Category: News

In this blog by Hannah Buckley, Head of Content and Service Development, we talk about:

  • How to create lasting visibility by combining PR and SEO efforts
  • The importance of SEO strategy
  • The efficiency and measurement gains of integrated strategies

 

For many B2B tech brands, SEO and PR often operate in silos – each delivering their own set of outcomes, but rarely aligning for maximum impact. That separation can be a missed opportunity.

When these two disciplines work hand-in-hand, they amplify each other’s strengths in a way that delivers lasting visibility, stronger performance and measurable results.

PR isn’t just for headlines

Traditionally, PR has been associated with reputation-building, thought leadership and securing coverage in the media outlets that matter to your audience. These goals remain essential.

But when aligned with SEO best practice, PR also plays a role in shaping how your brand appears in search. Media coverage on respected websites can improve how search engines perceive your site, contributing to greater credibility and discoverability.

This shift isn’t about reinventing PR, it’s about extending its value. A well-placed article doesn’t just influence perception; it can also influence where and how a potential buyer finds you in the first place. That’s especially important in B2B, where long buying cycles often start with an online search.

Keywords and credibility

Effective SEO starts with understanding what your audience is searching for. Creating content that targets those terms is crucial, but visibility isn’t just about the right keywords – it’s also about who’s talking about you and where that content lives.

That’s why combining SEO with digital PR adds real value. Strategic content that’s both keyword-optimised and published in the right places supports stronger search rankings and puts your brand in front of the right audiences, at the right time.

Search intent also matters. When PR content aligns with high-intent keywords (those that indicate someone is actively looking for solutions) it becomes a powerful tool for lead generation. You’re not just being seen more; you’re being seen by people who are ready to act.

Integrated strategy, measurable results

Blending SEO and PR creates space for a more joined-up measurement approach. Instead of tracking siloed metrics, you can evaluate progress across keyword rankings, referral traffic, media coverage and search performance – seeing a clearer picture of impact.

It also makes delivery more efficient. One team, one strategy, aligned around a common goal: increasing your visibility in the media and in search results, where prospects are actively looking for solutions.

Measurement also becomes more meaningful when SEO and PR are viewed together.

A spike in referral traffic from a media hit doesn’t just signal PR success, it can also impact metrics like bounce rates, time on page, and even conversion rates if supported by well-structured landing pages. Similarly, improvements in keyword rankings can often be traced back to the credibility gained through external coverage.

Understanding these touchpoints helps demonstrate the cumulative impact of your communications strategy with tangible business outcomes.

Turning powerful stories into lasting digital visibility

Want to ensure your PR and SEO efforts are joined up?

Get in touch to set up a call and find out how Visibility+, our new digital PR service, helps B2B tech brands turn powerful stories into lasting digital visibility, backed by SEO strategy.

We’re one team, delivering two outcomes: visibility in the media and visibility in search.

In this blog, Natalia Kaczmarek, Digital Content Manager at Whiteoaks, discusses:

  • How AI is being used in B2B tech PR
  • Why AI is a tool and not a replacement for human judgement, creativity and relationships
  • The importance of responsible use and transparency


How many times have you heard about artificial intelligence (AI) this week?

A quick scroll on LinkedIn, a news headline, or even a passing reference in a Netflix drama, conversations about AI are becoming impossible to ignore.

AI may have started in the tech world, but it’s now influencing how B2B businesses across all industries communicate, compete and grow – and public relations (PR) is no exception.

AI in PR is making a measurable impact. However, as PR agencies and in-house PR teams rush to adopt new tools, there’s an important balance to strike.

In B2B tech PR, the value of AI lies in how it supports professionals, not replaces them.

Yes, it can improve efficiency. Yes, it can make data analysis easier.

But strategy, creativity and relationship-building still sit firmly in human hands.

The use cases for AI in public relations

Here are some examples of where AI tools can add value to PR professionals:

#1 In-depth, faster desk research
Research is one of the most common applications of AI in B2B tech PR. In fact, a recent study conducted by PR Week highlighted that three out of four agencies already use AI for this purpose.

By scanning news coverage, summarising long reports and spotting emerging themes across multiple sources, AI helps PR teams get up to speed on new topics quickly and in more depth. It can surface stats, pull quotes from thought leaders and highlight common narratives, saving hours of manual research.

For PR consultants working on complex subjects like cyber security, data analytics or cloud infrastructure, tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity can also breakdown technical concepts or compare industry viewpoints. This means teams can spend less time gathering information and more time applying it strategically.

