Google Highlights Role of Digital PR in AI-Driven Search Recommendations

In a recent podcast appearance, Robby Stein, Vice-President of Product for Google LLC’s search division, addressed how public relations (PR) activities can influence a business’s appearance in AI-powered search recommendations, and elaborated on the mechanics of how Google sees content creators should adapt in the emerging AI search era.

PR Mentions Can Aid AI Recommendation Signals

During the discussion, Stein remarked that when a business is mentioned by other reputable sites or referenced in authoritative “top business” lists, those mention signals can assist the AI system in discovering and evaluating that business. Although he stopped short of calling these mentions a formal “ranking factor,” his comments suggest they play a discovery role analogous to how a user might research a business.

“Yeah, interestingly, the AI thinks a lot like a person would in terms of the kinds of questions it issues. And so if you’re a business and you’re mentioned in top business lists or from a public article that lots of people end up finding, those kinds of things become useful for the AI to find.”

When the podcast host described this as investing in PR, Stein agreed: “So it’s not really different from what you would do in that regard. I think ultimately, how else are you going to decide what business to go to? Well, you’d want to understand that.”

This aligns with the broader strategy of encouraging businesses to secure mentions, citations and third-party coverage—not simply for classic SEO (search engine optimisation) but now for AI recommendation exposure.

Content Quality and AI Overlap with Traditional SEO

Stein shifted to emphasise that fundamental content best-practices remain valid in the AI era. He said that when the AI system issues queries (a process he identified as query fan-out) and composes a response, it relies on high-quality website content that matches user intent.

“And so in the same way that you would optimise your website and think about how I make helpful, clear information for people … Think of an AI doing that search now. And then knowing for that query, here are the best websites given that question. … That website’s more likely to show up.”

On the topic of reviews, Stein acknowledged their potential but noted the signal is complex—not easily isolated. He said:

“It’s possible that if you have reviews that are helpful, it could come up. But … I think ultimately it’s about these general best practices … what pages would show up at the top of that query?”

The takeaway: content creators should continue to prioritise clarity, usefulness, authoritativeness and originality—qualities long emphasised in SEO guidelines.

AI-Specific Search Behaviours: Long Queries, Multimodal Inputs

Stein said there is substantial overlap between content strategies for organic search and AI-powered search (“AEO” or AI Engine Optimisation), yet he cautioned that user behaviours differ. He described several key distinctions:

• Users ask increasingly complex, detailed questions in AI environments (for example, purchase-decisions or “how-to” topics) rather than simply entering short keywords.
• Search is becoming increasingly multimodal—voice, images, screenshots and conversational formats are growing in importance.
• He recommended that businesses use tools such as Google Trends and real-time advertising traffic estimates to track what users are asking, across different modalities and channels.

On this he remarked:

“Google Trends is a really useful thing. I actually think people really underutilise that. … And I think that’s going to increasingly be more interesting … particularly … these long specific questions people ask and multimodal, where they’re asking with images or they’re using voice to have live conversation.”

Implications for Businesses and Creators

Stein’s remarks suggest several actionable considerations for businesses and content producers aiming to maintain visibility in an AI-enhanced search environment:

• PR and mentions matter: While not formally labelled a ranking factor, external mentions help AI systems recognise and contextualise businesses.
• Content must still excel: The shift toward AI responses does not negate fundamental content quality criteria—helpfulness, authority and originality remain key.
• Track emerging query patterns: Monitoring how users employ AI (versus classic search) may reveal new opportunities for content and optimisation.
• Consider multimodal formats: Content that addresses image, voice or conversational input may gain incremental advantage as these input types grow.

As search platforms continue integrating AI functionality—such as Google’s “AI Overviews” and “AI Mode”—the interplay between traditional ranking factors and AI-driven recommendation signals is likely to evolve. Stein’s commentary underscores the view that search optimisation practices are not being replaced, but rather must adapt to a broader, more fluid information environment.

Background Context

Google has for decades set guidelines emphasising user-intent, content originality and authoritativeness in its search algorithms. With the advent of its AI search components, including “AI Overviews” and “AI Mode”, Google is positioning search as more conversational and capability‐rich than earlier keyword-centred iterations. (See recent coverage of Stein’s remarks on query-fan-out and AI-driven search processes.)

The concept of “query fan-out” describes how the AI system may issue multiple sub-queries, perform searches or access web content behind the scenes in order to build a comprehensive response. In this context, visibility in the web ecosystem—as reflected through PR mentions and citations—can enhance a business’s discoverability by the system.