Using Google, you may have noticed a new feature: AI Mode. Right next to the usual options like “News” or “Images,” AI Mode is a new way to search that uses artificial intelligence to provide more in-depth, conversational answers to questions.
Through generative AI, the feature is built into Google Search, offering a chatbot-like experience that functions like ChatGPT. This obviously matters because billions of people use Google, meaning that AI Mode is bound to be highly trafficked.
Why AI Mode Matters to Public Relations
But it matters particularly to public relations professionals, who have long been advising clients on Google SEO (search engine optimization) for the sake of increasing visibility through searchability. For years, PR experts have been focused on improving their clients’ online persona through Google Search—from generating positive news stories to updating company websites and working within Wikipedia.
What does AI Mode mean to PR? Long story short, it means everything!
The more people use AI Mode instead of—or in conjunction with—traditional search, the more it will dictate PR strategies and tactics. Just like with Google Search years ago, trying to improve AI-generated responses on behalf of noteworthy clientele has become the name of the game.
How AI-Generated Responses Are Built
To understand the “how,” it’s important to know how AI-generated responses are, well, generated. Fortunately, Google makes it easy to figure out, since the relevant sources that corroborate this content are listed to the right of each response. This could mean a personal blog, a Wikipedia page or a media mention, but the bottom line is that the sources are public for everyone to see. It is not a mystery.
Therefore, to make an AI-generated response read well (robustly and positively, ideally), PR experts need to ensure that the relevant sources are indeed robust and positive. With AI Mode in mind, the experts in my industry will try to pitch journalists on favorable news stories because these media mentions could end up helping AI come up with responses to queries. There is a direct line between journalism and AI’s answer to a question.
Controlling the Content AI Finds
The same goes for updating websites, including personal blogs, with fresh content. For example, when I search my name using AI Mode, the top two sources are my company’s website and LinkedIn page. To come up with an explanation of who I am and what I do, AI essentially pulls and summarizes content from my bio online, social media posts and similar material.
The good news is that such content can be controlled—to an extent. I can make sure that my bio is updated and my social media platforms don’t become stale. This is up to me. By keeping it all fresh, posting weekly if not daily, I can give AI a strong foundation for responses to be generated. Failing to update is a missed opportunity.
Content Is Still King in the Age of AI
When you think about it, regularly pushing out website or social media content is like your heartbeat as a thought leader or a business. This heartbeat needs to be steady, reaching your target audience with valuable information day in and day out. Whether you work in PR or another industry, your subject matter expertise should come across frequently; otherwise, it’s easy to be forgotten.
The more content you have online, the more findable it becomes for AI. On the one hand, you have controllable information like a company bio. Then, on the other hand, you have more variable content like a news story written by a journalist. But, even with independent news coverage, you can help a journalist frame their story with interesting background material, a punchy quote and more.
The point is to realize that AI may stumble upon a news story and summarize it accordingly. And, one day, that could be part of your “summary” as a searchable person.
What will AI do with its summary? You can’t predict that with 100% certainty, but you can make it more likely for AI to cast you in a favorable light by pursuing positive news coverage. This also helps offset any negativity swirling out there, if you’re a controversial figure.
In the age of AI, technology seems to be changing on a daily basis. But in reality, many of the same rules for Google SEO still apply. They are just applied differently. Content is still king. It is your beating heart. Now, AI wants to hear it, too.
This article originally appeared on the Forbes Agency Council CommunityVoice in July 2025.
