July’s digital PR trends: agentic AI browsers and online echo chambers

Agentic AI web browsers have arrived

Huge news. One of the biggest threats to Google’s search dominance might’ve just landed: AI-powered browsers.

Perplexity’s already announced Comet, while conveniently “leaked” rumours about OpenAI’s alternative are now circling too. These browsers will make it easier for people to access AI search, while also providing the platforms with invaluable usage data. And with Google Chrome at a real risk of being sold off, they could massively shake up the search landscape.

One of their core selling points is agentic AI. Each browser contains AI agents that search for you. They can visit websites, do research, carry out tasks. Whatever you need, they’ll probably get it done. And they’re our clearest indication yet of what the future of search could look like.

Imagine you’re booking a holiday. In the past, you’d spend hours searching through holiday provider websites, airline options, hotel reviews, restaurant menus, local attractions and so on. You’d sift through all the information before eventually making a decision – sometimes days down the line.

But with agentic search (in one of these browsers), you simply tell the AI what you want – and it’ll find it for you. It’ll search through websites, reviews, socials to find and book you the perfect holiday. All within the web browser. Exciting? Yes. Scary? Also yes.

What does this mean for digital PR?

Agentic AI is coming whether we like it or not. And it’s a massive cliché (sorry), but if we don’t adapt, we’ll get left behind.

Now I’m not going to spout some drivel about how to optimise for agentic search. Because honestly, no one really knows yet (despite what LinkedIn “experts” might be saying). But what we do know is that the marketing and PR fundamentals will always be important. Understand and engage with your audience, clearly demonstrate your value, and ultimately build a well-known, well-liked brand.

If your audience is clear on who your brand is and how your offering helps them, you can be pretty confident that AI search will be too.

Google News tests letting people choose preferred publications

Moving onto Google, it’s been testing a ‘Preferred Sources’ option in Top Stories, letting you choose the media titles you want to see.

With 14% of people getting their news from Google in 2024, it’s one of the biggest news consumption channels in the UK. So people being able to personalise their news sources is a pretty big deal.

What does this mean for digital PR?

Social media algorithms, targeted advertising, tailored AI search results. We’re surrounded by echo chambers in every aspect of our lives. And it sounds like it’s only going to get worse.

So as marketers and PRs, we need to go all-in on audience understanding. If our audiences’ sources of influence are shrinking, so are our chances of influencing them. Getting ‘national coverage’ isn’t enough if your audience doesn’t ever engage with that particular national title. We need to understand the channels that really matter, the media titles they really read, and the people who really influence them.

Only then can we drive genuine results for our brands.

Other key SEO and digital PR updates in July:

• Google finishes rolling out the June 2025 Core Update. And it was a fairly big one, with many sites hit hard, while others (particularly some that were demolished by the 2023 Helpful Content Update) finally seeing some growth. Check out this piece from Glenn Gabe for more details.

• Instagram posts are visible in the search results. This has been happening for a while now, but Instagram formally announced it for many accounts on 10th July. Meaning? If your social and search teams weren’t working closely before, they need to be now.

• More AI visibility tools start up. The race to the top is on. Will the winners be brand-new players or old SEO giants? No one knows. But if you haven’t started experimenting with some of the available AI tools yet, you should probably start now.