PR has evolved. While it hasn’t really ever been just about press releases—brands must take a multi-platform sustainable approach to get discovered and build authority at a time when trust is a fragile commodity.
We’re living in an age when consumers have never been more skeptical. Trust in brands is at an all-time low with only 50% of consumers trusting brands today, according to the Edelman Trust Barometer. Furthermore, with news stories about the prevalence of fake reviews, how can we blame them?
The Opportunity for Brands
The good news is you can show your audiences that they can trust you with SEO-Powered PR: the integration of high DA ranking earned media, SEO, and authority-building moves like executive guest posting on industry trade websites, a solid Linkedin strategy, compelling whitepapers, and compelling web content.
This ensures your brand ranks in Google, AI-driven platforms – and shows up in industry conversations to drive discovery, influence, trust – and traffic.
With this approach, brands don’t need permission to take advantage of all of the opportunities laid before you. They don’t have to wait to be discovered.
How SEO-Powered PR All Comes Together
1. Discoverability:
- Google prioritizes authority and credibility. If your brand is featured in trusted publications, it ranks higher.
- AI platforms like ChatGPT rely on Google’s indexed sources. If you’re not visible in search results, AI can’t reference you.
2. Influence and Trust:
- Earned media + SEO = long-term discoverability. High-authority media placements, backlinks from top-tier publications, guest posts, and awards recognition strengthen search rankings and credibility.
- Third-party validation builds trust. Content backed by journalists, experts, and industry leaders—whether through earned media, guest posts, or research-based white papers—carries more weight than self-promotion. (Here’s an example from one of our health tech clients).
The Data Behind PR, SEO & AI Visibility
1. Google’s Emphasis on Authority and Credibility
Google’s algorithms prioritize content from authoritative and credible sources. Websites with high domain authority, determined by factors such as quality backlinks and content relevance, are more likely to rank higher in search results. This means that brands featured in trusted publications with high-quality backlinks experience improved search visibility (Google).
2. AI Platforms Rely on Indexed Web Content
AI models, including ChatGPT and Google Bard, generate responses based on data indexed from the web. If a brand’s content is not visible in search results, AI platforms may not reference it, limiting the brand’s reach (Forbes).
3. The Synergy of Earned Media and SEO for Long-Term Discoverability
Combining earned media with SEO strategies ensures sustained visibility. High-quality backlinks from reputable sources enhance a website’s authority, leading to improved search rankings and credibility (Moz).
What does this all add up to? Social Proof.
- Authenticity matters: Consumers are growing wary of fake or overly positive reviews with this being such an issue that FTC had to ban the sale or purchase of reviews in October 2024.
- User-generated content builds trust: Real customer experiences and case studies improve credibility.
- Third-party validation, not advertising boosts confidence: Earned media, industry awards, and influencer endorsements strengthen brand reputation. Your customers, and Google values this.
Check out some of our SEO Powered PR packages here.
Want to turn press into profit this year? Let’s make it happen. 🚀
Verified Communications is a Toronto-based PR and communications agency serving clients across North America that helps brands tell their stories. We’ve worked to build and protect the reputations of the world’s biggest brands. With a team of seasoned PR and corporate communications professionals, strategic thinkers, writers and former journalists, led by seasoned strategist Victoria Kirk, we know how to connect the right message with the right audience at the perfect moment.
