For years, technology companies have invested heavily in being found online.
They optimised websites for search engines, worked hard to secure media coverage, published thought leadership, and built strong digital footprints—all with one goal: helping potential customers discover their business.
That strategy is still important.
But the way companies are being discovered has fundamentally changed.
Today, many buyers don’t begin with Google. They begin with an AI assistant.
Whether they’re asking ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude or another AI platform to recommend a cybersecurity vendor, cloud provider or enterprise software company, the process starts long before a buyer visits your website.
The AI has already formed an impression.
The important question is:
Where did that impression come from?
AI Is Reading More Than News Articles
Until recently, large language models primarily built their understanding of companies from websites, news articles and publicly available documents.
Those sources remain important.
But the AI ecosystem has evolved rapidly.
Today, AI systems increasingly reference and learn from content published across YouTube, LinkedIn, podcasts, executive interviews and creator-led media.
That represents one of the biggest changes in communications over the past year.
Content that was once created simply to engage human audiences now has a second purpose—it contributes to the digital reputation that AI systems use when describing and recommending your company.
In other words, every credible interview, keynote presentation, LinkedIn article or podcast appearance has become another signal that helps AI understand who you are and what you stand for.
Your First Impression May Never Involve Your Website
Think about how technology buying has traditionally worked.
A prospect hears about your company.
They visit your website.
They read your case studies.
Then they decide whether to contact you.
Increasingly, that’s no longer the first step.
Today’s buyer is just as likely to ask an AI assistant:
“Who are the leading cybersecurity companies in the Middle East?”
“Which cloud migration consultants have strong experience in financial services?”
“Who are the top AI implementation partners for manufacturing?”
Before your homepage is ever loaded, AI has already assembled a profile of your organisation using everything it considers trustworthy.
That profile influences whether your company appears in the answer at all.
The result is that communications teams are no longer creating content solely for journalists or prospective customers.
They’re creating content that shapes how AI systems understand their brand.
PR, Social Media and Creator Marketing Are Becoming One Discipline
Perhaps the biggest strategic shift is that traditional communications channels are beginning to merge.
Historically, organisations treated these as separate activities.
A PR agency secured media coverage.
A social media agency managed company channels.
Influencers published to their own audiences.
Creator marketing lived somewhere else entirely.
Those distinctions are becoming increasingly blurred.
We’re now seeing technology companies engage respected creators not because they want access to the creator’s followers, but because they value the creator’s ability to produce authentic, credible content.
The creator becomes the production studio.
The company becomes the publisher.
The communications strategy ensures every piece of content reinforces the same positioning, expertise and narrative.
This isn’t influencer marketing in the traditional consumer sense.
It’s strategic content creation designed to build authority across multiple platforms while generating the trust signals that both people and AI increasingly rely upon.
The Modern Media List Looks Very Different
Many media databases still revolve around journalists.
While journalists remain critically important, they are no longer the only influential voices.
A modern communications programme should also consider:
Industry podcasters
YouTube educators
LinkedIn thought leaders
Technology analysts
Conference speakers
Specialist newsletter authors
Independent creators with highly engaged professional audiences
Each of these channels contributes to the digital footprint that buyers—and AI systems—use to evaluate your expertise.
The objective is no longer to maximise the number of articles published.
The objective is to ensure your company consistently appears in trusted conversations wherever your audience is learning.
Measuring Success Needs to Change
Communications has traditionally celebrated metrics such as impressions, reach and advertising value equivalent.
Those measurements still have value.
But they no longer tell the whole story.
A single high-quality podcast interview with a respected industry expert may generate fewer impressions than a widely syndicated press release.
Yet it may create significantly more authority, produce more meaningful engagement and contribute more strongly to how AI understands your company.
Similarly, a thoughtful LinkedIn article from your CEO may influence decision-makers long after its initial publication because it becomes part of the broader information ecosystem AI continues to reference.
Quality, consistency and credibility increasingly outweigh raw volume.
What This Means for Technology Companies in the Middle East
For organisations operating across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and the wider GCC, this shift presents a significant opportunity.
The region continues to invest heavily in digital transformation, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and cloud technologies.
Competition for attention is increasing.
The companies that stand out will not necessarily be those producing the largest quantity of content.
They will be those creating the most trusted content.
That means investing in executive thought leadership.
Participating in meaningful industry discussions.
Building relationships with journalists, creators and analysts.
Producing authentic video content.
Appearing on relevant podcasts.
Sharing expertise consistently on LinkedIn.
And ensuring every communication supports a clear, differentiated market position.
The Future of PR Is About AI Visibility
Public relations has always been about trust.
For decades, journalists were the primary gatekeepers of that trust.
Today, trust has expanded across a much broader ecosystem that includes creators, podcasts, executive platforms and, increasingly, the AI systems that sit between your company and your future customers.
Communications professionals now have a new audience to consider.
Not just the people reading, watching and listening.
But the AI systems interpreting everything they publish.
The companies that recognise this shift early won’t simply improve their visibility.
They’ll improve the quality of the story AI tells about them before a buyer ever arrives at their website.
Key Takeaways
AI assistants increasingly build their understanding of companies from YouTube, LinkedIn, podcasts, executive interviews and trusted creator content—not just websites and news articles.
Buyers often ask AI for recommendations before visiting a company’s website, meaning AI may form an impression of your brand before a human does.
Modern PR has evolved beyond traditional media relations to include executive thought leadership, creator collaboration, podcasts and video content.
Technology companies should expand their media lists to include journalists, LinkedIn creators, YouTubers, podcasters and industry experts who influence their target audience.
Success is increasingly measured by authority, trust and engagement rather than impressions alone.
For technology companies operating in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, creating credible, consistent content across multiple trusted channels is becoming a competitive advantage in AI-powered discovery.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does AI learn about a company?
AI models build their understanding from publicly available information, including websites, news coverage, LinkedIn content, YouTube videos, podcasts, company publications and other trusted online sources. Different AI platforms use different methods and data sources, but the trend is toward a broader mix of authoritative content.
Does AI use LinkedIn content?
Yes. Research indicates that LinkedIn has become one of the most frequently referenced sources for AI systems when understanding companies, industries and professional expertise, making executive thought leadership increasingly valuable.
Does YouTube content influence AI search results?
Yes. YouTube has become one of the most influential sources of information used by AI systems. Educational videos, interviews, presentations and expert discussions all contribute to a company’s digital authority.
Is traditional PR still important?
Absolutely. Media coverage remains a critical trust signal. However, it is now most effective when combined with executive content, podcasts, LinkedIn thought leadership, video and creator collaborations to build a more complete digital reputation.
What is AI Visibility?
AI Visibility is the process of building credible, authoritative content across multiple trusted channels so AI systems can accurately understand and confidently recommend your company when users ask for information or supplier recommendations.
How should technology companies adapt their communications strategy?
Technology companies should move beyond relying solely on press releases and traditional media relations. A modern strategy should integrate media coverage, executive thought leadership, LinkedIn content, YouTube, podcasts, creator partnerships and consistent messaging across every public channel.
Why is this particularly important in the Middle East?
The UAE and Saudi Arabia are investing heavily in artificial intelligence, digital transformation and technology innovation. As buyers increasingly use AI assistants to research suppliers and partners, companies with stronger digital authority and trusted content will have a greater opportunity to be discovered and recommended.
What should communications teams measure now?
While reach and impressions remain useful, organisations should also measure engagement, executive authority, share of conversation, sentiment, high-quality content creation and the overall strength of their digital reputation across trusted platforms that influence both buyers and AI systems.
Find out how NettResults helps with global companies looking for Middle East entry - contact us today.