What is the biggest weakness of pr / communications websites?

The biggest weakness for pr / communications websites is AEO, with an average score of just 13 out of 100. This means most sites in this vertical have significant room for improvement in this area.

PR / Communications Website Audit Report - AISO Studio

Overview

The pr / communications industry faces a clear challenge online. Most websites in this space score well below what search engines and AI systems need to surface content. The average AISO score across all 273 sites is just 44 out of 100. That is a low bar. It also means there is a big opportunity for businesses that invest in their web presence now.

The strongest area for pr / communications sites is SEO, with an average of 72. The weakest area is AEO, at just 13. According to Google's SEO documentation, sites that fail to meet basic technical standards risk losing visibility in both traditional and AI-powered search results.

What does this mean for your business? If your site scores above 44, you are already ahead of most competitors. If it scores below, you risk losing traffic to rivals who fix these issues first. According to the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative, accessible websites also reach a wider audience and reduce legal risk.

Key insight: 74% of pr / communications websites score below 50. The majority of sites in this vertical are underperforming across multiple dimensions.

Summary Scores

AISO Score

SEO

Readability

Engagement

AEO

WCAG

Key Findings

74%

Score Below 50

More than half of sites in this vertical are underperforming.

21%

Missing Schema Markup

These sites have no structured data, making them harder for search engines and AI to understand.

12%

No Open Graph Tags

Without OG tags, shared links on social media appear without rich previews.

What This Means

These findings tell a simple story. Most pr / communications websites were built without modern optimization in mind. They load, they look fine, but they fail to communicate with the systems that drive traffic today.

Search engines need structured data to understand your pages. AI answer engines need clear, direct answers to cite your content. Screen readers need proper HTML to serve users with disabilities. Missing any of these means missing out on visitors, customers, and revenue.

Key Takeaways

After analyzing 273 pr / communications websites, here's what stands out most. These are the three most important points from the data.

Most sites score poorly overall. An average AISO score of 44 means the typical pr / communications website misses more than half of what modern search and AI systems look for.
AEO is the weakest link. At just 13 on average, this dimension drags down overall scores. Fixing it first gives the biggest return.
Basic technical issues are widespread. 21% of sites lack schema markup. 12% have no Open Graph tags. These are quick wins that most sites have not addressed.

Bottom line: The pr / communications industry is behind on web optimization. Early movers who fix these issues will gain a real edge in both search rankings and AI visibility.

How to Improve Your Score

Want to beat the average? Follow these steps in order. Each one builds on the last. Start with the basics and work your way up.

Step 1: Fix your technical SEO. Add a meta title, meta description, and canonical URL to every page. Add schema markup using JSON-LD. Add Open Graph tags so your links look good when shared. These changes take less than an hour and have an immediate impact.
Step 2: Improve readability. Rewrite your main pages at an 8th grade reading level. Use short sentences. Use simple words. Break up long paragraphs. According to Google, clear and simple content performs better in search results.
Step 3: Add engagement elements. Use headings, bullet lists, bold text, and blockquotes. Add images with descriptive alt text. Make your content easy to scan. Visitors decide within seconds whether to stay or leave.
Step 4: Optimize for AI engines. Add a FAQ section to your key pages. Use direct answer formats. Define what your business does in one clear sentence at the top of your homepage. AI systems like ChatGPT and Perplexity prefer content that gives a straight answer.
Step 5: Check accessibility. Run a WCAG audit. Ensure all images have alt text. Check that color contrast meets minimum ratios. Use semantic HTML elements like headings, lists, and landmarks. According to the W3C, over one billion people worldwide live with some form of disability.

Score Distribution

The charts below show how scores are spread across all 273 sites. The histogram groups sites by score range. The grade chart shows how many sites earned each letter grade. A score of 80 or above earns an A. Below 30 is an F.

AISO Score Ranges

0-9

10-19

20-29

30-39

40-49

121

50-59

60-69

70-79

80-89

90-99

Grade Distribution

0 (0%)

1 (0%)

7 (3%)

64 (23%)

201 (74%)

Dimension Breakdown

Average scores across all 273 pr / communications websites for each scoring dimension.

SEO

Readability

Engagement

AEO

WCAG

Full Results

The table below lists all 273 websites ranked by their overall AISO score. Each row shows the total score, letter grade, and individual dimension scores. Use it to see how sites in the pr / communications space compare against each other.

Domains are partially blurred to protect privacy. Scores range from 0 to 100. Higher is better.