#2 Overcoming writer’s block
We’ve all been there – staring at a blank page, and no matter how hard we try, the ideas just won’t come. This is where AI tools can really help. Whether writers need ideas for a headline or a structure for a blog, AI can help generate outlines or suggest different angles, helping them get unstuck.

AI can be a helpful starting point, but the content still needs to be shaped, checked and edited by a human content specialist. Tone of voice and context still matter, and that’s something AI can’t fully replicate. But when used thoughtfully, AI can help nurture the seed of an idea into something more structured, giving writers a solid base to build on.

#3 Global campaign support
Another common use of AI across PR is transcription and translation. For teams managing multiple interviews, international clients or content that needs to land in more than one language, AI can be a huge time-saver.

Let’s be honest, no one speaks every language. AI tools can help transcribe interviews quickly and provide initial translations of press releases, articles or social posts. These translations aren’t final, but they offer a solid starting point for creating accurate, local-language versions that reflect cultural nuance and tone.

This means faster turnaround across time zones, greater consistency in messaging and more time spent on tailoring content to local relevance, not just getting it out the door.

#4 Media monitoring and reporting
Finally, AI can help PR teams stay on top of coverage, conduct real-time media monitoring and streamline admin tasks.

With tools like Google Alerts often falling short, AI can fill the gap for things like real-time monitoring, competitor tracking and sentiment analysis, scanning the web in real time to show how people are actually talking about a company or issue.

By tracking keywords, coverage patterns and industry conversations, AI helps B2B tech PR teams respond quickly when stories break or sentiment starts to shift.

Where AI won’t replace human PR professionals

There’s no doubt that AI tools in PR are useful. Otherwise, PR professionals wouldn’t be investing in them.

However, not everything in PR can, or should, be handed over to AI algorithms.

For a start, PR is rooted in trust and relationships, and even an AI system running the Matrix wouldn’t be able to replicate human awareness, sensitivity, good judgment and ethics.

Building strong connections with journalists, navigating tough stakeholder conversations, handling a crisis with sensitivity, developing content that balances thought leadership with brand awareness, all of these require judgement, context and emotional intelligence.

The same applies to strategy.

Understanding the correlation between clients’ business and PR goals, interpreting nuance and making informed decisions based on years of experience is where human PR teams still matter most. AI can support the work, but it can’t set the direction.

Creativity too has its limits with AI.

While tools can generate ideas or scan past campaigns for inspiration, they lack the insight to craft a pitch that lands with a specific journalist, or an angle that differentiates a client in a crowded market. After all, AI and ML learn from existing data sets, so originality can be limited.

In B2B tech PR, where technical accuracy and positioning are key, relying too heavily on AI risks eroding credibility.

The real opportunity: support, not substitution

The real opportunity for AI in B2B tech PR lies in its ability to support teams, helping them work faster, smarter and with greater precision.

Used well, AI can automate the heavy lifting, but it needs clear boundaries.

Research still needs validating.

Media outreach still needs the human touch.

Thought leadership content and social media posts need skilled writers to avoid rinse and repeat-style content (please remove that rocket emoji and any mention of a cornerstone…). With LinkedIn as the main platform for B2B tech companies, it’s worth remembering that it prioritises content with originality and authenticity, and penalises anything that feels generic or AI-generated.

AI’s role will grow in PR

AI in B2B tech PR has a clear and growing role, but it’s not a replacement for people, and it shouldn’t be treated as one.

The PR teams seeing the most value are those using AI to strengthen what they already do well.

They’re not automating creativity.

They’re not outsourcing judgement.

They’re applying AI where it makes sense, and keeping people where they matter most.

As AI tools evolve, so will the opportunities. But the foundation of impactful and measurable PR and strong, long-lasting client relationships will remain very much in human hands.

And as AI becomes more embedded in agency workflows, transparency will matter more than ever, helping clients understand how it’s being used and the value it brings to their campaigns.

Find out about the team of experts (not bots!) behind our PR campaigns and get in touch to learn how we can support your business.

 

In this blog, we discuss:

  • the visibility challenges digital infrastructure brands face
  • why traditional PR often falls short in this sector
  • how a performance-focused approach can help

 

There’s a certain irony in working in digital infrastructure.

You’re the engine room of the internet – powering websites, platforms and content; keeping storage, cloud services, networks and data flowing.

You make the digital world work, keeping everyone else online, connected and visible.

And yet… generating visibility for your own brand? That’s more of a challenge.

The digital infrastructure market is crowded. Buyers are sceptical. Sales cycles are long. And your competition are behemoths like AWS, Microsoft and Google.

So how do you cut through?

How do you prove you’re not just another “cloud solution”?

How can you prove – categorically – that PR spend is worth the investment?

