PR Link Building 101: Boosting Your SEO Strategy

Let's talk about PR link building and how it can supercharge your SEO efforts.

PR links, or Public Relations links, are backlinks from media outlets, newspapers, or journalists.

Here’s what you need to know:

What’s in it for you?

• Securing high-quality backlinks from top-tier domains
• Building long-term relationships with journalists and bloggers

Why should you care about PR link building?

According to our recent survey of 113 SEO experts, digital PR is the top link-building tactic, with 67.3% favoring it over guest posting (38.9%) and linkable assets (36.3%). Quality is king here, so focus on getting links from reputable sources.

Our guide covers:

• What PR link-building is
• Its benefits
• Common PR link-building tactics
• How to hire a reputable PR agency (and red flags to avoid)

TL;DR

• PR link-building has two main benefits: securing backlinks from high-authority domains and developing long-term relationships with journalists and bloggers.
• Journalists favor data-driven research studies because they enhance the credibility of their articles.
• For product PR, create press releases about upcoming launches and pitch them to niche journalists. 
• Another strategy is positioning your organization's members as thought leaders and creating content showcasing their expertise. Creative campaigns can also attract media coverage.
• Newsjacking and reactive PR involve identifying trending news stories and creating relevant content. 
• HARO (now part of Connectively) allows you to respond to journalists' requests for contributions. Quick, insightful responses can earn backlinks in top publications.
• When hiring a PR agency, evaluate their past results and processes. Look for live monitoring and a good value-to-price ratio. 
• Avoid agencies promising miracles, with poor communication, client retention issues, or questionable backlink profiles.
• Utilize blogs, podcasts, and online publications to promote and manage brand status.
• Focus on high-quality backlinks from authoritative sites rather than a large number of low-quality links. Relevance is the top metric for backlink quality (84.6%).
• Avoid link farms and prioritize reputable sources. Avoid websites that sell links or provide mutual exchange deals.
• Strong website content, high domain authority, high organic traffic, legitimate links, and target audience relevance are crucial metrics. Ahrefs’ Domain Rating (DR) is considered the most reliable domain authority metric (69%).
• Focus on creating valuable content rather than paying for links, as buying links can harm your SEO efforts.

If you're looking for top-notch link-building services, consider reaching out to us at Editorial Link for expert guidance and support 😉

🤔 What Is PR Link-Building?

PR link building is a smart link building tactic where you get backlinks from reputable sources like media outlets, influencers, and high-authority websites.

How does it work?

• You create newsworthy content.
• Pitch it to journalists or influencers. 
• When (if you’re lucky enough) they link back to your content, it adds value to their articles and boosts your site’s authority and rankings.

Despite being around for a while, PR link building remains a powerful way to enhance your website's credibility and SEO performance.

Irina Maltseva, Founder of ONSAAS and Growth Lead at Aura, highlights two major benefits of digital PR campaigns for your business:

Sites like Forbes and The Times have high-authority domains, which means their links can significantly improve your SERP performance. The best part is that these links are tough for competitors to copy since PR targets unique, topical events and original research.

But that's not all. A single link from a major news outlet can bring a surge of referral traffic and attract even more backlinks!

Here’s an example that Emilia Korczynska, the Head of Marketing at Userpilot provided:

When TechCrunch reported on Userpilot’s $4.6 million seed funding, it caused a domino effect. Other journalists picked up the story, leading to a surge in referral traffic and more backlinks for Userpilot.

How to Start Creating Digital PR Links

Getting started with digital PR links is easier than you think. Here's a quick guide:

• Find Your Audience's Hangouts: Figure out where your audience goes for advice—podcasts, blogs, news sites, and more.
• Pitch What You Know: Suggest topics you're good at and that your audience cares about. Make sure your pitches are relevant and engaging.
• Engage and Connect: Create content that attracts leads and high-quality backlinks. Get involved with platforms that can boost your authority and draw more traffic.
• Build Momentum: Develop a system where your PR efforts naturally lead to more link opportunities. As you build relationships and produce valuable content, other brands will start reaching out to you.
• Show Your Credibility: Highlight your presence on reputable platforms. This builds trust and attracts more links and leads.

✅ Tip: When crafting pitches, remember that email titles and first lines are crucial for capturing attention. Summarize key points in three bullet points and clearly outline the methodology used in the research.

Challenges and strategies

Yes, digital PR can be pricey and a bit unpredictable, but it’s worth it.

Successful campaigns need engaging, newsworthy content that journalists love to share. Focus on local publications and tailor your content to different angles to get the best results.

Combining PR with link building is a smart move. It helps build brand authority, generate leads, and shorten sales cycles. Plus, it creates a self-sustaining cycle of link-building opportunities.

How to get digital PR links

• Target the Right Outlets: Find relevant media and journalists.
• Craft Unique Stories: Use compelling data and angles.
• Personalize Pitches: Show journalists you understand their work.
• Follow Up: Send polite reminders if needed.

✅ Tip: Write pitches like news articles to be easily usable by journalists. Regular follow-ups are necessary to keep the pitch in journalists' minds.