#	Domain	Score	Grade	SEO	Read.	Eng.	AEO	WCAG
1	ampl*******	71	B	95	26	93	57	100
2	blueli**********	69	C	94	39	90	43	92
3	realn*********	67	C	97	40	88	25	100
4	spotlight**************	62	C	97	31	80	25	90
5	hurrdat*************	61	C	92	40	75	28	80
6	ellisst************	60	C	81	40	70	36	81
7	sowaa********	60	C	74	55	75	18	86
8	bwpcommu*************	60	C	97	38	80	38	47
9	otte*******	59	D	89	53	70	33	50
10	coyn*******	58	D	82	44	73	10	91
11	level*******	58	D	82	48	90	25	44
12	hexa*******	58	D	76	62	50	25	84
13	juna******	58	D	89	49	65	18	78
14	prhac*******	57	D	89	52	58	10	83
15	impactm************	57	D	84	52	65	10	82
16	mckeemanco****************	57	D	89	56	78	25	29
17	jhco*****	57	D	74	47	58	25	92
18	axia******	56	D	97	36	78	33	35
19	avalaun***********	56	D	94	51	90	18	21
20	newswi*********	56	D	92	21	90	26	58
21	juniprpub****************	55	D	79	48	80	10	63
22	marsh*********	55	D	79	72	60	10	45
23	720str***********	55	D	57	53	65	26	82
24	jpublic*************	54	D	79	40	60	10	94
25	walker*********	54	D	89	29	70	25	64
26	hiro******	54	D	89	42	65	18	60
27	absolut************	54	D	86	48	70	18	50
28	lawren*********	54	D	72	67	48	8	77
29	l-s****	54	D	76	52	50	10	91
30	target*********	54	D	82	44	63	18	70
31	jjpra*********	53	D	79	45	90	10	41
32	redba********	53	D	77	29	68	18	85
33	warsch*********	53	D	81	35	78	28	43
34	thecas**********	53	D	94	39	65	33	32
35	sabo*******	53	D	74	62	60	10	56
36	thinkt**********	53	D	77	53	73	18	43
37	lukasp***********	53	D	85	33	70	10	80
38	minic*******	53	D	71	61	45	28	60
39	veracit***********	53	D	79	43	80	10	56
40	leoninepu***************	53	D	81	46	73	18	48
41	novitasco****************	52	D	84	23	80	10	73
42	octago***********	52	D	69	50	50	18	78
43	public**********	52	D	86	45	85	25	9
44	goffp*********	52	D	77	43	68	18	57
45	gycve*******	52	D	76	31	78	25	53
46	taftcomm**************	52	D	77	49	68	10	60
47	prrevo**********	52	D	66	66	65	10	47
48	luqu*******	52	D	79	57	60	25	31
49	konnec***********	51	D	76	46	75	10	46
50	dureean************	51	D	71	45	75	38	18
51	janeo*********	51	D	76	44	70	10	57
52	smalladventu*********************	51	D	72	52	50	10	79
53	maroo*******	51	D	89	37	70	10	50
54	vernacu*************	51	D	92	20	80	18	53
55	truscot************	51	D	84	36	65	0	78
56	odne*****	51	D	79	41	60	10	75
57	sproutho*************	51	D	71	49	60	10	67
58	cplu******	50	D	76	46	48	10	78
59	sellsa*********	50	D	60	44	55	18	82
60	boardr*********	50	D	89	33	85	18	20
61	dogwoo***********	50	D	79	48	60	18	45
62	exclus**********	50	D	69	53	60	15	50
63	hostet*********	50	D	68	51	45	18	75
64	kinca********	50	D	74	38	50	18	78
65	lola*******	50	D	69	63	65	8	39
66	raborn*********	50	D	79	30	55	10	89
67	edpr*****	50	D	76	28	80	33	33
68	inpre*********	50	D	76	54	60	18	38
69	pacepubli**************	50	D	79	50	60	10	50
70	hodge*********	50	D	94	33	75	18	27
71	posh******	50	D	69	69	30	15	67
72	feare********	50	D	86	0	70	33	82
73	ditto*******	49	F	94	44	60	10	35
74	strateg*************	49	F	81	55	45	8	54
75	lmconn*********	49	F	64	45	60	38	37
76	montagn***********	49	F	72	13	73	10	100
77	devmars*************	49	F	87	23	50	10	95
78	web.co**********	49	F	69	53	60	18	42
79	redheadm**************	49	F	84	30	90	25	13
80	pressfo************	49	F	76	41	68	10	50
81	thecreat**************	49	F	84	48	75	18	9
82	mhp***	48	F	87	31	60	18	50
83	mvn*****	48	F	72	46	50	10	64
84	sherm********	48	F	79	41	80	18	16
85	redsk*******	48	F	69	55	65	20	25
86	price*********	48	F	89	22	70	25	35
87	velocit***********	48	F	77	37	60	10	65
88	benchmarkp****************	48	F	86	26	55	10	78
89	jon*****	48	F	74	29	60	10	79
90	resol*********	48	F	86	30	65	10	54
91	perrypubl***************	48	F	60	42	65	10	67
