Digital strategies are dictating PR campaign tactics more than ever: Almost two-thirds of communication industry experts agree that digital marketing and PR tactics must be used more collaboratively.

I agree, but despite the great digital rush, B2B marketers must also remember to make use of "brain engine optimization" (BEO). Successful PR campaigns depend on a mix of digital and analog strategies to boost brand awareness.

Communications agencies that resort to fake earned media strategies are rare, but they exist. Recently, a well-regarded London PR firm attempted to financially compensate a freelance tech journalist in return for featuring its clients. That highlighted harsh realities surrounding the link between PR firms' and journalists' "cheating" in their digital strategies.

Such scenarios present the perfect opportunity to shine a spotlight on how communications professionals can use successful SEO tactics to gain coverage without risking their reputation or credibility.

1. PR and SEO are intrinsically linked

Most B2B marketing teams recognize the value of SEO. Organic search accounts for over half of overall website traffic, research has found. Clearly, SEO should be at the forefront of B2B online strategy.

It all starts at the content generation stage, whether you're creating a blog post full of relevant keywords on a company website or making sure paid visibility is up to scratch. The benefits of an effective SEO strategy—when executed well—are clear.

PR strategy should also include a focus on keywords for every content format, including press releases, articles, blog posts, and even social media posts. That doesn't mean jamming content with keywords to the point where it makes no sense. Instead, PR professionals should carefully craft copy that ties a B2B organization to keywords within its industry or links it to a market theme.

B2B organizations' consistently appearing on authoritative third-party domains and having their organic content rank high due to SEO can demonstrate industry leadership. Journalists are busier than ever, and they no longer have time to evaluate who is the best organization from each industry. That is where features on a "Top X" list can help organizations stand out as a top competitor in their respective industries—with the added benefit of reaching potential clients.

Although SEO is important, it's also important to think closer to home and optimize your natural search engine: the brain.

2. Don't forget the power of the brain

Continual advancements in the digital world each week have made it easy to forget what really drives most B2B sales: people.

Fully 68% of online experiences begin with a search engine, according to 2019 research. But searching begins far before a consumer looks at a screen: As with B2C experiences, all B2B customer experiences begin with a preliminary internal memory search, followed by queries on a search engine.

As a result of the mere-exposure effect—also called the familiarity principle, or cognitive resonance theory—the brain favors things that are familiar, even if that familiarity is subconscious. Brands that are more memorable are more likely to be trusted—and that is where mental cues come in.