Rewriting PR for the AI Era: From Links to Brand Signals

• AI-generated content is reshaping digital PR, making brand mentions, expert commentary, and sentiment critical for LLM visibility.
• Brand mentions now outperform backlinks in AI Overviews, according to studies by Ahrefs and other industry tools.
• Relevance and positive sentiment directly impact visibility, both in traditional search (Google) and AI-generated results (like ChatGPT).
• Diversify PR beyond backlinks—use podcasts, video, expert quotes, and thought leadership to build authoritative brand signals.
• Measure success through entity-based frameworks (like DARE: Demand, Authority, Reputation, Engagement), not just link metrics.
• Social search and LLMs demand platform-native visibility, meaning brands must show up where audiences actually search—TikTok, ChatGPT, Reddit, etc.

With AI moving so quickly, my conversation with Beth Nunnington, founding member and Global VP of Digital PR at Journey Further, couldn’t have come at a more critical time. (I actually bumped it up in the schedule so that people could heed Beth’s great advice.)

We discuss the evolving landscape of PR and its growing importance in a highly fragmented search environment. However, that’s not all; brand awareness, the interactions between brand signals and AI technologies like Google and ChatGPT are becoming increasingly popular.

In this chat, we discuss what that means for brands specifically.

Tune in.

Resources Mentioned

Here are a few of the major studies and tools we mentioned in the talk:

• Journey Further’s relevance tool, Salient: https://www.journeyfurther.com/salient
• An Analysis of AI Overview Brand Visibility Factors (75K Brands Studied): https://ahrefs.com/blog/ai-overview-brand-correlation/
• Ziff Davis’ Study: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5009668

Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction

00:30 – Why PR is Having a Moment

01:50 – Understanding Brand Signals and Mentions

03:16 – International Perspective on PR Trends

04:05 – Defining Branding, Brand Awareness, and Brand Building

06:28 – The Role of PR in Brand Building

08:21 – Google and Brand Signals

10:30 – Impact of AI and LLMs on PR

15:01 – Relevance and Sentiment in PR

20:37 – Strategies for Building Brand Signals

27:10 – Measuring Success in Digital PR

30:55 – Future-Proofing PR Strategies

34:37 – Conclusion and Farewell

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Vince Nero

Vince is the Director of Content Marketing at Buzzstream. He thinks content marketers should solve for users, not just Google. He also loves finding creative content online. His previous work includes content marketing agency Siege Media for six years, Homebuyer.com, and The Grit Group. Outside of work, you can catch Vince running, playing with his 2 kids, enjoying some video games, or watching Phillies baseball.

More Posts by Vince Nero
Website: https://buzzstream.com