92	pauls*********	48	F	89	43	68	10	25
93	tenthcro*************	48	F	71	41	70	10	53
94	golde********	48	F	84	43	60	18	32
95	rhstra*********	48	F	84	32	80	10	36
96	trues*********	47	F	71	44	55	10	57
97	barefootpu*****************	47	F	79	15	60	10	90
98	finnpa**********	47	F	61	44	45	10	88
99	antholo***********	47	F	65	10	75	18	89
100	mekky*********	47	F	89	42	70	10	17
101	hatfie***********	47	F	84	32	55	10	60
102	tegp*****	47	F	72	66	55	10	21
103	anch*******	47	F	89	34	65	18	29
104	tandem**********	47	F	91	34	65	26	17
105	kirvi*********	47	F	89	27	73	10	42
106	mboo******	47	F	74	56	50	18	33
107	pivot*******	47	F	84	36	80	10	23
108	words*********	47	F	74	36	60	10	64
109	matte********	47	F	71	59	50	10	41
110	web.sioux****************	47	F	50	57	60	10	60
111	cedarg**********	46	F	84	33	70	18	25
112	evolvepra***************	46	F	84	27	85	18	11
113	comgr*******	46	F	70	34	70	10	50
114	judg*******	46	F	84	42	65	18	16
115	dente*********	46	F	72	31	80	18	26
116	vvkag********	46	F	66	40	78	18	24
117	katthe**********	46	F	65	28	85	18	38
118	dexte*********	46	F	84	34	70	10	29
119	garri********	46	F	81	32	70	10	38
120	goldman*************	46	F	74	38	73	10	35
121	bravo********	46	F	79	32	50	10	67
122	pavo******	46	F	79	46	48	18	38
123	gobrai***********	46	F	67	48	65	10	35
124	duffys**********	46	F	59	42	63	18	48
125	jdp*****	46	F	77	40	50	10	54
126	compl*********	46	F	71	45	55	10	48
127	theprb***********	46	F	94	0	83	25	34
128	zilker*********	46	F	79	46	73	10	16
129	innerac*************	46	F	86	47	63	10	17
130	adlerpubl***************	45	F	72	42	70	10	29
131	schip*********	45	F	74	27	75	10	43
132	roman*******	45	F	64	50	68	8	32
133	uproa*******	45	F	71	41	65	10	35
134	fran******	45	F	91	12	85	10	33
135	media-m************	45	F	84	39	70	10	17
136	thefi********	45	F	74	43	55	10	42
137	bmlp*****	45	F	76	37	65	10	36
138	minds*********	45	F	64	46	55	20	36
139	usprne*********	45	F	64	0	75	20	86
140	complet*************	45	F	62	35	50	10	76
141	hmap*****	44	F	84	37	65	10	22
142	cand*******	44	F	86	39	60	10	20
143	mygras**********	44	F	89	22	78	10	21
144	adamsk*********	44	F	79	36	70	8	25
145	levypubli**************	44	F	76	42	65	0	35
146	beringerc****************	44	F	60	38	48	20	60
147	runswi*********	44	F	74	32	60	18	36
148	dpacommu*************	44	F	79	37	78	10	8
149	mscoast***********	44	F	59	41	75	18	21
150	cooksonco****************	44	F	79	40	40	10	57
151	viole*******	44	F	84	27	65	18	27
152	business.char**********************	44	F	69	36	55	10	56
153	trozz*******	44	F	76	16	63	10	67
154	guerr*********	44	F	69	25	80	10	40
155	peaco*********	43	F	69	45	60	8	29
156	cjr*****	43	F	64	23	65	10	63
157	asbur*******	43	F	79	10	70	8	60
158	prg*****	43	F	71	14	65	18	60
159	mille*********	43	F	84	28	53	18	33
160	ls2gr*******	43	F	71	22	68	10	48
161	ident*********	43	F	87	22	68	10	33
162	commong***********	43	F	76	20	60	18	50
163	mediafr************	43	F	84	49	53	0	21
164	berlin*********	43	F	84	16	73	18	27
165	gardcomm**************	43	F	61	54	50	10	33
166	sunwe********	43	F	74	50	60	10	10
167	firstasc*************	42	F	89	0	85	18	22
168	policyw************	42	F	59	41	50	10	50
169	prals********	42	F	47	30	70	38	21
170	maierw***********	42	F	64	39	53	0	62
171	newpu*********	42	F	72	5	90	10	42
172	5wp*****	42	F	69	27	65	20	29
173	rand*******	42	F	74	27	75	18	11
174	rickmiller******************	42	F	64	19	50	10	80
175	bolt******	42	F	81	26	40	8	67
176	blaine**********	42	F	84	5	75	10	47
177	tdspubl*************	42	F	89	0	85	18	25
178	thestra*************	41	F	84	15	60	10	45
179	compass************	41	F	82	16	70	10	29
180	lepra*********	41	F	71	15	55	10	67
181	bakerpubl***************	41	F	71	38	60	20	10
