its developer page will tell you all you need to know.
Some 20 elements should be incorporated in any recipe page to make it rank highly in search, many of which require a fully fleshed-out piece of writing to incorporate, which is why most foodie sites are adopting a content-heavy approach.
Structured data for rich results
It’s something that is worth bearing in mind for any site that could benefit from structured data as a means of enhancing its search visibility.
Structured data is increasingly being used by Google to display rich results and better understand the web page itself.
It’s the reason recipe results display with a rating, calorie count, cooking time and a text snippet in search, and you can build that out across several disciplines if you adhere to Google’s guidelines.
SEO experts
Here at 72Point, we are experts at creating SEO-optimised packages to enhance your search rankings using the power of the press.
Check out some of our useful resources below to find out how:
The Perfect PR Package For SEO
In An Age Where SEO Is King, This Project Ruled
Looking To Secure A Follow Link In Press Coverage? Follow Our Traffic Light System
The Joy of Print
Having spent my entire career working in digital media, it may seem like a counterintuitive move to eulogise the great tactile thrill I get from thumbing through my favourite print journal - each new page the ultimate soul-cleansing elixir.
But if there’s one thing I’ve learned in my now scarily close to 40 years on this planet, it’s that whatever I’m saying, doing and thinking, there’s someone else in the world going through exactly the same experience – perspectives on print’s function and importance are beginning to converge.
Scratching around for any advantage to being ancient, I can remember the birth of content marketing programmes, when print programmes were being hastily transitioned to ‘all media’ equivalents with a view to binning print altogether.
Though video, visual and bitesize social content has since thrived and become an essential mainstay of any marketing mix, print has miraculously survived, much in the format I hoped it would.
Limited run, custom-bound, meticulously crafted and curated magazines are all around us, ranging from cultural beacons like Oh Comely to hybrid travel and fashion mags like Suitcase and Cereal, via the literary darkness of The Alarmist and Australia’s greatest ever export, Dumbo Feather.
As ever, a large factor in this particular pleasure is the chase, with coquettish glimpses of new titles catapulted into my social feeds on a daily basis – Avaunt being the latest, a beautifully-shot bible for global adventurers.
The key difference between then and now for print publishers is innovation – magazines are being marketed and distributed in ways only the social age could facilitate. This is a true marriage of analogue and digital – and it’s exciting.
Take Stack, for example, the subscription service that handpicks the best independent magazines from around the world relevant to your interests and delivers them to your door, but trains its marketing crosshairs on social, digital and radio.
Also consider Airbnb’s initial foray into print, Pineapple, which has been used by the brand to unite its community with an elegance the social web can’t compete with. Hosts and travellers collaborate on stories that form the magazine’s editorial spine, creating an axis of expedition and anthropology that digital publishing would struggle to articulate.
With big names in youth publishing like Hypetrak getting their print on, not to mention Tyler, the Creator and Frank Ocean releasing print magazines alongside their latest albums, I’m beginning to wonder whether print could actually outlive websites?
With social content hosting and custom print in the ascendency, traditional websites have never looked more clunky and anachronistic.
Journalists need reliable public relations partners now more than ever
“If there’s one thing PR professionals can do to help journalists do their jobs better, it’s ensure that any press releases they do send out have a clearly stated news hook”.
That’s the findings from this year’s State of the Media survey by Cision which polled 1,355 journalists from across six countries on their perceptions of the media and communications industries.
The study found that journalists rely on public relations partners now more than ever, with the traditional press release being the most trusted piece of content.
Seven in ten hacks said their relationships with PR professionals remained as important as ever, while 20 per cent said they are more valuable.
In an age where budgets are thin and brands are increasingly being relied on to fund content generation, the results are hardly surprising.
Out of all the issues the industry is facing, 28 per cent of the journalists surveyed said staffing and resources were the biggest challenges in the industry over the last 12 months.
Social networks and search engines bypassing traditional media came a close second at 25 per cent.
Fake news, blurred lines between editorial and advertising and issues around freedom of the press rounded out the list of challenges.
So good news all around for the PR industry, which seems to be going from strength to strength over the past few years.
But it would do us no good to rest on our laurels.
Hidden amongst the upbeat news on the PR industry are several warnings about a decline in standards.
As the opening paragraph suggests, diluting the news hook in favour of a more brand-driven topline seems to be one of them.
It is a common gripe that we contend with at 72Point.
As part of the UK’s biggest independent news agency our editors are among the most ruthless in the business when it comes to getting sign-off on news copy, and if the news hook isn’t compelling, the story doesn’t get filed.
It is a blessing in disguise in an age where news desks are getting bombarded with press releases on a daily basis. With former editors and journalists working in-house it allows us to overcome the first hurdle of ‘pitching in’ before the story goes out, which is why all our stories come with a guarantee of coverage.
As the Cision report notes, most journalists are happy to work with public relations professionals, “provided they’re receiving information that’s accurate, newsworthy and can be used to enhance their coverage”.
