AI can strengthen Digital PR, but human relationships lead the way

AI is shaking up every corner of marketing, and SEO is no exception. One area under the spotlight? Digital PR and outreach. 

For years, SEOs have pitched stories to journalists in the hope of securing coverage and backlinks. Those links strengthen authority, boost rankings, and when done well, deliver measurable business outcomes.  

Now, AI promises to scale the whole process. Faster list building, personalised emails, automated follow-ups, even fully autonomous agents handling outreach end-to-end. On the surface, it sounds like a growth hack dream.  Used well, these efficiencies can free up teams to spend more time on creativity and strategy. But used blindly, it risks becoming a race to the bottom. 

Scaling spam doesn’t scale success 

If every brand uses AI to churn out unvetted outreach at volume, inboxes get flooded. Journalists won’t suddenly have more bandwidth; they’ll just rely on AI themselves to filter out the noise. Your perfectly “personalised” pitch? Lost in the shuffle. 

And when that unmarked automation slips up — wrong name, irrelevant story, tone-deaf follow-up — the reputational hit can be instant. That damage doesn’t just affect a single campaign; it sticks to the brand. 

More for less? Or diminishing returns? 

Clients might believe AI delivers efficiency: more pitches, more coverage, more links. But when everyone’s doing it and volume isn’t the name of game, the value of each link falls. Diminishing returns creep in. 

The knock-on effect means brands end up paying more elsewhere to make up the gap, leaning harder on paid acquisition as organic loses impact. CPA goes up, not down. 

That’s why the smartest use of AI isn’t in cranking up volume, but in powering precision — helping brands target the right stories, at the right time, to the right people. 

The future isn’t fake 

The truth is, SEO was never just about backlinks. And it’s definitely not about who can spam the most inboxes. The real differentiator is still the same: relevance, creativity, and relationships. 

AI has a crucial role to play: helping teams spot opportunities, surface insights, and support smarter strategy. When used strategically, it’s not a replacement for human connection but a powerful ally that makes campaigns stronger. SEO’s future won’t be won by who can scale fastest. It’ll be won by who can stay credible, trusted, and useful in the eyes of both people and machines. 

Want to unlock the power of digital PR for your business? 

Our team of experts know how to strike the right balance — using AI as a supporting tool while leaning on human instinct and creativity to build lasting relationships. We’re dedicated to building innovative, results-driven campaigns that support your SEO objectives while positioning your brand as an authority in the spaces you want to play. Get in touch here.