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What AIOs and LLMs mean for Digital PRs?
Published: 18/09/25 - Updated: 18/09/25
How audiences search and discover brands is ever-evolving, and the rapid adoption of AI in search has marked a significant shift into a new era that is set to have a dramatic impact.
Since the rise of the world wide web, followed by the internet, followed by the birth of search engines and then social media, brands have been forced to keep up and pivot their strategies to ensure they are discoverable, trusted and chosen by their audiences. As more avenues and platforms of discoverability continue to emerge, it is crucial that carefully considered strategies are in place to ensure the right consumers are being targeted on the right platforms.
Over the last 12 months in particular, marketers have undoubtedly felt the change that AI is bringing. The creation of language learning models such as ChatGPT has seen individuals moving away from Google as their always-first choice for a search query, whilst Google’s introduction of AI Overviews has meant that brands are getting pushed further down the fold and need to compete not only for a position in the SERPs, but also for visibility in these summaries.
What does the rise of AI mean for brands?
The rise of AI means the search experience is changing significantly and brands need to understand how audiences are using new platforms, as well as evolving older ones to create strategies that get them seen by the right people in the right places. Brands need to consider new tactics to remain visible. At Kaizen, we talk about Conquering The Search Verse – using our knowledge of each platform that audiences engage with to create targeted strategies to get you seen, remembered and chosen, with the likes of AI Overviews and LLMs being new additions. Today, brands need to have a multi-platform presence, as it’s not enough to have a website ranking on Google.
How are AI Overviews impacting SEOs?
AI Overviews are the AI-generated summaries that now appear at the top of Google search results, giving users a quick snapshot of the most relevant information for their query, which helps individuals save time and have a greater user experience as a result. As well as a clear answer, AI overviews often provide additional context and links out for the user to explore.
One way to understand the impact AIOs are having in search is by seeing traditional search providing the best and most relevant results to help answer a user’s question, whilst AI Overviews are providing the best and most relevant answer. Historically, SEOs have built out their content strategy with informational content to capture audience attention in the discovery journey, and seen clicks through to their site as a result of individuals trying to find out the answer.
But with AI Overviews and the answers being provided directly to the user without needing to even consider going anywhere else, SEOs are seeing impressions continue to perform, whilst click through rates deteriorate – and it’s something we’ve been seeing a lot over the past few months.
Moving forward, brands need to focus on creating top answers that get them featured in AI Overviews to remain seen where it matters, and finding new ways to report on growth, as consumers move away from clicking off of the search engine.
How are LLMs impacting SEOs?
Language learning models like ChatGPT are another core AI development shaking things up in search. LLMs are becoming increasingly adopted and ingrained into social norms, with people using it for direct answers, brand recommendations, brain storming support and even advice. As a result, AI has paved the way for another way for consumers to gain information during the discovery journey without having to click anywhere else to find out more.
We’re also seeing consumers use LLMs for commercially driven queries such as ‘Best-rated hairdryers’, with brands appearing for consumers to consider, making it an imperative marketing tactic to capitalise on to capture this traffic. As a result, brands could start seeing traffic have a much higher commercial intent, as users will have used the likes of AI Overviews and LLMs to gather the information they need ahead of a purchasing decision.
Understanding exactly how AI Overviews and LLMs choose and include content still holds some questions. While LLMs have their own algorithm that decides on which content and brands to feature, there are some similarities that should ease SEO concerns that their efforts have gone to waste. Optimising for Google continues to remain of top performance, with both Google’s and LLM algorithms valuing high quality, E-E-A-T driven content.
What can we do as PRs to appear in AIOs and LLMs?
For marketers, strategies need to be tailored to both traditional and AI powered search.
Digital PR arguably has an even more important role in helping brands to appear in these areas and could even be the deciding factor in seeing you rank against a competitor. High quality and relevant backlinks are not only a significant authority signal that is recognised by AI search, but having your brand cited on these top-tier news publications positions you as a credible source that both Google and LLMs favour.
In addition, whilst Digital PR has often been seen as a predominantly SEO tactic to increase visibility online, we’re likely to see even more proof of the value of not just links but brand mentions produced by Digital PR as AI models become increasingly more intelligent, being more easily easily to understand and contextualise brand entities, connecting the dots in positioning a brand as an authoritative leader in a certain space. With links being the core measurable for Digital PRs in the past, this is likely to dramatically shift as technologies become increasingly sophisticated. As a result, it will see the strategies of Digital and Traditional PR teams become further merged.
