How AI Overviews Are Changing the Game for Digital PR
In an ever-changing digital landscape, it is more important than ever to stay ahead of the curve. One of the most significant recent developments in search is Google’s evolving AI Overview, a feature that fundamentally changes how users access information, and in turn, how digital PR professionals must work to ensure their content is seen. At Honcho, we are constantly adapting our approach to help brands stay visible in this shifting environment.
What is AI Overview and Why Does It Matter?
AI Overview presents users with instant answers to their queries directly in the search results, often removing the need to click through to a website. This rise in zero-click searches has created a shift in strategy for anyone relying on organic visibility, including those of us in digital PR.
Rather than focusing purely on backlinks or traditional SEO tactics, it is now critical to establish trust and authority online. Google and other AI models like ChatGPT and Gemini are designed to surface content from sources they view as credible, relevant and well recognised. This is where digital PR plays a crucial role.
What the Experts Say
We spoke to our digital PR team at Honcho to understand how they are approaching this new era of search.
Lauren Watson, Senior Digital PR Executive, explains:
“Digital PR plays a huge role in helping brands appear in AI overviews, whether that’s in the Google search results or through large language models (LLM's) such as ChatGPT or Gemini. By building a strong online presence through top-tier media coverage, you're not just boosting SEO, you’re also creating credible signals that AI will use to identify trustworthy and relevant sources when answering questions from users.
“In this new era of search, it’s not all about backlinks, it’s about being part of the larger conversation and showing up where your audience is looking for trusted information. Digital PR helps brands build that required credibility and visibility, not just for search engines, but for the AI models shaping how people discover and engage with content online.”
Naomi Willet, Digital PR Manager, adds:
"As we see an increase in zero-click searches, with users able to find answers via AI overviews rather than clicking through to websites, it is so important that brands adapt to increase their chances of being recognised in AI SERPs.
“AI models and LLMs generate their responses by searching the web for the most relevant, trustworthy and recognised sources, with informational style queries at heart. Therefore, the way to be featured in these answers is simply increasing your brand awareness, making your brand and website a key voice in your industry and recognised as a trusted source online."
The Bottom Line
To succeed in today’s search environment, brands must go beyond keyword targeting and link building. It is now about reputation, relevance and recognition. Digital PR is no longer just a support act for SEO. It is a core part of helping your brand be visible in the spaces where decisions are made, including within AI-powered search results.
If you would like to know more about how we are adapting our strategies at Honcho, feel free to get in touch.