The new B2B tech power couple: SEO and PR

By Alex Miarli:

We all love a good power couple.

The kind of duo that just works, balancing each other’s quirks, bringing out the best in one another and getting things done. Whether that’s macaroni and cheese or Han and Chewie (might as well get that Star Wars reference out of the way early!), some pairings are simply stronger together.

But in the world of B2B tech, there’s a new duo we should all be watching: SEO and PR.

They’ve always been in similar orbits – one focused on visibility, the other on credibility – but thanks to AI, the game has changed for both. And just like any great partnership, they’re more powerful when they work as one.

How? Why? What?!

Lots of questions, so let’s just cut to the chase…

AI has made SEO smarter (and harder)

There was a time when SEO was a bit like a numbers game. More blogs, more keywords, more backlinks and so on. As long as you just kept feeding the machine the right stuff, you’d see results.

But AI has changed the rules. Search engines like Google now use AI-driven models such as RankBrain and BERT to understand not just what people are searching for, but why. It’s no longer about matching keywords, it’s about understanding intent, context and natural language. In other words, the algorithm has become smarter. Like a lot smarter.

For B2B tech brands, this shift is especially important. Your audience isn’t searching for “best cloud solution 2025,” they’re asking real, specific questions like, “What’s the most secure cloud platform for financial data?” And search engines and AI-powered tools are prioritising content that answers those questions clearly and thoroughly.

So if your SEO strategy is still built around volume over value, it’s time for a rethink. Because AI doesn’t just want more content, it wants better content.

And that’s where PR shines.

PR is built for the AI search engine era

PR has always been about telling stories that matter. And in a world where AI is filtering and ranking content based on quality and relevance, that skillset is more valuable than ever. It’s very much about being plugged into the right conversations, at the right time, with the right message.

More importantly, PR builds authority. And authority is now a core ranking signal in searches. When your brand is quoted in industry press, featured in thought leadership pieces or mentioned by credible sources, it sends a clear message to people and algorithms: this brand knows what it’s talking about.

Think of it like Leslie and Ben from Parks and Rec (see, I have other references). Leslie brings the passion, the voice and the ability to rally people behind a cause. Ben brings the data, the structure and the strategy. On their own, they’re great. But together? They’re unstoppable.

SEO + PR = strategic visibility

In short, PR builds credibility, shapes perception and gets your brand in front of the right people. But in today’s digital landscape, that’s only half the story. Because once you’ve landed the coverage, the question becomes: can people find it?

That’s why SEO is needed.

Let’s say you land a brilliant piece in The Stack. It’s a big PR win – great headline, strong quote, solid positioning… But if that article links back to your site, it’s also an SEO win too. That backlink from a high-authority domain boosts your site’s credibility in the eyes of search engines, helping you rank higher and get discovered by more of the right people.

And the more your brand shows up in trusted publications, the more recognisable it becomes in search results. That familiarity increases click-through rates, which in turn signals to Google that your content is worth looking at. It’s a simple cycle: PR builds the story and SEO helps it travel further.

So while PR is still doing what it’s always done – from earning attention to building reputation – SEO is now the engine that helps that work go further, last longer and deliver even more value.

What this means for B2B tech brands

For starters, this combination requires a shift in mindset.

PR is no longer just about landing coverage or managing reputation. It’s about owning the conversation across every channel your audience touches – including search. And in a world where AI is shaping what people see, trust and click on, that means thinking differently about how stories are told, distributed or even discovered.

In practice, this means building PR campaigns that are search-aware from the start. Rather than treating PR and SEO as separate disciplines, it means crafting content that answers real questions while using language your audience actually searches for. It also means making sure that content links back to a website that’s technically optimised for SEO too, while the PR stories you tell are structured in a way that search engines can understand and reward.

The future is integrated

PR is evolving. It’s still about shaping narratives, building credibility and creating meaningful connections, but now, it’s also about making sure those stories are discoverable in a world shaped by AI.

As search engines get smarter and content becomes more competitive, the lines between PR and SEO blur. So let’s embrace it. Because when they work together, they’re the true power couple. One brings the story, the other brings the scale.

And if you want your brand to be seen, get in touch to learn more about how we can help better align your PR with SEO.