The future may be shaped by automation, but it will be won by authenticity.
Over the course of the last week we’ve been approached by several clients and prospects who have won new business sparked solely from positive search results in ChatGPT. Over the course of the last 2.5 years since ChatGPT launched, we’ve braced ourselves for change and the rapid advances of large language model artificial intelligence and we’re feeling that impact now. Today we find content treading digital waters as the results of critical AI mass are only beginning to push the boundaries of what is authentic, and to show how that content can work for each of us in ways we never imagined.
Yes, the robots are real and they’re working to many companies' favor (for now).
In today’s hyper-digital media ecosystem, Digital PR sits at the crossroads of search engine optimization (SEO), media relations, and content strategy. And as artificial intelligence tools flood the web with optimized but often soulless content, a startling question emerges: Are we just writing for robots now? More importantly—who will win when machines write for machines?
Spoiler: We think it’s going to be the humans.
What Is Digital PR—And Why Is It So Powerful?
Digital PR is the practice of earning online visibility and authority through strategic media outreach, link-building, and thought leadership. It fuses the storytelling power of traditional PR with the performance-driven mindset of digital marketing. It’s a practice ingrained in what we do at LIMELIGHT, but often we take it for granted. There’s science, math, and often unintuitive methods in the madness.
According to HubSpot’s 2025 State of Marketing Report, 69% of marketers say improving SEO and growing their organic presence is their top inbound marketing priority. Why? Because 75% of users never scroll past the first page of search results (Backlinko, 2023). And one of the fastest ways to get there is through authoritative backlinks—the currency of Digital PR.
Research from Moz confirms this: backlinks remain one of the top three Google ranking factors. In fact, a 2023 SEMrush study found that sites engaging in consistent digital PR campaigns (e.g., guest posts, news mentions, interviews) saw a +22% boost in organic traffic over 6 months, compared to 7% for non-PR-focused SEO.
What the Algorithms Want: Writing for Google
To succeed in Digital PR, you need to understand what the robots—namely Google’s search algorithms—are looking for. Here’s a breakdown of what’s proven to work:
- E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness): Google’s Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines emphasize the importance of real human expertise.
- Topical authority: Google favors domains consistently publishing high-quality, in-depth content in a specific niche.
- Page experience metrics: Speed, mobile-friendliness, HTTPS, and interactivity all factor into rankings.
- Link equity: Google rewards content that earns links from media outlets with high domain authority and editorial trust.
A 2024 Google Search Central update noted that “helpful, original content written by people, for people” is prioritized over automatically generated or recycled SEO spam.
Content Shock and the Coming Content Collapse
As AI-generated content floods the web, we’re entering what marketing expert Mark Schaefer once called “Content Shock”—a scenario where content supply vastly exceeds human demand.
In 2025, BrightEdge reported that over 60% of new digital content is now generated or assisted by AI tools like ChatGPT, Jasper, or Copy.ai. While these tools can scale production, they often lack context, originality, and trust—three things that Google and real readers value most.
The risk? A digital wasteland where robots write for robots. SEO-focused content becomes indistinguishable, brands blur together, and credibility erodes. It’s already happening—Google’s own spam updates have increasingly targeted AI-spam farms and thin content sites.
Trust Is the Ultimate Algorithm
Even as content grows more automated, trust remains human-driven. According to the 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer:
- 63% of people say they trust content from technical experts more than any other source
- 54% trust company executives when they speak transparently and consistently
- Earned media is still 88% more trusted than owned media or advertising
People still want content by people, for people. And Digital PR—when focused on real voices, credible data, and relationship-building—delivers precisely that.
Why Humans Will Win
The future may be shaped by automation, but it will be won by authenticity. The brands and professionals who invest in:
- Building real media relationships
- Sharing expert insights
- Developing authoritative content
- Prioritizing transparency and trust
…will be the ones remembered, referred, and ranked—long after SEO-optimized AI content becomes just more digital noise.
Final Thought: Be the Signal, Not the Static
The robots aren’t going away. But neither are the humans. And in a world where everyone is writing for algorithms, the real differentiator is writing for impact.
Digital PR isn’t about tricking search engines—it’s about earning trust. And when trust is the metric that matters most, people will always outperform the machines. We got this.
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Kenneth Gary, J.D., is founding partner of LIMELIGHT, a growth communications firm for legal and other highly regulated sectors. Connect with him on LinkedIn; follow his additional thought leadership on JD Supra.