One thing we know about LLM algorithms is that it favours fresh and updated content. This provides a great opportunity for companies to utilise Digital PR efforts to incorporate an integrated content strategy that includes an always-on reactive approach, updating on-site blog content that can be re-outreached and gain authority, whilst also working on larger PR pieces. Having an integrated approach will ensure your brand can maintain its relevance and ‘nowness’ that will see it rewarded in LLMs.
EEAT signals is another factor for both SEOs and Digital PRs to ensure visibility in the SERPs, which continues to hold importance when featuring in AI Overviews and LLMs. For example, continuing to use experts and data will be key for brands wanting to position themselves as leaders in their field.
Looking to the future, it’s likely this will continue to be of huge importance, with Digital PRs and SEOs working on tighter strategies to ensure these signals are clear. We may see a greater focus on internal data and experts, to solidify EEAT signals further. Another area might be greater collaboration in content formats used, as the search experience evolves. For example, we’re seeing a rise in video content which both Digital PRs and SEOs have started to adopt, but this is likely to become far more widespread and integrated with one another in the coming months and years.
What do LLMs and AIOs tell us about how brand and Digital PRs should be working together?
LLMs and AI Overviews have shone a light on the need for Digital PR to be more than just backlinks. And whilst we knew this already, the noticeable drop in clicks brands are seeing and the shift in how people search, highlights the increasing need for companies to think about Digital PRs impact on brand and about how people search, where they search and why they search.
The challenge to be seen has just become harder, which means Digital PR needs to focus more on brand visibility and recognition to ensure it’s chosen not only by Google and the likes of ChatGPT but also by the consumer. With technology rapidly changing the way we search, human connection and emotional triggers largely remain the same.
What does this mean? It means our jobs get a whole lot more interesting. Editorial stories may be our bread and butter but it shouldn’t be where we stop. Digital PRs, PRs and general marketers need to consider all of the ways a consumer engages with a brand and the reasons why they get chosen. Google is just one of these avenues, alongside so many others including TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, Quora, radio, and TV to name a few. If we start thinking about why people use certain channels then we can develop strategies that ensure your brand is seen in those places.
With this in mind, Digital PR is so much more than editorial stories to gain backlinks and mentions. In fact, Digital PR needs to become fully intertwined with the more ‘traditional’ sense of PR and encompass fully the shared goals of building brand recognition and connection with consumers.
Looking at LLMs and AIOs which are now making brands visible for both informational and commercial queries, Digital PR strategies need to expand to ensure they are seen in various areas. One example of this might be more product PR tactics, or Reddit engagement.
Final thoughts
As some of these AI-driven changes continue to be in the infant stages from a consumer search perspective, it’s key for brands to start recognising how search is evolving and ensure their strategies are tailored not only for search in a traditional sense, but also for new emerging platforms and tools. It is highly likely these developments will continue to take place, and new ways of searching will become ingrained in consumer behaviour. For Digital PRs, building authoritative content has never been more important with both Google and LLMs recognising EEAT signals. The rising importance of brand awareness also means that PRs need to think more broadly, not only to reach consumers across various search platforms but also to ensure when they are seen, they are recognised and chosen.
Adapting and widening our horizons should see Digital PRs, SEOs, PRs and brand marketers become more closely aligned under a shared goal of increasing brand visibility to the consumer. The future may hold departmental structure shifts, assigned budget changes across teams, greater integration, larger campaign strategy and more tailored reporting.
It’s an exciting time to be a Digital PR in an AI world, and I’m looking forward to seeing how brands start adapting to the changing landscape changes over the coming months and years to remain visible, trusted and relevant.
Marina Plummer
Marina has been at Kaizen for over four years now and has nearly a decade of experience in Digital PR. Marina has nurtured and grown some of Kaizen’s longest-standing clients, producing award-winning campaigns across her career. Her experience spans a breadth of industries from automotive, fintech, insurance, e-commerce, health and lifestyle. Her current role at Kaizen focuses on having an eye for what makes a newsworthy campaign as the media landscape continues to evolve, managing a team to deliver the highest standard of work for our clients and reporting on the value of what we do with an SEO hat on.