How SEO and Digital PR Work Together in 2025

🧩 SEO and Digital PR aren’t rivals—they’re the ultimate power couple in modern marketing. In 2025, Google’s algorithms reward not just optimisation, but authority, reputation, and credibility. That’s exactly where digital PR comes in.

While traditional link building often involves outreach emails and directory submissions, digital PR earns links by creating newsworthy, shareable, and brand-enhancing stories. When aligned with your SEO goals, this approach doesn’t just improve rankings—it builds a brand that Google and your audience trust.

In this guide, we’ll explore how SEO and digital PR work together, why they’re essential to E-E-A-T, and how to integrate them into your content and link strategies for long-term success.

📣 What Is Digital PR?

Digital PR (public relations) is the practice of using online content and media relationships to generate brand exposure, authority backlinks, and mentions in high-authority publications. It combines journalism, content marketing, and SEO strategy.

It’s not:

• Sending mass link requests to bloggers
• Paying for spammy guest posts
• Posting on 100 generic press release sites

It is:

• Pitching real stories to journalists
• Creating newsworthy data or research
• Getting featured in online newspapers, magazines, or blogs

🔗 Why Digital PR Is Gold for SEO

At its core, SEO is about earning visibility and trust. That’s exactly what Digital PR delivers.

1. Authoritative Backlinks

Google uses backlinks as a signal of authority. But not all links are equal. Digital PR earns editorial, contextual links from trusted domains—exactly the kind Google values most.

2. E-E-A-T Support

Digital PR supports all aspects of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). Being quoted in the media, having a profile on Forbes or TechCrunch, or being cited by industry analysts reinforces your brand’s credibility.

3. Brand Searches

A strong digital PR campaign boosts branded search. When people hear about you on a podcast or in a feature, they Google you. That’s a major trust and SEO signal.

4. Content Discovery

PR placements drive traffic, visibility, and social shares. This all contributes to increased engagement signals, improved user metrics, and higher rankings.

🧠 Where SEO Meets PR: Key Overlaps

📰 Types of Digital PR That Drive SEO

1. Data-Led Campaigns

Create unique research, surveys, or industry studies. Journalists love statistics they can cite.

Example: “37% of marketers now optimise for AI over Google” – This can get picked up by news outlets, niche blogs, and LinkedIn influencers.

2. Expert Commentary

Become the go-to source for journalists writing in your field. Use platforms like HARO, Qwoted, and ResponseSource.

Responding quickly with expert insights often results in quotes with backlinks to your homepage or author profile.

3. Reactive PR

Monitor breaking news and trends to jump in with commentary. This “newsjacking” tactic lets you ride the wave of trending stories.

4. Creative Campaigns

Sometimes, storytelling and novelty beat hard data. A quirky brand stunt or social impact story can gain viral attention and earn links from unexpected places.

5. Founder’s Story

Your founder’s journey—if compelling—can become media fodder. This builds the personal brand, adds to author bios, and earns profile links.

🛠️ How to Align Digital PR with SEO Strategy

Step 1: Define SEO Goals First

Before launching a PR campaign, define your SEO targets:

• Do you want links to your homepage?
• Are you trying to rank a specific landing page?
• Do you need anchor text support for a keyword?

Step 2: Choose the Right PR Format

Match campaign type with link potential. Data-led campaigns are best for B2B SaaS. Founder stories may suit lifestyle and creative industries.

Step 3: Build Linkable Content Assets

Create original content on your website that journalists can reference:

• Research hubs
• Data visualisations
• Checklists or indexes
• Downloadable guides

Step 4: Pitch to High-Quality Media

Use tools like BuzzStream, Muck Rack or Clearbit to identify relevant journalists. Always personalise pitches and explain why your story is relevant.

Step 5: Track SEO Impact

Don’t just track coverage—monitor:

• Backlink quality (DA, traffic, dofollow)
• Referral traffic
• Ranking changes on linked pages
• Brand mentions and search volume

🔍 Digital PR and Link Building: What’s the Difference?

Link building is the tactic. Digital PR is the strategy.

• Link building often focuses on volume and anchor text.
• Digital PR focuses on brand, relevance, and quality over quantity.

Both are valuable—but PR links tend to last longer, appear more trustworthy, and have broader brand value.

💡 Real-World Examples

1. Ahrefs: Their digital PR approach includes industry research and open data studies that are regularly quoted by marketers and tech sites alike.

2. Monzo: The fintech startup gained huge SEO wins from stories about their app features, internal transparency, and user community—all picked up by the press.

3. Grammarly: Grammarly used data-driven stories (e.g., most common writing mistakes) to get featured on major editorial sites and blogs.

📈 How to Measure the SEO Value of Digital PR

• Domain Authority of linking sites
• Number of linking domains (vs just number of links)
• Traffic to linked pages
• New keyword rankings for linked assets
• Growth in branded searches post-campaign

Use Ahrefs, Semrush, or Moz to track backlinks and Search Console for performance metrics.

🧠 What the Experts Are Saying

“Digital PR is link building with a brain. You’re not chasing numbers—you’re earning trust.” — Shannon McGuirk

“If you want to build E-E-A-T, get quoted by people who already have it.” — Lily Ray

“Digital PR builds the kind of links that no Google update can wipe away.” — Ross Tavendale

📝 Recap and Clarify: Post-Specific FAQs

💬 Final Thought

“SEO without Digital PR is like shouting into the void. It’s the stories you tell—and who tells them—that determine your authority.” — David Roche