In this guest post, Luke Roberts, Founder Cape Public Relations Pty Ltd, shares how AI is reshaping internet search, shifting credibility from Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) to earned media. For aged care providers, PR across national, trade, and regional outlets builds trust, authority, and long-term visibility in an AI-driven information ecosystem.
Aged care providers have always evolved their communications alongside technology. From newspapers to Google search rankings, every shift has forced providers to adapt how they build visibility and trust.
But the latest disruption – AI-powered search – marks a turning point. And for industries like aged care, where credibility is everything, the role of public relations has never been more vital.
Recently, aged care providers relied on various strategies, such as keyword-based SEO, to build their reputation. Businesses could climb rankings by carefully engineering website copy and building backlinks. The game was to optimise for algorithms, not people.
However AI search engines, from Google’s new AI overviews to platforms like Perplexity and ChatGPT, work differently They don’t just match keywords, they interpret context, weigh authority, and deliver synthesised answers.
Instead of directing people to a list of websites, AI delivers the “one right answer” to your fingertips. And that answer is shaped by the sources the AI trusts.
And here’s the critical shift: AI draws from the wider ecosystem of digital content – not search engine optimisation on your website. Instead, media articles, trade publications, and expert commentary all act as signals of credibility, and if your brand isn’t part of that landscape, you risk disappearing from the conversation altogether.
AI – the new SEO
For aged care providers, trust is paramount. Because families choosing support for their loved ones don’t just want a polished website, they want reassurance from independent, credible voices that providers are up to scratch. When an aged care organisation is quoted in respected media or contributes thought leadership in a trade outlet, that coverage does more than reach readers in the moment. It becomes part of the permanent record AI systems draw upon.
Where once communications teams talked about “backlinks,” today we need to be talking about “AI optimisation.” Every credible mention in media outlets tells AI models: this is a trusted authority in the field. And when future families or policymakers ask an AI about best practices in aged care, those mentions can make the difference between your organisation being included or ignored.
The tiers of earned media content
Not all earned media through public relations carries the same weight. In an AI-driven search world, we can currently think of earned media in three tiers:
● Tier 1: National and mainstream media
Mentions in mainstream national media signal broad authority. These titles have strong domain authority and are heavily weighted by AI algorithms when assembling answers.
● Tier 2: industry and trade media
Aged care media may not reach the same mass audience, but it does carry immense sector-specific credibility. AI engines use these as expert voices when tailoring answers for niche industries like aged care.
● Tier 3: regional and community media
Local papers, radio, TV and online outlets deliver trusted, grassroots visibility. Stories often remain online indefinitely, becoming long-tail content that AI continues to index years later.
The most resilient PR strategies work in concert across all three tiers. National media offers broad visibility, trade media cements subject-matter authority, and regional outlets ground organisations in local trust.
Together, they form a layered digital footprint that AI algorithms can’t ignore.
When this AI-first PR strategy is integrated in the broader marketing mix, including a robust social profile, it ensures your brand is being seen where it matters – carrying the implicit endorsement of key media and AI platforms.
Summary suggestions for aged care providers:
- Prioritise earned media: Invest in proactive PR strategies that secure placements in
national, regional, and industry press. That means stepping up and engaging on the
issues that matter most to families and the community. - Leverage niche outlets: Don’t overlook trade publications. In aged care, specialist
media is highly trusted by AI crawlers and by the sector itself. - Build a credible voice: Provide expert commentary, publish data-driven insights, and
contribute thought leadership that journalists and AI alike can reference. - Think long-term: Unlike ads, which vanish when budgets end, PR coverage remains
visible, searchable, and indexable – providing compounding returns in an AI-driven
search ecosystem.
Your future visibility
We are moving into an era where visibility can’t be bought; it must be earned. AI has made it harder to manipulate algorithms with technical tricks, and easier to reward organisations that demonstrate genuine expertise and authority.
For aged care leaders, this isn’t simply about marketing. It’s about ensuring your voice shapes the public conversation on ageing, care, and community.
As AI systems increasingly act as gatekeepers to information, PR becomes the most powerful tool to guarantee your expertise and your values are recognised, indexed, and surfaced where they matter most.
In short: if you’re not being written about, you’re being written out.
The businesses that invest in the right public relations strategy will be the ones that AI and your stakeholders remember tomorrow.
