August’s digital PR trends: Google’s AI Mode launches worldwide

Google’s AI Mode launches globally

It’s finally here. This past month, Google launched AI Mode in the UK and 180 further countries… with “agentic capabilities” included.

By now you’ve probably tested it yourself. But just in case you haven’t, AI Mode is Google’s answer to AI platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity. It’s a complete departure from the ’10 blue links’ and represents Google’s huge shift in search strategy. I explored AI Mode in May’s column, so check that out for more info. But basically, it’s a big deal. And it’s something that everyone in PR should be all over.

Right now, AI Mode sits as a tab in Google search, next to Web, News and the rest. But it won’t be there forever. Google just needs to test the waters, get people used to searching in AI Mode and figure out how to make money through advertising (which based on recent reports, doesn’t sound very far away). Once that’s all sorted, we’ll see probably see it become the default search experience.

What does this mean for digital PR?

AI Mode is here, whether you like it or not. And it should be a kick up the a** for anyone in PR who still has their head stuck in the sand. Whether you’re a traditional PR who’s unwilling to adapt or a link builder still pedalling dodgy links (it baffles me that these still exist), you’re going to find yourself lagging way behind. Very soon.

What we do – PR, earned media, brand building – whatever you call it, is essential for visibility in AI search. So start experimenting. Start reading up. And start working out how you can help your brand (or your clients’ brands) succeed in this new era of search.

Publishers continue to lose traffic

This month, Press Gazette reported that 46 of the 50 biggest English-language news publishers suffered year-on-year traffic losses. Is it a shock? No. But it’s still pretty worrying.

We’ve known for a while that publishers are struggling. Google (and search as a whole) isn’t generating the traffic it used to. Publisher audience numbers are plummeting. And their revenues are now taking a hit.

So what are they doing about it? They’re shifting their focus to other channels. Indeed, the FT has already quadrupled email subscribers, Sky News is shifting to a “video-first newsroom”, and Which? is building towards a long-term subscriber base.

And while Google Discover is still a core source of revenue (apparently it’s now the primary driver of Google referrals to publishers), it’s not enough to rely on. Because non-branded traffic is a metric that’s simply too risky for anyone to prioritise in 2025.

What does this mean for digital PR?

Publishers have a direct impact on our work. If they’re not reaching audiences as they did, our PR and brand building efforts will suffer too.

But there’s no point in panicking, we just need to adapt. Publishers are re-focusing on their audiences – and we should do the same. How are they getting their information? What channels are they now using? How can we best influence them?

A laser focus on our audiences is, in my opinion, the best (and only) way forward.

What else is new in SEO and digital PR?

• Google claims traffic is ‘relatively stable’, despite most websites experiencing big losses. Everyone knows traffic is down. There’s a HUGE amount of evidence to back it up. So why does Google maintain this false narrative? Why is it pretending nothing’s changed? It’s absolutely baffling. Google just needs to own it and help the industry move forwards.

• Scammers are manipulating AI search to trick people into ringing fake business numbers. They’re flooding forums with fake phone numbers to influence the AI search results. And it’s working. So I’d recommend reviewing your/your clients’ search appearance ASAP. Crisis comms may be required.

• Cloudflare accuses Perplexity of ‘stealth crawling’ blocked websites. It says the AI search platform is using dodgy tactics to get around restrictions. Meaning? Attempts to block Perplexity from your websites might be in vain. And your content might be visible in AI, even if you’ve tried to restrict it!

• AI platforms and news publishers explore innovative new licensing deals. We could see ‘pay-per-usage’ deals coming soon. Maybe search isn’t a complete dead end for publishers? We’ll have to wait and see. But just like ProRata’s compensation model (as covered in June’s column) this feels promising – for both publishers and PR.