The AI search landscape heats up

It’s been a busy few weeks in AI search. Here’s a rundown of the highlights:

• Chinese-owned DeepSeek launched, taking the AI sector by storm.

• ChatGPT Search is now available to everyone, with no sign-up required.

• Google has opened access to Gemini 2.0 for all users, and is testing a new ‘AI Mode’ in search.

• Microsoft announced that the Think Deeper feature in Copilot is also free for all users.

Big updates. All different, but they represent a big shift in AI. More possibilities with fewer barriers.

What does this mean for digital PR?

The search landscape is transforming. But here at Energy PR, we’re fed up with all the ‘SEO is dead’ chat. Yes, AI is changing how our audiences make decisions. Yes, we do need to adapt. But SEO isn’t dead. And the world isn’t ending.

Google still owns 90% of the search market. And while AI search is taking off, it’s actually a massive opportunity for us in digital PR. Today’s LLMs are similar to the Google of old. The way they rank and choose content is simple. They try to match search queries by finding semantically similar results that have been quoted in authoritative places across the internet. Rand Fishkin, founder of SparkToro, explains it here:

This is great news for us as PRs. Our digital PR efforts can directly influence AI search results. And that’s proper digital PR that’s focused on influencing your audience’s decisions online – not the low-quality link building that many people are now touting as the same.

So instead of panicking, we should be adapting. We’ve got the tools to win at AI search. Let’s use them.

The Sun sees 50% audience drop, now prioritising YouTube

News Corp revealed that The Sun’s “digital offering” reached 70 million monthly users in December 2024 – down from 143 million in December 2023. Its CFO blamed “industry headwinds on search algorithms” as one of the main causes. Meaning? Google updates are biting.

Forbes. HubSpot. Now The Sun. In recent months, we’ve seen so many brands get hit by Google updates. It’s clear that Google has a strong idea on what quality, relevant content should look like. And it’s not afraid to punish anyone who doesn’t fit with this.

So how has The Sun reacted? Apparently, it’s now less worried about “reach metrics” and more focused on “deeper engagement” – particularly on YouTube. In fact, YouTube watch time is now the metric it cares about more than anything.

What does this mean for digital PR?

If your (or your client’s) audience engages with titles like The Sun, take note. It might be time to reevaluate your PR strategy. Is your target audience still actually reading these titles? If not, how can you optimise your approach for the channels they are visiting (like YouTube)? How can you integrate visuals, videos and infographics to give your content the best chance of being picked up?

Looking wider, it’s a clear indication of how the media is moving. Some big titles are shifting their focus to YouTube, some regionals are turning to Substack. And most of the industry are quaking in their boots at the prospect of AI taking their audience (with News Corp already suing Perplexity AI for copyright). The media landscape is changing, and we need to keep up.

Wherever our audiences spend their time – that’s where we need to be.

Click through rates down when AI Overviews are present

Recent research found that organic and paid click through rates (CTRs) are down vs last year. The study from Seer Interactive compared average CTRs, specifically looking at searches where Google’s AI Overviews were and weren’t present.

The findings? Where AI Overviews are present, organic and paid CTRs are lower than they were last year. And where they’re not present, paid CTRs are down too.

What does this mean for digital PR (and content marketing)?

From a user perspective, it shows that AI Overviews are doing a pretty good job. Our audiences are getting the information they need – so they’re ending their searches without a click. Great for them.

But for us? It means we need to shift our focus to further down the funnel. If the query/topic you’re writing about can be easily answered by an AI summary – is it really worth answering? Unless you’re adding lots of extra value (examples, case studies, personal opinions etc.), probably not.

Instead, focus on lower-down-the-funnel queries that AI can’t answer – or at least can’t answer as well as you. What content will influence your audience’s decision making? What content will drive real business results? That’s where to focus your efforts. Don’t focus on traffic, focus on the metrics that really matter.