182	byrdho*********	41	F	66	47	50	10	30
183	mpf****	41	F	87	0	65	10	59
184	l2co******	41	F	57	22	60	10	67
185	kaneco***********	41	F	59	47	55	0	40
186	muellerco****************	41	F	66	41	60	10	25
187	prospe*********	41	F	66	14	50	10	79
188	hareb*********	40	F	47	65	40	10	30
189	prsata**********	40	F	64	18	83	25	8
190	kcproj**********	40	F	64	28	70	0	41
191	fosterr************	40	F	52	43	45	10	50
192	baileyl***********	40	F	76	35	50	18	18
193	wert*******	40	F	74	44	55	0	23
194	amgi*******	39	F	56	42	55	0	39
195	prsage*********	39	F	42	47	60	18	24
196	herona*********	39	F	84	0	75	10	35
197	kansasc************	39	F	47	35	75	18	18
198	wiserst************	39	F	64	18	68	10	41
199	broadr**********	39	F	89	0	85	10	17
200	upwar*******	39	F	71	37	30	0	62
201	subli*********	39	F	84	26	45	0	47
202	dakot*******	39	F	83	11	60	10	38
203	angli*******	39	F	76	15	50	10	53
204	bucha*********	39	F	84	7	65	18	24
205	ecprt********	39	F	89	28	55	10	6
206	revela***********	39	F	67	20	53	10	53
207	symbio*********	39	F	64	38	50	16	21
208	stryke***********	38	F	42	43	43	10	56
209	promer***********	38	F	59	46	48	18	10
210	gcjp*****	37	F	49	22	50	10	67
211	idaho*********	37	F	57	0	48	10	91
212	beckercom***************	37	F	71	30	60	10	8
213	minnes***********	37	F	42	29	75	26	10
214	bellmon*************	37	F	74	21	60	10	17
215	intrepi***********	37	F	61	49	25	0	50
216	prsa******	37	F	44	34	68	18	15
217	padil********	36	F	64	37	40	15	20
218	atomic**********	36	F	60	11	50	30	37
219	regan********	36	F	66	21	50	10	35
220	davispubl***************	36	F	61	22	40	0	67
221	utahp*******	36	F	72	0	60	10	50
222	rsp*****	36	F	64	17	50	18	37
223	odwye*******	35	F	49	36	60	10	15
224	msial********	35	F	64	4	60	10	47
225	synergyp*************	35	F	40	25	70	10	32
226	cooke*******	35	F	74	6	70	10	19
227	mavena*********	35	F	77	0	60	10	39
228	palabr**********	35	F	59	22	60	10	22
229	viam*******	34	F	74	24	50	15	4
230	hollida***********	34	F	76	3	55	0	50
231	fleishm*************	34	F	59	24	60	10	13
232	shift-*********	34	F	79	0	65	18	11
233	prrb******	34	F	64	6	63	18	22
234	riple*******	34	F	27	42	50	10	38
235	ikoni*******	33	F	66	12	50	0	47
236	cindym***********	33	F	49	37	18	0	70
237	lovepu***********	33	F	56	30	38	0	44
238	patt*****	33	F	49	0	70	10	47
239	prsane**********	33	F	34	30	55	18	25
240	yesand**********	33	F	61	19	58	10	14
241	revolu**********	33	F	74	17	55	10	8
242	threeel************	33	F	59	19	38	0	58
243	eleven***********	33	F	66	10	40	10	50
244	prsade**********	32	F	46	20	50	10	39
245	bennet*********	32	F	59	27	35	10	28
246	neonpr***********	32	F	57	24	55	10	11
247	3ep*****	32	F	69	9	60	10	16
248	cando*******	32	F	89	0	45	0	35
249	prsa*******	32	F	37	26	55	18	21
250	hughes***********	32	F	74	0	60	10	23
251	gre*****	32	F	54	0	40	0	88
252	cig-******	31	F	57	0	75	10	17
253	carrolls*************	31	F	79	14	30	0	40
254	wright**********	30	F	64	0	68	10	9
255	bigskypub****************	30	F	61	0	35	10	60
256	about********	30	F	71	0	60	0	28
257	prongho************	30	F	57	0	35	10	62
258	prala********	28	F	34	18	50	10	33
259	redwindowc*****************	28	F	71	0	38	0	39
260	jasper**********	28	F	54	0	40	10	50
261	newthoug*************	28	F	64	0	50	0	33
262	arcopub***********	28	F	34	19	43	10	42
263	shift********	27	F	74	0	38	20	3
264	sweett*********	27	F	44	13	45	10	26
265	punch*******	27	F	49	1	50	10	31
266	civita***********	26	F	64	0	35	0	40
267	marin*******	26	F	52	0	50	10	22
268	maxexp*********	25	F	67	0	45	8	7
269	signal**********	23	F	57	11	35	0	11
270	agenc*********	22	F	62	0	30	0	24
271	moorepubl***************	22	F	57	0	40	0	14
272	purpl*******	19	F	34	0	25	0	50
273	lemona*********	18	F	57	0	20	0	14