Common challenges for digital infrastructure brands 

Do any of these challenges sound familiar? If so, read on. Digital infrastructure brands are among the hundreds of B2B tech brands we’ve worked with for the last 30 years and these are the problems we see most often. 

Struggling to generate visibility and differentiate: Being seen is one thing. Getting noticed is another. Visibility puts you on the radar, but standing out is what makes people pay attention. Your tech might be smarter, faster, more secure but if your message sounds like everyone else’s, it’ll get lost. Buyers are under pressure and short on time so your PR needs to grab attention, outshine the competition and be remembered.

Your buyers have complex buying cycles: Selling into a buying committee is like trying to convince a table full of people to agree on where to eat: the IT lead wants performance; the finance lead wants savings; the compliance officer wants a stress-free audit.

Infrastructure deals take time; they’re high value, involve multiple decision-makers and often drag on for months. With all the internal discussions, questions and delays you need to keep one foot in the room the whole way through. So how do you stay relevant and helpful without being pushy or annoying?

Performance PR can help digital infrastructure brands

It increases visibility through:

  • Press releases which get your news in front of the right journalists.
  • Articles which give your take on the issues your buyers care about.
  • Case studies which prove you can deliver.
  • Videos which bring what you do to life in a way that’s quick, clear and shareable.
  • Award entries show you’re recognised for your solutions and work.
  • Social campaigns which put your message in front of decision-makers where they’re already scrolling.

It can aid complex buying cycles:

PR must support and nurture journeys, not just bring in the leads initially. Therefore there needs to be a drip of communication, with messages delivered clearly, confidently and consistently.

  • PR can keep you visible across a long decision-making process period so you’re not forgotten.
  • It can deliver a steady flow of interviews, thought leadership and media features which can educate and reassure your buyers throughout the process.
  • It can help to secure third-party endorsements e.g. via customer testimonials or mentions in analyst reports which make it easier for buyers to justify their decision internally.

All these PR activities can position your brand as a trustworthy, forward-thinking choice. And earning trust is key, because when buyers are comparing options, the brand they’ve seen offering consistent, valuable insight is the one they’re more likely to pick. And when you tailor messaging to your buyers’ different roles, your sales team can use PR’s useful content and coverage to keep conversations warm – and crucially – moving.

How Performance PR can secure internal buy in

Even if you do, not everyone in your organisation is likely to get what PR does.

To non-marketing teams and senior management, things like “brand awareness” or “engagement” sound fluffy. Instead they’re focused on: leads, deals and revenue. So when you talk about top-of-funnel activity or PR coverage, the first question is often: “What’s the ROI?”

A fair question, but it puts a lot of pressure on professionals like you to prove the value of work which doesn’t always result in conversion overnight.

Have you ever had to justify questions like: 

“How many leads did that article bring in?”

“What’s the value of that podcast appearance?”

“Do we really need to be on that panel?”

Well this is where Performance PR comes in. 

Performance PR is built on measurable KPIs, ensuring every campaign is aligned with your business objectives. By directly linking actions to outcomes, it delivers clear evidence of impact. It ditches vanity metrics and speaks the language the boardroom wants to hear.

It arms you with proof so when leadership asks what PR is doing for the business, you can confidently say: “Let me show you.”

Measuring PR’s impact for digital infrastructure brands

So just what might those numbers and outcomes look like in a Performance PR campaign designed to target these challenges?

Visibility: If PR is helping you to become more visible, you’ll see increased media coverage, search interest, social mentions, website traffic and backlinks.

Complex buying cycles: To measure whether your PR efforts are supporting complex buying cycles, you want to track metrics which show how PR is influencing awareness, trust, education and conversion over time. Are more people searching for your brand, visiting your site or downloading your content after a campaign? Are leads engaging with thought leadership, mentioning articles in sales calls or moving through the funnel faster?

If you’re in digital infrastructure and battling to stand out, drive your pipeline and prove ROI, it’s time for a partner who gets it. That’s where we come in. Find out more about Performance PR and how we do it here at Whiteoaks. Ready when you are.

Hook, Hampshire, 11 May 2022: Whiteoaks International has been awarded the PRCA Gold Communications Management Standard (CMS) accreditation. This is the fifth consecutive year the agency has achieved CMS accreditation.

The award is the result of a successful audit and moderation session that examined areas including business planning, business development and benchmarking.

