For years, search has been one of the most reliable ways for customers to find information about services, products and companies. When someone needed an answer, they typed a question into Google. They scanned the results. They clicked a link. If your company had useful website content, strong keywords and credible backlinks, you were more likely to show up on the results page.

Organic search is still driven by helpful content, relevant keywords, technical website health and links from trusted websites. A strong SEO (search engine optimization) strategy can help a PHCP brand attract the right audience, answer common questions and influence how the company appears in search results.

However, search behavior is changing. People are no longer only looking at a list of blue links. They are asking tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google’s AI-powered search experiences for direct answers.

That shift changes how brands need to think about visibility:

In traditional search, a company wants its website, article or product page to appear high in the results.

In AI search, a company wants to be included in the answer.

That answer is built from patterns, context and credibility signals found across the web. A generative AI tool may pull from company websites, trade media coverage, expert quotes, product mentions, case studies, third-party articles and other publicly available sources.

The result is a new search environment where brand authority is shaped by much more than your own website. This is where digital public relations becomes a larger part of the search conversation.

Digital PR supports SEO

Digital PR and SEO have worked together for years, even when the two functions were handled separately.

SEO teams focus on helping a website rank for the right search terms. PR teams focus on earning media coverage, securing thought leadership opportunities and building credibility through third-party sources. When these efforts are aligned, both become stronger

One of the clearest connections is backlink building.

A backlink is a link from one website to another. Search engines have long used backlinks as one signal of authority. When a respected trade publication, industry association, local business journal or national outlet links to a company’s website or blog, that link can help send referral traffic and reinforce the company’s relevance.

Industry trust is often built in specific places:

A mention in a trade publication may carry more weight with your audience than a broad consumer outlet.

A byline on a publication’s website read by contractors may be more valuable than a blog post on your own site.

A product roundup, project story or technical Q&A can help your company reach people who are already looking for industry-specific information.

The quality of the link matters, too. A backlink from a trusted, relevant publication is more useful than a link from a low-quality website created solely for SEO. PR is naturally built around earning coverage from credible sources, which makes it a strong partner to organic search.

This does not mean every media placement needs to be driven by SEO. It means companies should be intentional. When a byline, case study, product announcement or interview includes a relevant link, that content can support both reputation and search performance.

Keyword research

Keyword research is another place where PR and SEO should connect.

The purpose of keyword research is to understand how people search for information:

What questions are they asking?

What problems are they trying to solve?

What terms do they use when comparing products, systems or services?

For PHCP companies, this research can reveal valuable editorial direction.

An HVAC company may see search interest around indoor air quality, electrification, refrigerants, heat pumps or system efficiency. A plumbing manufacturer may find that customers are searching for questions about water conservation, installation time, codes, maintenance or product compatibility.

Those insights should not be limited to website copy. They can help shape press releases, contributed articles, expert commentary, webinar topics, social posts and sales enablement materials.

When PR content reflects the language customers already use, it becomes easier to find. A contributed article that answers a specific industry question is more likely to appear in search results than a broad thought leadership piece with no clear focus.

The goal is not to force keywords into every sentence. That approach makes content harder to read and less useful. The goal is to connect your company’s expertise with the questions your audience is already asking.

A new layer

Generative AI search builds on the same foundation of credibility, clarity and relevance.

When someone asks an AI tool for a recommendation, explanation or comparison, they are asking for a synthesized answer. The tool is not always sending the user to a list of websites. It may summarize what it finds and name the brands, products or sources that appear to be most relevant.

That creates a new challenge for PHCP marketers.

Your website alone may not be enough to shape how your brand is understood. AI tools look for signals across the web. They may see how your company is described in trade media, whether your experts are quoted, whether your product category is clearly connected to your brand, whether your claims are backed by evidence and whether your positioning is consistent across sources.

Here’s why PR is becoming more central to search strategy:

Media coverage gives AI search tools a more credible context about your company.

Expert quotes reinforce subject matter authority.

Case studies show proof of performance.

Trade publication mentions connect your brand to specific industry topics.

Repeated positioning across earned media helps create a clearer pattern.

For example, a company that wants to be known for water-efficient commercial plumbing solutions should not rely on that phrase appearing only on its website. The company should reinforce that idea through technical articles, project stories, expert commentary, award submissions, product news and industry conversations.

The same applies to HVAC, hydronics, PVF, bath and kitchen, fire protection, tools and technology companies. If a brand wants to be associated with a specific topic, application or value proposition, that message needs to appear in credible places outside its own channels.

What to do next?

The first step is to define the message you want search engines and AI tools to understand.

This should be specific. “Innovative solutions” is too vague. “Hydronic systems designed for energy-efficient retrofits” gives search engines, editors and customers a clearer context.

Next, identify the questions your audience is asking. What terms do customers use when they describe the problem? What questions come up before a purchase? What concerns slow down specification?

Then align your PR content with those questions.

A strong media strategy might include contributed articles that explain common technical challenges, product announcements that link to useful resources, expert commentary tied to industry trends, case studies with measurable results and interviews that reinforce your company’s core positioning.

The most effective content is grounded in evidence. AI search tools and human readers both need proof. Use data when you have it. Share project outcomes when possible. Include expert insight. Explain the application. Avoid claims that sound broad or unsupported.

It is also helpful to connect PR content back to owned content.

If your company earns a byline on a trade media website, consider creating a related blog, resource page or sales sheet that expands on the topic.

If a product is included in a roundup, make sure the linked product page is clear, useful and aligned with the same message.

If a company executive is quoted on a trend, build supporting content that helps customers understand what the trend means for them.

This creates a stronger content ecosystem. Earned media builds third-party credibility. Owned content gives searchers a place to learn more. Sales teams gain useful material. Search engines and AI tools get clearer signals about what your company does and why it matters.

Search is no longer only about ranking for a keyword. It is about being understood, trusted and included in the places where people look for answers.

For PHCP companies, that means PR, SEO and content strategy should work together. Media coverage should support brand authority. Website content should answer real customer questions. Keywords should guide editorial planning. AI search should be considered when shaping positioning, messaging and proof points.

The companies that appear in future search results will likely be those that have invested time in building a clear, credible digital footprint.

That work starts with a simple question: When someone asks an AI tool or search engine about your product category, what do you want it to know about your brand?