If you’ve ever wondered whether AI is killing PR, stick around because I’ve got some encouraging news. Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised by what I’ve been learning about AI and its impact on our industry.

This conversation matters because things are shifting SO fast. I’ve been doing this for 20 years and have seen plenty of ups and downs. I remember PR before Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter (now X), and then TikTok came along. Every time, people panicked.

“Traditional media is dead. We’re all doomed.”

And yet… here we still are.

We adapted when affiliate revenue became part of the earned media game. We learned how to navigate changing rules and still deliver visibility for clients. And now AI is changing the rules again.

PR and SEO: A Longstanding Partnership

For years, PR and SEO have had a symbiotic relationship. I recently chatted with the head of an SEO agency, and she told me, “We love PR agencies. The features you secure are powerful for our SEO efforts.”

But keep in mind that SEO isn’t working the way it used to. Affiliate marketing still matters, but it feels outdated as the sole strategy. Now clients are asking how they can show up inside AI tools like Claude and ChatGPT.

Fortunately for us, PR has never been more critical.

From SEO to AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)

People are skipping Google and going straight to AI tools for answers. With Google, you’d search a topic, get a list of results, and click around to form your own opinion. With AI, you ask a question and it delivers a synthesized answer. That shift is what we call Answer Engine Optimization.

AI search models aren’t pulling from metadata hacks or backlinks. They’re pulling from authority sources.

Here’s an example: one of my longtime clients in the baby and kid space makes electric breast pumps. We worked hard to position them as the pump that delivers “more milk in less time.” Over the years, we landed them on countless “best of” lists in high-authority publications.

Recently, someone outside my business tested searches in both Claude and ChatGPT. Guess whose products showed up in the results? My client’s. Different products appeared in each tool, but the brand was consistent. Why? Because both were pulling from trusted, high-authority sources where our earned media had placed them.

That’s the payoff of PR in the age of AI.

The Real Role of PR in AI Search

Let’s get clear: AI isn’t making PR obsolete. It’s making it more essential. Earned media is becoming the single most important driver of visibility in AI models.

And here’s the best part: you don’t need to be technically savvy to leverage this shift. It all comes back to the fundamentals of PR:

• Telling great stories
• Securing placements in high-authority outlets
• Repeating consistent messaging across platforms
• Aligning timing, story, and editorial needs

These are the same skills you already have.

Three Strategies to Future-Proof Your PR

So, how do we align with this shift and talk about it with clients? Here are three strategies you can use:

1. Lean into authority-based PR

Prioritize pitching high-authority outlets and “best of” lists that AI trusts. These placements are the sources AI pulls from.

2. Integrate metadata with PR wins

Once you land a feature, make sure your clients highlight it correctly. Repetition and consistent keywords matter, along with leveraging metadata so AI models can connect press hits directly to their brand.

3. Educate clients on the AI advantage

Show them real examples of competitors appearing in AI searches. Position yourself as the expert who understands this shift and can help them show up where their customers are searching.

Why This Gets Me Excited

For me, this shift is exciting. PR has always been about building credibility and visibility through earned media. Now, that credibility fuels visibility inside AI tools. It’s proof that what we do has lasting value.

Start thinking of every earned media hit as future-proof visibility inside answer engines like ChatGPT and Claude.

Agencies that adapt to this shift will become indispensable to their clients. That’s my plan, and it’s what I’m helping my community do through The Pitch Lab and Agency Accelerator.

• The Pitch Lab gives you monthly media angles, editorial calendars, and coaching to land authority-driven earned media.
• The Agency Accelerator helps you scale into a profitable six-figure agency designed to thrive in the age of AI.

PR isn’t dying. It’s evolving. And it’s never been more important than right now.

So, lean into this shift. Keep pitching. Keep showing up. And know that the fundamentals of what you do are more valuable than ever.

If your clients want to show up inside AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude, they need the kind of authority-driven earned media you know how to deliver. That’s exactly what we focus on inside The Pitch Lab: monthly strategies, editorial calendars, and coaching to help you secure the high-authority placements AI trusts. And if you’re ready to take it even further, Agency Accelerator is where we turn those skills into a scalable, profitable agency that’s built for the AI era.

Go crush it this week! I’ll be right here crushing it too.