PR and SEO can no longer sit apart. B2B visibility now depends on website clarity and credible third-party mentions.
PR and SEO used to have little connection. PR chased visibility in the press. SEO chased rankings on search engines. The methods they used were very different. That separation is starting to look old-fashioned.
Search is no longer just a list of ten blue links. Ai systems now draw on news coverage, directories, forums and trusted third-party sources. That means visibility is now down to what the wider web says about us, and it’s why a smart PR company might be pushing to take over at least part of the SEO brief.
Technical SEO still matters. We don’t want a press release specialist wandering around server configuration. But modern SEO needs authority and external validation. That is where PR should be strong. A good PR team knows which resources matter in the sector and knows how to earn credible mentions.
If a company is described one way on its own site, another way in old press coverage, and not at all in the places Ai systems tend to reference, there is a problem. The brand becomes harder to understand. Switched-on PR for the new era can help fix that.
But there is a catch. If PR wants this role, it has to understand the website too. So PR companies should be asking for involvement in the SEO conversation. If they are not asking those questions, we should ask why not.
It may be that they are weak on understanding content structure and commercial intent. That may be a problem. But they should at least understand why the opportunity matters.