Digital PR Explained
The most durable route to a backlink never asks for one directly — it earns coverage, and the link comes with it.
Every other tactic in this guide involves asking, directly or indirectly, for a link. Digital PR is the one that doesn't.
It's the "earned" route to a backlink covered in our link building guide — the hardest to run on a schedule, and often the most valuable when it lands.
How digital PR differs from traditional PR
Traditional PR is measured mainly in brand awareness and reputation — a mention is a win regardless of whether it links anywhere. Digital PR shares that same goal but is built with SEO in mind: pitches are shaped to earn a genuine hyperlink in the resulting coverage, because that's what carries value back to the site, not just the name-check.
What makes a pitch land
Journalists cover stories, not companies. A pitch built around your business rarely gets picked up; a pitch built around a story that happens to involve your business does.
- Original data. Survey results, operational figures, or trend data from your own business that nobody else can offer.
- Timely commentary. A genuinely useful expert take on a story that's already in the news, offered fast while it's still relevant.
- A resource that fills a real gap. Something a journalist can point readers to because it's the best explanation of the topic available, not because you asked them to.
What it moves besides links
Coverage from a well-known outlet also tends to lift a site's own domain authority more per link than most other tactics, simply because the linking publications are themselves highly authoritative. That's a side effect, not the goal — the goal is always the coverage itself being genuinely earned.
Where to go next
Guest posting and broken link building are more predictable, outreach-based alternatives that don't depend on landing a story.
Frequently asked questions
What is digital PR?
Digital PR is the practice of earning online coverage, mentions and backlinks by giving journalists and publishers something genuinely newsworthy — original research, expert commentary, or a timely angle on a current story — rather than asking for a link directly. The link is a byproduct of the coverage, not the pitch itself.
How is digital PR different from traditional PR?
Traditional PR measures success mainly in brand awareness and reputation. Digital PR shares that goal but is run with SEO in mind — pitches are built around getting a genuine hyperlink in online coverage, not just a name-check, because that link is what carries ranking value back to the site.
What makes a good digital PR pitch?
Something a journalist would want to publish regardless of who sent it: original data from your own business or a survey you ran, a genuinely useful expert take on a current story, or a resource that fills a real gap. A pitch that's obviously just angling for a link gets ignored.
Does digital PR guarantee a backlink?
No. Coverage doesn't always include a link, and not every pitch lands coverage at all — this is an earned tactic, not a guaranteed one. It's worth running because when it does land, the resulting link tends to come from a genuinely authoritative, relevant publication, which is the hardest kind of link to get any other way.
Is digital PR only for big brands?
No, though it does favour businesses that have something genuinely data-backed or expert to share. A smaller business with real operational data — pricing trends, survey results, before/after figures — can run a focused digital PR pitch just as effectively as a larger one; the story matters more than the size of the brand telling it.
Got a real story and no one to pitch it to?
Tell us what data or angle you're sitting on. We'll tell you honestly whether it's a digital PR story or not.