Digital PR is the practice of using public relations techniques — press releases, data-driven research, expert commentary, and newsworthy content assets — to earn editorial mentions and backlinks from credible online publications. Unlike traditional PR (focused on broadcast and print coverage), digital PR specifically aims to secure dofollow links from authoritative sites that pass SEO link equity, while simultaneously building brand awareness and topical authority. Digital PR is one of the most cost-efficient methods for building high-quality backlinks because earned editorial links carry more authority than any purchased or manufactured alternative.
Digital PR bridges the gap between content marketing and link building. Content alone earns links slowly and inconsistently; outreach without compelling content earns little. Digital PR combines original, newsworthy content (research reports, data studies, expert surveys) with proactive outreach to journalists and editors, increasing the probability of editorial coverage and the resulting authority-passing backlinks.
Digital PR tactics that earn links and coverage
- Original research and data — proprietary surveys, industry studies, or unique data analysis that journalists can cite
- Reactive expert commentary — responding quickly to breaking news with expert quotes using HARO (Help a Reporter Out) or Qwoted
- Data visualisations and interactives — well-designed data tools that publications embed with attribution
- Annual reports and benchmarks — recurring authoritative publications that become annual citation references
- Contrarian or newsworthy angles — research findings that challenge conventional wisdom attract more coverage than confirming it
- Expert link building — securing expert quotes in roundup articles and listicles from relevant publications
- Newsjacking — connecting your brand's expertise to timely news stories with immediate expert commentary
Traditional link building seeks links through direct outreach, guest posting, directory submissions, and link exchanges — often without a newsworthy content hook. Digital PR earns links as a byproduct of genuine editorial coverage — journalists and publishers choose to link because the content is genuinely newsworthy or useful to their audience. Digital PR links are typically from higher-authority domains (national newspapers, industry publications) than traditional link building tactics, which often target lower-authority niche sites. Digital PR links also generate referral traffic and brand awareness in addition to SEO value.
Content is newsworthy when it reveals something surprising, counterintuitive, or significant about a topic journalists and their audiences care about. The best digital PR content characteristics: original data (a survey, study, or dataset that no one has published before), a specific news hook (an angle that connects to current trends or events), a relatable human angle (real people affected by the finding), and a clear 'so what' (why should the reader care?). Generic research confirming what everyone already knows rarely gets covered; research that reveals something unexpected, positive, or actionable consistently earns editorial interest.