Press releases may feel like a relic of the dot-com era, but Online Marketing Standard (OMS) is giving them a decidedly 2025 makeover. The digital marketing agency, best known for SEO and paid media, today unveiled its Optimized Press Release Services—a hybrid of traditional PR distribution and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) built for the AI search age.
In an era where ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Perplexity, Grok, and Claude are reshaping how people discover information, OMS argues that press releases are no longer just about announcing news—they’re a long-term digital visibility asset.
From “One-and-Done” to Evergreen Visibility
Historically, the shelf life of a press release was short. You put it on the wire, maybe scored a few pickups, and then watched it fade into the internet abyss. OMS wants to change that.
By baking in SEO-friendly keywords, entity-rich data, and AEO formatting, OMS claims its releases will live on as permanent, indexable assets that continue generating visibility well beyond day one. Think of it as the press release equivalent of compound interest.
“Traditional PR has always been about visibility and credibility,” said Sean Bolton, CEO of OMS. “What makes our new press release services different is that we optimize each release for news outlets, traditional search engines, and AI platforms.”
Translation: OMS wants your press release not just to hit Google News, but to show up when someone asks Gemini or ChatGPT for recommendations.
Why AI Changes the PR Game
AI discovery tools are increasingly sourcing their answers from trusted media outlets. A recent MuckRack study found that 70% of AI search answers cite press articles. Pair that with Search Engine Land’s report that 71.5% of consumers now use AI tools for search, and the message is clear: if your brand isn’t in media coverage, you’re invisible to AI.
That’s where OMS’s Optimized Press Release Services come in. By structuring content in ways that LLMs can parse and cite, the agency is positioning PR as a new frontier of SEO.
The OMS Playbook: What’s Inside
OMS’s Optimized Press Release Services combine wire distribution with AI-readiness. Here’s what’s on offer:
- Keyword & Entity Research – Content tuned for both search engines and AI models.
- Editorial Development – Releases crafted for journalists, human readers, and algorithms.
- Wire Distribution – Nationwide syndication through trusted PR networks.
- Performance Tracking – Reporting that measures not just backlinks but also AI-driven visibility.
The benefits, according to OMS, extend well beyond visibility:
- AI Engine Readiness – Better odds of showing up in AI-generated answers.
- Credibility Boost – Syndication across high-authority outlets.
- SEO Lift – Backlinks and structured data to help domain authority.
- Content Longevity – Releases repurposed into blogs, newsletters, and social content.
PR Agencies vs. SEO Shops: A Collision Course?
The launch highlights a growing tug-of-war in digital marketing. PR agencies have long owned media relations, but SEO shops are increasingly moving into AI-driven discovery. OMS sits squarely at this intersection, and its service reflects a bigger industry trend: AI is erasing the line between PR and SEO.
Competitors like Everything Branding (which recently launched its own AEO Growth Program) are also doubling down on AI-optimized PR. But OMS brings the added credibility of an agency with a strong SEO and paid media track record.
If OMS can prove its releases consistently surface in AI search results, it could set a new standard for how businesses think about PR—not as a press hit, but as a long-term search and AI visibility strategy.
The Bigger Picture: AI as Gatekeeper
The implications go beyond marketing tactics. As AI tools take on the role of digital gatekeepers, deciding which brands consumers see first, PR may become as important as ad spend in securing market share. That shift could put pressure on smaller companies that lack budgets for high-profile media placement, while benefiting agencies that can crack the code of LLM discoverability.
For now, OMS is betting that optimized press releases can give brands an edge in an increasingly crowded AI-driven marketplace. Whether that edge becomes a competitive necessity remains to be seen—but one thing is clear: the humble press release is staging a comeback.