In a nutshell, that is our USP.
We provide stories that are properly researched, current and have a strong news hook that will start national conversations.
According to the data, 22 per cent of journalists said original research on trends was important to them, with 45 per cent saying they want more press releases with a clearly stated news hook.
Another 27 per cent said PR professionals should have data and expert sources ready to go when reporters need them, with authors concluding that: “No matter what happens in the industry, eye-catching, fact-based storytelling is still paramount”.
They said: “The PR professionals who can help reporters and editors with their work — by providing accurate, information-rich press releases and by giving journalists access to sources — will be the ones who will enjoy the greatest success”.
Our 5,269 pieces of online coverage last year suggests that is precisely what we are doing at 72Point.
Is the PR industry maximizing the potential of bloggers?
In the world of Public Relations all of the KPI’s, AVE’s and company mottos can distract from the aim of the game. What it truly comes down to is generating awareness of a service or product. Whilst traditional media coverage is still incredibly relevant and valuable, there is one area that is massively underutilised and potentially misunderstood– blogging!
Blogs are great for PRs. One of their main advantages is that they tend to focus on one singular issue, whether it’s gluten-free meals, menopause or men’s socks. This means that if your story fits in with the blog’s subject matter, then it is relevant to their readers. By securing coverage in blogs you’ll actually be promoting the brand more effectively with people who are genuinely interested.
Also, by focusing on a singular issue, bloggers will usually have a good understanding of the relevant research, products and experts in their field. If you can convince a blogger that your story is credible and relevant to their readers, you tap into an entire audience of people who trust the blogger’s perspective.
What is vitally important in getting bloggers interested is really getting to know their blog. For example, we work with a lot of parenting bloggers and recently did a story charting the life of an average 12-year-old boy. It was not simply enough to send the story out to all the parenting bloggers; we had to select the ones who actually had sons. It’s always good to explain why a story would interest them and with this particular story it helped to ask them to compare our findings to their experience as parents. Sometimes the content itself is not enough. You have to give the blogger a reason to engage.
So, the million dollar question is: What can PRs offer bloggers?
Payment?
The truth is the principle rule of PR is that we do not pay for coverage. That’s advertising. However, some bloggers run their site as their main source of income and expect PRs to pay them for taking their stories. Unfortunately, that is just never going to happen. When a PR can land a good story on the MailOnline with nothing but the quality of the content, why would they pay a blogger £70? Especially when the blog has about 3% of the readership of the MailOnline. It may upset some bloggers to hear it but payment is just simply not on the table.
Content
Content is what PRs can offer to bloggers. PRs have surveys, spokespeople, experts and a whole host of other resources at their fingertips that a typical blogger couldn’t afford or gain access to.
Personally, I am in a unique situation as I’m both a PR and a blogger. Now if I were approached and asked to write something for money I would turn it down. My voice is credible and taking payment ‘bribes’ to run a story would make it less credible. My opinion can’t be bought. Yet, if someone came to me with good content, research I didn’t have access to, graphics and other resources that I actually found interesting and felt my readers would find interesting, I would be more than willing to take it.
This is what PRs can offer to bloggers: content they couldn’t afford and stories their readers will respond to. PRs can also offer bloggers products to review. This saves the blogger time and money and gives them something to talk about. Providing a beauty blogger with free make-up samples does two things.1- it saves the blogger having to spend money on the samples and 2 – it makes for appropriate content that the readers will be interested in.
Events
PRs also have the funds to put on events that bloggers can go to. Bloggers shouldn’t want to be seen as a keyboard warrior, preaching from the confines of their bedroom. They should be out there engaging with people on the topic of their choice and PRs can facilitate that. Events are great. Not only does it keep the old Instagram account looking busy but it is also a meeting of like-minded people working in the same field which is great for getting inspiration as well as keeping an eye on your competition.
Inspiration hub for bloggers
As part of SWNS, we have an online hub (PLUG!) where we upload our stories and resources. This is free for bloggers to go to get relevant content. Whether a blogger needs stats to support something they are writing about, a quote from an expert or if they are simply looking for something fresh to write about, we’ve found an online hub is a great way for bloggers and PRs to work together. We have the content and they have the following. We provide newsworthy content to bloggers for free and they find their readers responding.
My hope for the future is for bloggers and PRs to understand how to work with each other more effectively and make each other stronger.
Is AI Forcing PR Back in Time?
Artificial intelligence has become the unavoidable elephant in the room in PR offices and newsrooms alike. From fake experts offering their ‘views’, to fact-checking, AI has become standard practice across the communications industry.
On the one hand, technology is advancing faster than ever. Generative AI has transformed how content is produced, consumed, and distributed. But on the other, the very same rise of AI is fuelling a renewed appetite for something far more traditional: trust, credibility, and good old-fashioned human relationships.
In some ways, it feels like we’ve gone full circle.
