What Does the AI Mode Google Update mean for Off-Page, Digital PR Marketers?

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, there’s no escaping how quickly AI has moved from an abstract mystery to an everyday tool. The launch of OpenAI and similar models has changed the landscape almost overnight. What once felt like something to think about ‘down the line’ is now here and embedded in the tools we use, the way we search, and the way we work. There’s a lot of noise about AI being a threat to jobs, or to society itself but my interest is more about knowing what we do with it now. How do we, as marketers, specifically digital PR professionals, adapt to this shift and use it to our advantage?

Let’s Talk About Google’s AI Mode for Search

​Google didn’t stay the world’s most dominant search engine by sitting still. With tools like ChatGPT starting to eat into its market share (i.e. early adopters using AI as a search engine alternative), Google needed to respond. The result? Google's recent rollout of AI Overviews (previously known as the Search Generative Experience or SGE). As they work to compete with models like OpenAI, this isn't just another algorithm tweak. It's a fundamental shift in how information is presented in search results. Google’s main objective will be to deliver ‘best in class’ AI-powered summaries directly within the search results page.

What is Google’s AI Mode for Search (AI Overview)?

​In simple terms, Google now has a highly intelligent research assistant built right into its search engine. Instead of serving up a list of links, it now understands complex queries which it can summarise it in a clear, conversational way. The AI behind this, powered by Gemini, is able to break down your query into key parts, pull relevant information across sources and build a response. It still credits those sources, but the focus shifts from clicking links, to reading the answer upfront. In the near future, answers may also be personalised based on your activity across other Google tools  (though you’ll have control over how that data is used).
This has, and will, inevitably change the rules of the game for search visibility. Instead of aiming for the top organic spot, content will need to be the kind that AI trusts, references, and includes in its summaries. It’s not just about ranking anymore. It’s about being useful enough to be quoted. For those of us in Digital PR and link building, this changes the landscape from the ground up. It’s not about if, but how we adapt.

What Does this Mean for Digital PR as a Service?

In all my years working in digital PR (and trust me, it’s been a while), the core of what we do has always been about securing those beautiful high-DA links. Getting digital votes of confidence from relevant, credible domains helped propel sites up the SERPs as it told Google we were the most trusted voices in the room. While links still matter, Google's AI Overviews shows a significant shift in what constitutes as authority and relevance. The era of chasing sheer volume of links is rapidly diminishing because of AI's deeper semantic understanding and, ability to evaluate content quality. This will mean that:

It's not just about keyword rankings:

Unless its specifically product based or capturing audiences at the consideration/purchase stage, it’s no longer about individual keywords, but about proving comprehensive expertise across an entire subject area.

It’s about context over keywords:

AI capabilities have now enabled Google to understand context better than ever before. It’s like having a smart assistant that can instantly read, organise, and interpret the intent behind content. That means there’s less need for keyword-stuffed hyperlinks or obsessing over exact-match terms. Instead, the focus should shift to genuinely answering user queries in a clear, comprehensive, and contextually relevant way.

E.E.A.T is firmly back on the agenda:

And this time... it’s non-negotiable. I’ve never understood why some SEOs resisted it. To me, it’s always aligned perfectly with what PRs do best. Journalists value expertise above all else, and that’s exactly what E.E.A.T stands for: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust. These have always mattered but  now that AI is much better at detecting them, it will mean that content backed by real authors, credible sources and first-hand experience will carry more weight. On the flip side, AI-generated or low-effort content will struggle to surface in AI Overviews.

Is Link Building Still Important in this New Landscape?

In short yes, and arguably more than ever. However, the nature of its importance has evolved. Digital PR shouldn't be judged by how many links point to a page, but by the quality, relevance, and context of those links. These are the signals that help Google understand authority in a meaningful way. With AI now in the mix, it’s less about raw link counts and more about whether those links come from credible, topic-relevant sources that genuinely support the content they’re pointing to.
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If Google’s AI is now pulling together its own answers through AI Overviews, the obvious question is: where is it getting that information from? The answer is trusted sources. And how does Google know which sources to trust? A big part of that still comes down to links  - not just having them but having the right ones.
In other words, a solid backlink profile still acts as a key trust signal. When your site is consistently linked to by credible, relevant websites, it tells Google, and its AI, that you're a reliable source in your field. That kind of profile doesn’t happen by accident. It comes from links earned through meaningful content and placements

Why Digital PR Matters more than Ever

Because of this shift, I see digital PR playing an even bigger role in SEO. Quality content and quality links matter more than ever, and the days of building low-quality, spammy links are done. AI is much better at spotting patterns that look manipulative, unnatural and most importantly irrelevant. What matters now are the kinds of links Digital PR has always aimed for: coverage in respected publications, mentions in expert roundups, original research being referenced, or insights featured in trusted news stories. In my eyes, this is all just PR!
We're not just building backlinks - we're building trust. Our job is to get brands talked about in the right places, by the right people. We strive to reinforce expertise and credibility, which is exactly what Google's AI is scanning for, when it decides which content to surface, summarise or reference.
So no, link building isn’t dead. But we’re not chasing rankings through volume anymore. We're helping our clients become trusted sources of information. That means our work is still critical, but the KPIs need to shift. Less about raw link count, more about relevance, authority, and long-term brand value.