DIY is DEAD – and the Top 5 AI Takeaways from JWC
What is next in AI?
As a top San Diego public relations and marketing agency, J. Walcher Communications turned to the world’s largest search marketing conference to find out.
Thousands of attendees in San Diego dove into the world of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), along with other relevant tools in the public relations industry, including AI, content strategy and digital PR. Our top takeaways:
1. DIY is Dead
The late 2000s were the beloved times of “Do It Yourself,” or DIY. The term is often thought of when referring to arts and crafts or home improvement, but when it comes to the digital landscape, DIY is no longer a hot topic. Now, it’s the time of DIFY, or “Do It For Yourself.” Researching, writing and even graphic design are heavily influenced by AI. Users no longer want to do it themselves – and they don’t need to. Instead, they want AI to do it for them (hence, DIFY).
When performing age-old tasks like writing, for example, it is becoming increasingly more common to consult with AI, rather than a peer. The trusty thesaurus has been replaced with asking an AI agent something like “Find me a better word for …” It is often questioned whether a piece of work has even been written by an individual or the AI agent along with the individual.
While artificial intelligence continues to be a widely debated topic, especially when considering if the pros of using AI outweigh the list of cons, one thing is for certain: The modern workforce will continue to use AI to do it for us.
It’s important to keep in mind that human verification is still an essential part of using AI, especially when trying to have AI agents authentically reflect your business and its messaging. Humans are still needed to teach AI how to be “human”!
2. Retrieval vs. Ranking
Ever wondered where AI finds those restaurants when you search “best pizza near me?” The answer is twofold:
Retrieval means providing AI agents with relevant information, so its responses reflect real-world data and facts. For example, any mention of pop culture, recent moment in politics or a Tik Tok trend is grounding AI in what is happening in the current age. While AI has been pre-trained and fed data prior to human intervention, it’s the interaction with AI that allows it to gain a sense of what is current.
Retrieval connects Large Language Models (LLMs) to the real world – so, it’s essential to ensure that information coming from AI is timely and factual. LLMs are AI agents trained with massive amounts of data to understand and generate human language. Examples of LLMs include ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft CoPilot, Gemini, etc.
AI agents are learning as much from us as we learn from them.
Ranking occurs once the retrieval has taken place. This is a filtering process that allows AI agents to project the content considered most trustworthy and relevant to users. In other words, ranking determines which entities appear in AI overviews, Google AI mode, etc.
In the “eyes” of AI agents, if your business is not ranked, it’s invisible (to both agents and consumers). The question posed then becomes: How do I rank my business in AI? Answer: Become trustworthy to AI. (HINT: See No. 3.)
3. In AI, credibility is everything.
For some, being recommended by AI is becoming more sought out than being recommended by a genuine customer. Both are important for brand visibility.
Traditional methods of gaining brand recognition, such as paid advertising or community partnerships, are not completely extraneous, Users, however, are turning more to the first recommendation they receive, which is often from an AI agent. Why? Simply because it’s the first on the page. There is a significant decrease in the amount of time and clicks that users are spending to find recommendations.
Fewer clicks = fewer opportunities for brands to influence user perception along the way.
So how does AI determine which brands are trustworthy?
The answer is third-party validation. AI agents are turning to other platforms where brands are mentioned or reviewed to determine which ones are “the best.” For example, to determine “the best” pizza place, AI will look to sites like Yelp or Eater. Sources of influence can vary, including brand mentions in news articles or a Reddit rave from a satisfied customer.
While there are less opportunities for brands to directly influence how users search with AI, traditional brand recognition tools such as customer reviews and media relations still go a long way and rank high in LLMs.
When thinking about how to appeal to AI, take a step back and think of where AI is getting its information.
4. Brand mentions are greater than backlinks.
As getting your brand noticed becomes increasingly challenging, many can assume that backlinks are the most efficient way to ensure that users are finding your brand and site. These are hyperlinked mentions of your business that takes users directly from one website to yours.
Really, getting your brand mentioned is far more important than a direct link to your website. Yes, this is the opposite of what we’ve been told for years.
Remember that building credibility with AI agents is a process, and a simple mention of your business name can be a big step toward getting your brand ranked higher. Even if it isn’t a hyperlinked mention, AI may still pick it up.
5. SEO goes a long way, in the right context.
It can be very easy to assume that one of the best ways to get your business mentioned is by applying SEO to your own website, which is true. SEO is an important step when writing pieces about yourself, but be careful not to go overboard with it.
SEO does not mean including your brand name 20 times in a press release. Rather, write the information around your name to fit your messaging. What industry does your company operate in? What do you specialize in? Where are you located? These are all important pieces of SEO information that will help you get found by the right target audience.
And, keep it simple. If your writing is too long, AI will shorten it. This means the pieces of information that you find essential may never be read by the ones you want to read it. If it’s too short, however, AI may fragment your writing, leaving it incohesive and confusing.
So, what’s the solution? Write as you normally talk. Be mindful of “buzz” words, such as overusing “top rated” and “high quality.” Don’t overthink it. Focus on providing succinct and informative information that truly represents you and your brand.
And for more help, contact us.
