What can PR and the tech media do that Google can’t?
Well, that is a very good question with some interesting answers:-
Between us, we can provide a constant stream of valuable information
Create multiple points of contact over an extended time period
Provide a huge background of archived information which builds up over many years
Present in-depth pieces about technology, application, and guidance for usage
Offer guidance about trends
This results in a de facto relationship between the supplier and their customer audience generated by the working relationship active between PR content providers and the trade/tech press, both online and print-based. A relationship that exists in the minds of the participants purely because they are engaged across the media.
Regarding traditional print media – it has been shown to be significantly easier to read than a screen, while the information gathered this way is also better understood and remembered.
Google itself does none of these things, although we use it and other search engines as librarians to aid us in achieving them.