What Is Digital PR for SEO

For years, guest posts and directory submissions were the most reliable link building tactics. As Google algorithms evolve, so have the methods brands use to increase their online visibility. Relying on traditional link building strategies alone just doesn’t work anymore, giving rise to digital PR.

Digital PR is a modern approach that combines SEO, content marketing, and public relations to build authority online.  Instead of focusing on backlinks, digital PR leans towards meaningful stories, media coverage, and industry recognition. Before, good SEO and paid placements can take your brands to the top searches. But now, editorial links are key signals that your brand is credible, relevant, and worth the attention.

If you’re exploring how this approach can elevate your brand, check out our Digital PR strategy page to learn more..

What Is Digital PR?

According to Investopedia, public relations consists of “techniques and strategies for managing how information about an individual or company is disseminated to the public and media.” Now take the principles of public relations and apply them for online use. That’s digital PR. Digital PR is about creating newsworthy content that earns (rather than pays for) media coverage and high-authority backlinks, anchored on storytelling, reputation building, and relationship building.

With so much information available online, brands need to invest in content that adds value. This includes industry reports, story-based press releases, commentary, and data studies or surveys. Mass link requests or paid placements are now past their prime.

Digital PR isn’t about link begging. Rather, it’s about creating something so useful or insightful that others naturally want to share and reference it. And those editorial backlinks are what make it so valuable for SEO.

How Digital PR Helps SEO

Algorithms may have fluctuated over the years, but high-authority backlinks are still the number one Google ranking factor. When a respected publication links to your website, it signals to Google that your content is trustworthy and valuable. In real life, that’s like an industry expert recommending you to their followers.

So, if you have a pile of low-quality directory listings, you think you’re doing so much already. Frankly, one link from reputable media is all you need to establish authority. For example, if your article gets picked up by news.com.au or SmartCompany, that’s a backlink worth dozens of spammy links from random blogs.

Digital PR also strengthens your site’s EEAT or Expertise, Experience, Authority, and Trust. When journalists, industry sites, or influencers mention your brand, they help establish you as a credible source.

On top of that, well-placed coverage can lead to more branded searches and referral traffic as people actively look up your business. Unlike paid link building campaigns that fade once the budget runs out, the impact of digital PR lasts longer. Those earned links and mentions continue driving visibility, trust, and rankings long after the campaign ends.

Digital PR vs. Traditional Link Building

While both digital PR and traditional link building aim to improve your website’s search visibility, the way they achieve that goal is very different. Take a look at this table.

Digital PR	Traditional Link Building
Earns links through newsworthy content	Asks for links manually or purchases them
High-authority publications	Directory sites, low-value blogs
Improves brand visibility AND SEO	Improves SEO only
Long-term credibility	Short-term and risky

Digital PR is the way to meet your audience, while befriending Google. Put yourself in the shoes of your audience. If you stumble upon “nonsense” content, you brand it as “spam” and scroll away. You also don’t trust news and opinions from any random site, and prefer to get verified information from top websites. This is also the mindset of your audience.

Traditional link building, on the other hand, often involves manually asking for links or paying for them. These links tend to come from directory sites or low-value blogs that add little real visibility or trust. You wouldn’t read content on just any random website, so why let these sites connect to you?

Digital PR builds relationships and reputation; traditional link building simply builds links. The way we do SEO has changed drastically over the years, and these days, Google clearly favours digital PR.

Digital PR Strategies That Actually Work

Want a successful digital PR campaign? Creating stories and insights that people genuinely care about. Here are a few proven strategies that consistently earn coverage and high-quality links:

• Reactive PR: This involves responding to journalist requests or media callouts on platforms like SourceBottle or HARO, offering expert insights or quick quotes.
• Data-driven content: Original content, such as trend reports, surveys, or case studies, reveal something new about your field.
• Story-based PR: Humanise your brand and create relatable content. A great example would be “a Melbourne bakery increased online sales by 180% after PR coverage on Broadsheet.”

The best digital PR strategies blend all three approaches. Together, they create a steady stream of mentions and backlinks that strengthen your SEO over time.

When Should a Business Use Digital PR?

Not all businesses have to launch a campaign immediately. But how exactly would you know? Here are some indicators that digital PR could be the right next step:

• You are entering a competitive market: If you want to penetrate a crowded industry, earning media coverage and high-authority backlinks can help your brand to be seen quickly.
• You want to increase domain authority faster: Digital PR helps attract links from reputable sources, which Google rewards more than generic link building tactics.
• Traffic has plateaued despite technical SEO: If you’ve already reached peak traffic, you can try digital PR to earn visibility.

Different industries can leverage digital PR in ways that align with their goals:

• Local service businesses: Want to reach people actively searching for products in your niche? A feature in a local publication or industry blog can reassure potential customers and increase enquiries.
• E-commerce: Use digital PR to showcase product reviews, seasonal campaigns, or unique data insights that attract links and drive referral traffic.
• Professional services: Make your audience want to listen. Establish thought leadership by sharing expert commentary, research findings, or advice that gets picked up by media outlets and industry publications.

Real Results: How Digital PR Accelerates SEO

The impact of digital PR on SEO can be dramatic, not just in theory, but in real, measurable results.

Take one of our clients as an example. They created a data-driven industry report that caught the attention of a major publication. Within 60 days, they earned backlinks from that outlet and saw a 38% increase in organic traffic. The coverage didn’t just improve rankings for their target keywords; it also drove referral traffic and generated qualified leads, giving their marketing efforts a tangible return.

That’s the power of earned media. Digital PR creates authority signals that add up over time. For Google, a brand becomes credible with each mention from a high-quality backlink. This then helps your content to attract more visitors, converting more customers and making your rank higher on Google.

Final Thoughts

SEO alone isn’t going to cut it anymore. When you’re competing with hundreds of brands and thousands of content, you have to really stand out.

Audiences are now more discerning of paid posts and think of them as inauthentic. More importantly, they choose their sources wisely. What they want and need is interesting content and credible information. With digital PR, you are able to connect with your audience through stories, insights, and other newsworthy features. This boosts your brand’s authority and trust online, both in the eyes of Google and your audience.

The best rankings go to brands people are talking about. If you’re ready to move beyond traditional SEO tactics and start building a brand that commands attention, book a free digital PR consultation with Design Point Digital and let’s build your authority where Google can’t ignore it.