Renna Markson MPRCA, Deputy Director General and Engagement Director, says:

“Congratulations to Whiteoaks International for achieving the Gold CMS Award for demonstrating best practices in PR over the past five years. The quality assurance report commended the agency for their detailed and comprehensive response, especially their benchmarking evidence, which demonstrates their strong position in the marketplace. The report also noted that they have a collaborative approach to business planning and a strong track record in new business development. Clients are offered transparent and detailed contracts, which is testament to the Whiteoaks International’s commitment to quality service.”

The accreditation is based on the ISO9001 standard for quality and Investors in People, and is unique to the PR and communications industry.

“As an employee-owned business on an ambitious growth path and dedicated to delivering on our mission of guaranteeing better results from integrated B2B PR and communications campaigns for our clients, we are delighted with our Gold CMS accreditation,” says Whiteoaks MD Suzanne Griffiths.

“Our passionate team of specialists is committed to giving our clients exactly what they need – results, proactivity and impact so being recognised for that is a great motivator for the team and great acknowledgement of their commitment.”

Whiteoaks International has named Hayley Goff as its new CEO. Goff steps into the role from the position of chief operating officer and will strive to strengthen Whiteoaks’ position in the market and drive the business towards furthering its mission of guaranteeing better results from integrated B2B PR and communications campaigns for its clients.

Goff takes the reins from current CEO James Kelliher who is moving into an advisory role as non-executive director on the Whiteoaks board.

“This is another huge step forward for Whiteoaks and as CEO, I look forward to leading our dedicated team of specialists along our growth journey. I am passionate about our deliberately different approach which offers a flexible engagement model and guarantees results, return on investment and above all, happy clients,” says Goff.

“As a proudly employee-owned business we all have an even bigger stake in our clients’ success and we are committed to giving them exactly what they need in terms of results, proactivity and market impact.”

The make up of the Whiteoaks executive board of directors remains mostly unchanged with Suzanne Griffiths (managing director) and John Broy (chief client officer) supporting Goff in her new role. Current non-executive director Andrew Marsden has stepped down.

Goff joined Whiteoaks in 2004, moving up through the ranks holding a number of senior roles and working on key international accounts across the business. Goff joined the Whiteoaks board in 2013 following a management buy-out before moving into the role of chief operating officer, where she provided strategic and creative consultancy across the client portfolio.

“Hayley is a tremendous asset to the business in terms of how she helps shape clients’ strategy, the strong relationships she’s built over the years, and her inspiring leadership. As I move into my new role as non-executive director, I have the utmost confidence that Hayley will continue to drive Whiteoaks forward and lead the team to success in pursuit of our ambitious objectives,” says James Kelliher, outgoing CEO.

The appointment is effective from 01 May 2023.

Whiteoaks International, the UK’s leading B2B tech PR agency, has been appointed by AccountsIQ, the award-winning accountancy SaaS provider, to deliver an integrated campaign across the UK and Ireland. The targeted campaign will run over 12 months and is aimed at elevating the AccountsIQ brand and building its corporate profile.

Following a period of exceptional growth, AccountsIQ identified the need to increase its visibility within its target market. AccountsIQ’s decision to select Whiteoaks is testament to the company’s unparalleled experience in delivering results for fast-growing technology businesses, and its reputation for targeted campaigns that elevate brands, and speak to the right audiences, with the right content, through the right channels to deliver behavioural change.

“In a competitive pitch process, Whiteoaks’ professional approach, deep domain experience and commitment to delivering measurable results impressed us. We look forward to working with the team to further our business goals over the coming year,” says Sara Laccone, head of marketing, AccountsIQ.

Whiteoaks will be delivering an integrated, creative brand awareness campaign, encompassing media relations, thought leadership and corporate profiling to elevate awareness of AccountsIQ’s products and services amongst fast-growth businesses.

Founded in Dublin in 2004, AccountsIQ provides a suite of financial management software that enables businesses to use financial data more strategically, empowering informed decision-making and raising the finance function to a strategic hub. AccountsIQ is a well-established vendor in the accountancy software field, designed for fast-growth and multi-entity businesses. More than 6,000 entities worldwide currently use AccountsIQ software.

Hayley Goff, COO of Whiteoaks International says: “Our ability to deliver an integrated campaign across media, social, creative, and content puts us in an elevated position within the UK technology PR sector and means we can manage the end-to-end process delivering return on investment and consistency of message across channels while ensuring an excellent level of service. We are delighted to be working with AccountsIQ to further accelerate their business growth in the UK and Ireland.”

Hook, Hampshire, 6 May 2022: The PRCA has once again awarded Whiteoaks International its Communications Management Standard (CMS) accreditation. This is the fifth consecutive year that the agency has demonstrated its steadfast commitment to quality. 

The accreditation was awarded following a successful audit and moderation session, carried out by PRCA audit accessor Carol Magill. The audit covered areas including financial management, training, culture and client management. 

