While emphasizing technical SEO and creating high-quality content have been recognized as integral parts of any efficient strategy aimed to make businesses rank better on search engine result pages, there are several tactics that help digital marketers achieve desired results. Link building still remains one of the most commonly and effectively used methods.
When it comes to developing a link-building strategy, there are several of them for marketers to choose from. They range from guest blogging to leveraging broken links to being active on social media to even replicating the best links from competitors. However, there is one more strategy that has been left behind but has been gaining traction in recent years – that is earning editorial links via digital PR.
In this article, we will take a closer look at what digital PR is, how businesses can benefit from adopting it now, and if the future of link-building is conceivable without it. Continue reading to find out more about the possibilities that digital PR provides for SEOs today.
What Is Digital PR?
Digital PR is sometimes also referred to as online public relations or E-PR. If simply put, is an online marketing strategy used by businesses aimed to increase their brand awareness and boost online presence. And while this strategy may cover several channels at once – from backlink acquisition to online reputation management to even podcasting (which became highly popular in recent years), one thing remains certain – it can make a significant difference when it comes to search engine optimization (SEO).
Today, digital PR is primarily based on presenting content ideas (outreaching) to reputable online sources, such as niche blogs and digital media (you can learn more about standard blogger outreach at https://huskyhamster.com/services/standard-outreach), in order to earn relevant backlinks in top-tier publications.
This method brings good results because it is mutually beneficial for both sides. Publishers receive high-quality content pieces on trendy or evergreen subjects, while businesses are being presented to new audiences (improves brand awareness) and earn backlinks (helps with traffic and SEO).
As a result, digital PR allows companies to reach their target audiences through publications on other websites, mentions on influencers’ social media they follow, or shout-outs on podcasts while also improving their brand’s organic visibility and ranking. Furthermore, according to John Mueller, Google’s Search Advocate, today, digital PR is probably more critical than technical SEO in so many cases.
Actual Benefits of Digital PR for a Link-Building Strategy
The first thing we need to do is distinguish links earned using digital PR methods from those earned via guest posting. At first glance, they might seem the same, as in both cases, businesses will receive mentions on web publications that link to their websites. However, the difference in the way these links are earned is of great importance.
While guest posting is frequently connected with paid, irrelevant mentions on low-quality linking websites, digital PR links are editorially placed, meaning that publishers take editorial decisions to link to the content you provided them with. Most frequently, this type of links comes in the form of a citation or another mention that adds editorial value to the publication, making them highly relevant and nearly impossible to replicate by the competition.
As you can already see, digital PR is an essential tactic for scaling link-building without compromising the quality of the links in the first place. However, it can bring much more benefits than just that. The most prominent advantages of using digital PR in your link-building efforts are:
- Acquiring authority, editorial backlinks from reputable sources.
- Increasing brand credibility by establishing yourself as an industry expert.
- Building brand awareness by reaching the target audience (allows you to develop sales funnel in the long run).
- Increasing competitive advantage by earning links that cannot be replicated.
- Driving actual referral traffic to your website.
- Combining search and social marketing channels. This tactic means sharing stories not only to the press but also on your social media channels in order to drive more social engagement.
As a result, incorporating digital PR into your link-building strategy allows you to achieve much more than just high-quality backlinks. It is a very versatile and effective approach that you can utilize to boost your online presence and get both current and potential customers engaged. Moreover, it helps businesses improve and demonstrate their E-A-T (expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness), which can also be a valuable ranking factor in SEO – for some queries even more than others.
Digital PR Tactics Businesses Can Benefit From
It is also worth mentioning that digital PR is not a ready-made strategy that suits all purposes at once. In fact, digital PR utilizes various tactics and, therefore, different types of content – from press releases and interviews to infographics, podcasts, and case studies, among other things. The key moment is to pick an appropriate strategy, considering the line of business, target audience’s needs, and the industry the company operates in.
Some of the most effective digital PR tactics businesses can incorporate into their link-building strategies include:
- creative campaigns,
- expert opinions and insights,
- newsjacking (content ideas referring to breaking news and viral trends),
- research studies packed with data (your own or from authoritative third-parties),
- product PR (pitching stories around your products).
In Conclusion
All things considered, it is safe to say that digital PR is not only the future of link-building; it is already its present. Earning high-quality links from reputable sources and mentions in top-tier publications has become unthinkable today without incorporating digital PR tactics. And one of the greatest parts of this approach is that it is beneficial not only for SEO but also for building credibility and exposing brands to bigger audiences, among other things.
Consequently, neglecting digital PR efforts when it comes to developing a link-building strategy means a number of wasted opportunities for a business, which is unacceptable in today’s highly competitive markets.