Budgeting

• According to Thrive Internet Marketing Agency, SEOs typically spend about 28% of their budget on link building. 
• High-quality backlinks can cost anywhere from $100 to $1,000+each.

• Investing in quality links is totally worth it, with 78.1% of SEOs reporting a solid ROI from their link-building efforts.

For expert guidance, consider contacting our team at Editorial.Link. We can help you navigate the complexities of PR link building and achieve great results for your SEO strategy.

📈 PR Link Building Tactics

Looking for some smart PR strategies? Let’s explore a few of the most effective ones you can use. But first, let’s see why backlinks from trusted sources are so important.

Why backlinks from trusted media are essential?

Google’s internal data suggests that it assigns special importance to links from high-quality news outlets like The New York Times, The Guardian, or the BBC. These links are reportedly tagged with specific metadata under a system called EncodedNewsAnchorData, which identifies their sources as authoritative.

While it’s not confirmed whether these links directly carry extra ranking weight, the credibility and trustworthiness of such sites suggest they play a significant role. Securing backlinks from reputable news platforms can enhance your site’s authority and visibility, aligning with what Google likely values in its ranking processes.

This highlights the strategic importance of digital PR.

Beyond driving referral traffic and enhancing your reputation, earning links from well-known publications could contribute to stronger SEO performance by tapping into Google’s prioritization of trusted sources.

Data-Driven Research Studies

Data-driven research is a powerful way to grab media attention and earn quality backlinks. Journalists love fresh insights and reliable stats.

To create a winning strategy, focus on unique information your company can provide. This will help you produce high-quality content that lands in top publications.

Your content needs to be engaging and offer something new to catch journalists' eyes. Consider your ‘news hook’—how can you tie your business to current events?

Whether you're commenting on a new trend or using internal data to provide industry insights, this approach positions you as a thought leader. Including an expert from your company in your articles can make your content stand out even more.

Real-life examples

Backlinko's Search Engine Rankings Study: Backlinko analyzed over 11 million Google search results to discover what really gets you on the first page. They found that sites with backlinks from multiple domains, high link authority (DR), and high-quality content rank higher.

This study was a hit in the SEO world, earning tons of media coverage and backlinks.

HubSpot's State of Marketing Report: HubSpot's annual report gathers data from thousands of marketers, shedding light on trends, challenges, and strategies in the marketing landscape. It covers effective marketing tactics, automation, AI usage, and ROI stats.

This report is a big deal every year, grabbing media attention and backlinks, and cementing HubSpot's status as a marketing guru.

So what does this tell us?

• Data is the backbone of your content. It strengthens your news hooks and makes your stories more appealing. Understanding your audience’s needs and interests is crucial. If you can quickly tap into trends, your content is more likely to be picked up by major publications.
• Be creative with your content strategy. Even if your business doesn’t directly relate to a trending topic, commenting on it can highlight your values, boost PR, and build relevant links.

How does it work?

Here's a simple breakdown:

• Pick a Hot Topic: Choose a relevant topic in your industry that can be backed by data.
• Collect Data: Gather your data either through original research or by analyzing existing reports and data sets. The key is to find new and valuable insights.
• Create Engaging Content: Turn your data into compelling content, like a detailed report and a press release highlighting the most interesting findings.

✅ Tip: Note that not all stories will land coverage. Persistence is key—keep reworking and pitching them until they gain traction.

According to Evaldas Mockus, the VP of Growth at Omnisend, this is the key part of the process:

Original research is a magnet for links, and when combined with effective PR efforts, the results can be even more impressive.

• Reach Out to Journalists: Use tools like Prowly or Roxhill to find journalists and media outlets that would be interested in your story. Muckrack and Vuelio are also great alternatives.

You can also manually search for journalists' contact information using services like Hunter.

• Send Your Press Release: Share your press release with these journalists. They'll use your data to write their articles and link back to your report.

Product PR

Product PR is all about boosting your company’s visibility and creating a buzz around your products, while also earning valuable backlinks.

Here’s how you can make it work:

When launching a new product or feature, craft press releases that highlight the unique aspects of your product. Share these with journalists and media outlets in your industry. This not only draws attention to your launch but also helps you gain authoritative backlinks.

For example, Wordtune used this strategy when they launched their AI Content Detector. Their PR team reached out to journalists specializing in AI, securing coverage from several outlets, including Geektime, a popular Israeli magazine.

This led to a significant boost in organic traffic and backlinks:

Thought leadership

Thought Leadership PR helps position yourself or the organization you represent as industry authorities. This will help create trust, credibility, and visibility.

Here’s how to get started:

• Define Key Messages: Identify the core themes and messages you want to communicate. This ensures your content is consistent and aligned with your expertise.
• Create Quality Content: Write insightful articles, features, and bylines on relevant industry topics. This showcases your knowledge and positions you as a thought leader.
• Guest Speaking: Take advantage of guest speaking opportunities and media briefings at industry events. This helps to establish your presence and authority.
• Promote Insights: Share your thought leader’s insights on social media and your company’s blog.
• Offer Interviews: Provide exclusive interviews to media outlets.

This strategy positions you as an expert and generates long-term results.