The New Reality: AI is Both Threat and Opportunity
There is no denying that AI has disrupted the PR and media landscape. Content is easier to generate than ever before, but that ease brings risks. Fake experts, misleading claims, and AI-written articles has created doubt. Journalists are more sceptical of what lands in their inbox, while audiences are switching onto the fact that what they are reading may not be authentic.
This scepticism has a silver lining: earned media is still crucial for visibility.
With Google’s AI Overview (GEO) now surfacing quick answers at the top of search results, credibility matters. Studies suggest that up to 90% of what shows up in these overviews is drawn from earned media sources. That means journalists’ stories, reputable outlets, and trusted commentary are shaping the very first thing people see when they search online.
For PR professionals, this is both a challenge and an opportunity. The challenge is and always has been how do we stand out amid a flood of AI-assisted pitches. But the opportunity is massive and the result could be huge. Your brand doesn’t just appear in an article, it has the potential to be surfaced by Google itself as the answer.
Relevancy and Authenticity: Growing in importance
Relevancy and authenticity have always been at the core of effective PR and how brands engage with their target audience. But in today’s AI-driven landscape, authenticity is crucial.
Journalists like Rob Waugh have already highlighted the rise of fake experts infiltrating newsrooms. When AI makes it easy to fabricate a convincing bio, journalists become far more pragmatic about who they trust.
The best way to stand out? Provide the real thing. Verified experts. Genuine insights. Stories grounded in data, not just spun with buzzwords.
The Human Connection is Making a Comeback
It wasn’t long ago that journalist-PR meetings were declining. COVID restrictions, remote working, and shrinking newsroom staff all contributed to a reliance on digital communication. Pitching moved to emails and the personal touch fell by the wayside.
But with AI muddying the waters, we’re seeing a quiet comeback of something that feels refreshingly old-school: face-to-face connection.
In a world where machines can mimic humans with startling accuracy, it’s the human element that restores trust. Even a five-minute phone call or coffee meeting can be the difference between your pitch being buried in an inbox avalanche or landing as a featured story.
Journalists are seeking reassurance that what they’re getting is credible, and PRs are seeking confidence that their stories will resonate. Meeting in person, or at least having a real conversation, creates that reassurance that is much sought after.
This return to relationship-driven PR may feel like going backwards, but in reality it’s just a reminder of what always worked best: building trust.
GEO: The Fierce New Battleground
For the average person, Google is the front door to information. And with the rollout of AI Overviews, people aren’t going much further to get their information.
Most users won’t scroll past the overview box at the top of the page. That means brands and experts featured in these summaries gain instant authority - whether they’re a household name or not.
We know GEO relies heavily on earned media. It doesn’t pull from random blogs or branded puff pieces; it pulls from trusted outlets. That means PR pros have an unprecedented chance to amplify their impact by focusing on securing coverage in reputable publications.
In the age of GEO, a single piece of earned coverage could be surfaced to millions of searchers again and again. The ripple effect is massive and we are still learning so much about it.
What PRs MUST Do to Adapt
The shifting landscape is forcing PRs to adapt but fundamentally it comes down to three priorities: credibility, relationships, and adaptability.
- Double Down on Trustworthiness
- Do your research on your experts and vet them.
- Provide data and references to back up claims.
- Be transparent about affiliations, partnerships, or limitations.
- Journalists are wary of “too good to be true” stories - so make sure it holds up under scrutiny.
- Rebuild Human Relationships
- Don’t underestimate the value of grabbing a coffee, attending industry events, or picking up the phone.
- Invest in the journalist-PR relationship beyond a single pitch. Find out what they actually need, what deadlines they face, and how you can make their lives easier.
- Authentic relationships build trust - and trust is what is going to land you coverage.
- Think GEO-First
- Frame your pitches with SEO and search intent in mind. If a story could realistically answer a user’s query, it has a higher chance of being surfaced in GEO.
- Work with experts who can provide quotable insights that align with real search behaviour.
- Stay Flexible and Transparent with AI
- Don’t pretend AI doesn’t exist - use it responsibly.
- By embracing AI transparently, PRs can position themselves as forward-thinking while still grounded in authenticity.
Back to the Future of PR
So, is AI forcing PR back in time? In some ways, yes. The demand for credibility, authenticity, and human connection feels like a throwback to the early days of media relations. But it’s not regression, it’s evolution.
AI has amplified the value of what PR has always done best: telling authentic stories, building genuine relationships, and helping brands earn trust in the public eye.
The tactics may look familiar: coffee meetings, trust-building, pitching journalists carefully chosen angles - but the stakes are higher. Now, those efforts don’t just land you a story in tomorrow’s paper. They could put your brand front and centre in Google’s AI Overview, shaping the answers millions of people see.
In other words: the fundamentals haven’t changed. But the focus has.
For PR professionals, the way forward is clear. Double down on trust. Lean into human connection. Secure earned media that resonates. AI may have disrupted the industry, but in the end, it’s reminding us of something timeless: credibility is the currency of communication.
