The Search is Over: Why You Need Public Relations More Than Ever

Online searches will never be the same, and for some, this is a good thing. For others, the struggle is about to get real. 

On June 30, Google initiated its 2025 Core Update. Expected to roll out over a three-week period, this new iteration of Google’s algorithm will bring significant changes to search rankings. The new algorithm will focus on high-quality content and user experience, prioritizing helpful, relevant and authoritative content.  

As with everything these days, this change leans on AI. Because AI-generated summaries (a/k/a zero-click searches) are, so far, less than perfect, brands should anticipate their messaging, positioning, tone and outright fact-based details may be summarized incorrectly by Google, potentially pulling in third-party or outdated information about the brand. As a result, brand websites could experience a drop in site traffic beginning this summer.  

Brands can also expect to see a further decline in keyword-centric search engine optimization campaigns. Meanwhile, optimizing for voice, visual and video search will become of increased importance. This is already happening as organic search results are pushed further down by Google as more real estate goes to paid advertising, sponsored content and Google’s own products. 

At the heart of these changes are brand authority and credibility. Those who lack a strong online presence—meaning frequent, engaging and varied source content—will be left behind in this new era of online search. For brands, public relations should be considered an increasingly critical tool for reputation management, promotion and search more generally. 

The Credibility Factor 

Creating frequent, original content, in a myriad of ways across a range of websites and social channels, is the best and most effective response to this seismic shift in online search.

PR pros can employ a range of tools to meet the changing landscape of search driven by AI. Securing multiple and regular opportunities for subject matter experts or brand leaders to represent their organizations outside of owned media (brand websites, blogs, social channels, etc.), will be paramount. These can include: 

• Podcasts, audio as well as video  

• Trade publication media interviews  

• Contributed articles to trade and other vertical media outlets 

• Guest blogs 

• Tier One media interviews or opinion pieces (i.e., Wall Street Journal, FOX News, Financial Times, The New York Times, etc.) 

Additionally, brands will need to focus more on their owned content as part of their response to this change. Creating more robust content on platforms like LinkedIn Company Pages, brand websites and blogs, newsletters and online video content will be critical. Additionally, brand leaders will need to rethink the look, tone and substance of that content by unloading jargon and using more casual language to increase the likelihood of being found as voice search continues to grow.  

As of June 2025, digital marketing firm SevenAtoms reported one in five global internet users now employ voice commands to search online, with 153.5 million U.S. adults expected to use voice assistants in 2025. That content will also need to incorporate more brand-focused Q&A information to respond to both voice and conversational search terms as traditional SEO continues to decline. Finally, it will be important to maximize brand websites for rapid loading as well as speedy mobile optimization. 

When a brand’s public relations team secures credible, third-party media coverage and mentions in relevant, reputable media, this content will provide much of the high value, authoritative signals now prioritized in all search through varied placements and backlinks. Credibility, context and expertise are all core tenets of any effective public relations campaign, making PR the most effective way to help brands insulate themselves from the pace of change. Done well and with frequent, authoritative content and sources, some brands may see their search results improve overtime, allowing their SEO dollars to be repurposed elsewhere, perhaps to their public relations campaigns, as competition for human eyeballs continues to grow almost as quickly as the pace of AI adoption.