“Whiteoaks International provided an excellent response across all sub sections audited – from training of staff and client management, to creating a supportive and inclusive culture. This includes having a comprehensive diversity policy supported by training programmes. In addition, it was clear that leadership and communication play a pivotal role in the agency’s success, both in terms of transparency and in following a best practice approach when communicating with internal and external audiences,” says Magill. 

Whiteoaks MD Suzanne Griffiths says: “We are really delighted with our latest CMS accreditation. One of our core values as an agency is quality, not just in what we deliver for clients, but in the way we engage with our staff. We do this by creating and evolving a welcoming, inclusive culture that gives our staff the confidence to grow, share ideas and be part of a great team. This aspect is especially important for us since becoming an employee-owned business where each and every employee has a hand in shaping the future direction of the business.” 

The accreditation is based on the ISO9001 standard for quality and Investors in People, and is unique to the PR and communications industry. Whiteoaks first achieved it in 2018. 

Hook, Hampshire, 4th May 2022: Modern workplace and managed services specialist, Camwood has chosen to partner with Whiteoaks International to raise awareness of its brand. The partnership agreement between the two companies follows hot on the heels of the appointment of senior level business executive Andrew Carr as Camwood’s new managing director. 

The two companies will work closely together as Camwood embarks on a growth journey leveraging their heritage as a pure IT applications specialist to additionally encompass a strong focus on modern workplace and managed services.  

Camwood has more than 20 years’ experience in enterprise IT. Today, it is focused on delivering Digital Acceleration through the Lens of Applications to its customers and partners. Whiteoaks will take these messages to market as part of an integrated PR campaign, which will include thought leadership articles, news hijacking opportunities and media briefings. 

Andrew Carr, managing director, Camwood, says: “We are really looking forward to working in close partnership with Whiteoaks to raise awareness of the Camwood brand across our key target markets. What really stood out to us about their proposal was their emphasis on PR that generates tangible business outcomes rather than just outputs. We know they are committed to delivering results for us.”   

Hayley Goff, Chief Operating Officer at B2B Tech PR Agency Whiteoaks says: “It is exciting to have the opportunity to work in close partnership with a business like Camwood that combines high levels of experience and expertise with a genuine passion and commitment to its customers and to growing its capability in new areas of the market. We are looking forward to working with them to help make their vision a success.”  

Camwood is the latest in a series of 2022 client wins for Whiteoaks, which also include Secure Code Warrior and Kognitiv Spark.  

Hook, Hampshire, 3 August 2021: Corelight has appointed Whiteoaks International as its UK agency of choice. The cyber security business is seeking to strengthen its presence in the region and Whiteoaks will deliver a brand awareness campaign to support this.

The campaign is designed around strong thought leadership and media relations, including the use of data-driven insights and tailored content.

Corelight selected Whiteoaks following a referral from its US agency W2 Communications and a competitive pitch.

“We have started the year off with some great momentum and that’s carrying through to the summer with this most recent win to add to the flurry of new clients that we welcomed last month,” says James Kelliher, Whiteoaks CEO. “We are delighted to welcome this great brand to Whiteoaks and we’re looking forward to bringing its targeted campaign to life and achieving tangible results.”

Hook, Hampshire, 12 August 2021: Award-winning B2B tech pr agency Whiteoaks International has signed up a number of new clients over the space of four weeks, including Lilli, Pole Star, and Visual Components.

Lilli, a UK health tech company that uses machine learning to revolutionise home care, kicked off its campaign with a project announcing its £4.5 million in a pre-Series A funding. The subsequent programme will focus on positioning the Lilli brand in the market and growing awareness with a view to engaging stakeholders in the health sector to explore opportunities and investors to attract future funding. This includes a content creation and thought leadership component, as well as media and influencer relations.

Pole Star, a pioneering maritime technology provider, selected Whiteoaks after a competitive pitching process to support its expansion aspirations following a significant growth investment in the company. The campaign tactics include a research project, media relations and thought leadership.

Visual Components develops 3D manufacturing simulation solutions and was looking to raise its profile in the market and boost brand awareness. The tailored campaign to be delivered by Whiteoaks will use influencer and media relations, corporate profiling and thought leadership to help the company reach its objectives.

“There has been a steady build up in the market over the past few months, with demand coming from both brands that have an appetite for increased PR and marketing services, as well as those looking to use these services for the first time,” says James Kelliher, Whiteoaks International CEO.

“We are delighted to welcome these great names on board and are looking forward to bringing their campaigns to life, and delivering the strong results and return on investment that they chose us for.”