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average AISO score for pr / communications websites?

The average AISO score for pr / communications websites is 44 out of 100. This is based on a scan of 273 sites in the professional services industry. The score combines five dimensions: SEO (72), readability (31), engagement (61), AEO (13), and WCAG accessibility (44).

How do pr / communications websites perform on accessibility?

The average WCAG score is 44 out of 100. Many pr / communications websites still lack basic accessibility features like alt text on images, proper heading structure, and sufficient color contrast. Improving accessibility helps you reach more users and reduces legal risk.

Are pr / communications websites ready for AI search engines?

Not yet. The average AEO score is 13 out of 100. AI engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overview need structured data, FAQ sections, and direct answer formats to cite a website. Currently, 21% of pr / communications sites have no schema markup at all.

What is the biggest weakness for pr / communications websites?

The weakest dimension is AEO, with an average score of just 13. This represents the area where pr / communications websites have the most room to grow. Focusing improvement efforts here will have the largest impact on overall scores.

How can I check my own website's score?

You can run a free audit on any website using AISO Studio. Enter your URL and get a full breakdown of your SEO, readability, engagement, AEO, and WCAG scores in under a minute. No signup required.

Methodology

We score each website across five areas. The AISO Score is a weighted mix of all five. It shows how well a site works for both people and AI systems. Here is what each area measures.

SEO checks meta tags, schema markup, headings, and other signals search engines use to crawl and index pages.
Readability looks at sentence length, word complexity, and plain language. Higher scores mean easier reading.
Engagement counts headings, lists, bold text, images, and other elements that make content easy to scan.
AEO checks if AI engines can find and cite the content. It looks for FAQ sections, direct answers, and structured data.
WCAG tests for color contrast, alt text, ARIA labels, and proper HTML. It follows the W3C accessibility guidelines.

SEO (Technical Search Optimization)

Checks meta titles, descriptions, canonical URLs, schema markup, Open Graph tags, heading structure, and other signals that help search engines crawl and index a page.

Readability

Measures the Flesch Reading Ease score, average sentence length, and word complexity. Higher scores mean the content is easier for the public to read and understand.

Engagement

Looks at content formatting: headings, lists, bold text, blockquotes, images, and other elements that make content easy to scan and read.

AEO (AI Engine Optimization)

Checks how well content is set up for AI answer engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overview. Looks for direct answer formats, FAQ sections, and clear definitions.

WCAG (Accessibility)

Tests for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines compliance: color contrast, alt text, ARIA labels, semantic HTML, and keyboard navigation support.

How Does YOUR PR / Communications Website Score?

The average pr / communications website scores 44/100. Run a free audit to see where you stand and get actionable recommendations to improve your search visibility, AI readiness, and accessibility today.

Get Your Free Audit