From Rankings to Recognition: How PR is Changing SEO Forever - brightonSEO Spring 2025

Session Title：How digital authority PR is redefining brand influence

In April 2025, our team at MediaReach attended BrightonSEO Spring 2025, one of the world’s largest search marketing conferences. As user behavior evolves and SERPs grow increasingly competitive, traditional SEO tactics alone are no longer enough to drive results.

Amid this shifting landscape, a standout session was led by Matt Cayless, Founder of DuoDatum Digital, introducing the concept of Digital Authority PR.

The session emphasized the importance of building brand visibility before the search begins. Rather than relying solely on backlinks or media coverage, this approach focuses on gaining recognition and trust through credible platforms like podcasts, newsletters, Reddit, YouTube, and online communities—meeting users where they already spend time.

This report captures the key takeaways from the session, including a practical five-step strategy for implementing Digital Authority PR and insights into how branded search can significantly contribute to E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness). As click-through rates decline across the board, influencing users upstream of search is emerging as a critical path to success.

Written by Ayaka Uchida
SEO Consultant, MediaReach, Inc.

1. Executive Summary

In this session, Matt Cayless (Founder, DuoDatum Digital) addressed how digital PR is evolving beyond traditional SEO tactics as SERP environments become more competitive. The core message highlighted that as click-through rates decline across the board, brands that users already recognize are more likely to earn attention regardless of position.

The speaker introduced the concept of "digital authority PR" as an approach that expands beyond traditional media coverage and backlinks to build visibility across trusted platforms including podcasts, newsletters, Reddit, YouTube, and social communities. This represents a shift from focusing solely on search rankings to establishing brand recognition before users even search.

Cayless outlined how brand visibility upstream of search has become a significant driver of downstream conversions, and presented a five-step process for implementing digital authority PR strategies. The presentation emphasized that branded searches send powerful trust signals to Google, contributing directly to E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness) factors.

2. Session Details

Session Title: How digital authority PR is redefining brand influence
Speaker: Matt Cayless (Founder, DuoDatum Digital)
Date / Time: Friday, 11 April, 2025,11:10
Venue: Brighton Centre, Auditorium 2
Event: BrightonSEO Spring 2025
Session Link: https://brightonseo.com/sessions/digital-pr

3. Report Details

3-1. Context and Background

The session addressed the significant changes in the search landscape, where traditional SEO tactics like keyword optimization and metadata tweaking are yielding diminishing returns. According to Cayless, click-through rates are dropping across the board as SERPs become increasingly cluttered with AI overviews and multiple SERP features.

In this evolving environment, the speaker highlighted a critical insight: brands that users already know and trust are the ones continuing to get attention, regardless of their position in search results. This creates a new challenge for SEO professionals who often lack control over the brand authority needed to move the SEO needle.

The session positioned digital authority PR as the solution to this challenge—allowing SEO professionals to take control of their brand's visibility by directly pitching to influential channels where their audience spends time. This approach recognizes that user journeys have fundamentally changed, with influence often happening before search, not after.

3-2. Key Messages and Takeaways

•  Brands that users recognize are more likely to earn clicks, even without ranking first

•  Digital authority PR builds visibility before search happens, making your brand the one that gets remembered

•  Traditional digital PR focuses on media coverage and backlinks; digital authority PR expands to podcasts, newsletters, Reddit, YouTube, and social communities

•  Branded searches send powerful trust signals to Google and feed directly into E-E-A-T

•  The five-step process for digital authority PR: audience research, outreach list building, engagement, pitching, and content delivery

•  Measure brand authority through metrics like branded search volume and brand + keyword combinations, not just traditional SEO metrics

• • Digital Authority PR empowers SEO professionals to stop waiting for brand teams and directly take control of influence-building efforts.

3-3. Visual Materials and Slides

Figure 1: Title slide – 'How Digital Authority PR is Redefining Brand Influence' with Matt Cayless.：

Figure 2: 'So, What Is Digital Authority PR?'—comparison of traditional vs modern digital PR.：

Figure 3: SEO reporting dashboard comparison — from traditional metrics to brand authority signals.：

Figure 4: Visualizing the modern buyer journey where influence happens before search.：

3-4. Practical SEO Implications

Short-term:

• Expand focus beyond traditional SEO metrics to include branded search volume and brand mentions across platforms

• Create outreach lists targeting podcasts, newsletters, and other platforms where your audience spends time

•  Begin genuine engagement with platform owners before pitching content ideas

• When pitching, lead with value—not promotion—and explore sponsorship routes as alternative entry points.

Long-term:

• Implement a comprehensive digital authority PR strategy that builds brand visibility upstream of search

• Use branded search as a lever to improve non-branded keyword performance

• Prepare for AI-generated results by ensuring your brand is cited in high-quality sources

3-5. On-site Impressions

The session took place in Auditorium 2 and gathered a moderate but attentive audience. While the energy in the room was relatively calm, attendees appeared engaged with the content, especially during the step-by-step breakdown of the digital authority PR process. The slides were visually clear and supported the messaging effectively, particularly in illustrating the shift from traditional metrics to brand-driven visibility.

3-6. Personal Reflection

The session presented a clear and structured approach to brand visibility in today’s evolving SEO landscape. While the concept of Digital Authority PR was familiar, the framework was practical and easy to follow. The five-step model offers a helpful foundation for marketers looking to expand their influence beyond traditional search channels. Overall, the presentation served as a useful reminder that building brand authority upstream of search is becoming increasingly important.

4. Supplementary Materials

Written by Ayaka Uchida
SEO Consultant, MediaReach, Inc.