Once you’re recognized as a thought leader, journalists and bloggers will frequently seek your insights, further enhancing your reach and backlink profile.

Creative campaigns

Creativity can capture media attention and attract high-authority backlinks.

Have a look at the /OutHourse_ <Your_Email> campaign by Visit Iceland.

They promoted Iceland as a tourist destination by humorously offering to have Icelandic horses "type" out-of-office replies while showcasing the beautiful landscapes of Iceland.

You could even choose a specific horse for the job. Genius!

This quirky campaign secured coverage from hundreds of outlets and over 900 backlinks from almost 500 domains.

Newsjacking & Reactive PR

We use newsjacking and reactive PR to ride the wave of trending news, grabbing media coverage and backlinks. Keeping an eye on the latest stories and social media buzz is crucial.

Here’s how you can get started:

• Stay Updated: Keep up with the latest news and social media trends. Tools like Google Trends help track what's hot and what's not.

• Create Useful Content: Jump into the conversation with content that adds real value. This shows off our expertise and gets noticed by the media.
• Reach Out to Journalists: Find journalists who are already talking about these topics and share your insights. Tools like Roxhill and Hunter can help find the right contacts.

That’s exactly how the campaign on ChatGPT growth managed to secure over 60 backlinks from high-authority sites like Yahoo News, The Wrap, and Time magazine.

• Keep It Fresh: Regularly update your content to stay current with the latest trends. This keeps our audience interested and our SEO efforts on point.
• Be Proactive: Actively engage with journalists and media outlets. Share your expert opinions and insights on trending topics to build relationships and trust.

You can check out the following article if you need some successful newsjacking examples.

HARO

HARO (Help A Reporter Out, now part of Connectively), connects journalists looking for expert insights with subject matter experts.

Here’s how it works:

• Sign Up and Select Your Niche: Create an account and choose the areas you specialize in. The platform will send you inquiries from journalists that match your expertise.
• Craft Your Pitch: When you find a query that matches your insights, write a 300-word pitch. If the journalist likes what you have to say, they’ll feature you in their article, earning you a valuable backlink.

Major media outlets like Fox News, Mashable, The New York Times, Time, and The Wall Street Journal use HARO, giving you a shot at high-authority links.

So how do you stand out?

The competition on Connectively is tough, so I asked Evaldas Mockus for some tips. And this was his answer:

To achieve success with HARO, we recognize two main keys:

1. Response speed: The quicker you react to journalists’ requests, the greater the chance of being published.
2. Engaging content: Journalists receive hundreds of responses. Differentiate yourself by offering unique data and a distinct approach.

We conducted an experiment aiming to generate all our PR mentions via HARO during the quarter. We secured 21 mentions, including coverage from Forbes, Marketscreener, and others.

All of our pitches provided a unique angle. If you believe that HARO will work for you with basic ideas, you are mistaken.

 

You can use HARO to land top-notch media mentions and solid backlinks and give your SEO a real edge!

How to Hire a PR Link Building Agency?

Hiring a digital PR agency can jumpstart your PR link-building efforts. These agencies have experienced teams, proven processes, and well-established networks to help you achieve your link-building goals faster and at scale.

Focus on the following things:

• Results and Reputation: Dive into their case studies, testimonials, and reviews. Verify their results rather than taking them at face value.

• Progress Tracking: Opt for agencies that provide regular updates and real-time monitoring of your new links. If you're paying for services and not getting proper reports or a live dashboard, you might be wasting your money.

If you’re using a link-building agency and still don’t get a proper report and have a live dashboard with an overview of their work – you might be flushing over $10,000/year down the drain.

No serious agency will keep you in the dark. You should have a live view of your links, have them crawled regularly, and ensure they’re not getting quietly removed over time.

• Tools and Processes: A reputable agency will gladly share their methods and tools, proving they know their trade.
• Price of Link Building: Balance affordability with quality. Cheaper options might secure low-quality links. Reputable agencies charge around $350-1200 per link.

Red Flags to Watch Out For

Be wary of shady players in the link-building scene. Hiring them can be costly and damaging to your reputation, even causing SEO penalties.

That said, watch out for:

• Unrealistic Promises: Link building takes time. Avoid agencies that promise hundreds of links in a short period.
• Poor Communication: If you struggle to get timely responses, the relationship won't be productive.
• Low Client Retention: Link-building is a long-term game. High client turnover might indicate poor service or results.
• Weak Backlink Profile: If they can’t maintain a strong backlink profile themselves, they’re unlikely to help yours.

Final Thoughts

Digital PR campaigns can be pricey, especially with an agency, but they secure backlinks from high-authority websites.

You can try and dive into digital PR on your own and experiment with different techniques. Here are a few tips to follow if you decide to go that way:

• Commit to long hours and immersion in work.
• Create a supportive and positive online community by filtering out negative interactions. 
• Craft detailed LinkedIn posts, balancing information and entertainment to engage the audience. 
• Repurpose content across LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook groups to maximize reach.

However, if you ask us, hiring a professional agency is the easiest way to start. Look for those with a solid track record and transparent processes.

If you need a hand with your link-building strategy, we’re always here at Editorial.Link. Ready to help you nail your PR and SEO goals.