Millions of websites are popping up every single day on Google!
But how many of them cut through the competition & manage to get under the search engine spotlight?
Recent studies found that almost 90% of the web pages fail to secure the top spot on Google, primarily because of zero organic search traffic.
Honestly, The Digital Marketplace is Intensely Crowded to Get Through!
If you’re a site owner or planning to launch a new one, you must build authority & establish your brand as a credible one if you wanna grow your business.
But how?
👉The digital marketing landscape is tougher than ever!
👉Outstanding niche websites are constantly struggling to make it to Google page 1
👉Even the websites featured on the 2nd SERPs barely get 1% of the user clicks
👉94% of Google web pages receive absolutely zero organic traffic
So, is There A Way to Get Ahead of Your Digital Rivals?
Of course, YES!
The December 2022 Quality Rater Guidelines Google update prominently focused on the Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) framework, which was central to a broader strategy called Helpful Content Updates (HCU), basically reinforcing the need for user-first content.
In simple terms, if your users find your content, services, or products valuable & helpful, you’re on Google. If not, you’re gone!
From then, Google started prioritizing resources/websites with trustworthy, reliable, credible, & authoritative content.
…and the only way you can earn the trust of your potential users is by building authority.
Tap into The True Potentials of High-Quality Backlinks…
Now, here comes the twist!
How do you build authority in a snap if you’ve just launched your website?
Impossible, it seems, no?
But what if the already authoritative niche websites recommend you to Google?
That’s exactly what you’ll get (brand recommendations signalling credibility & authority of your site to Google) if you build backlinks.
But wait!
Is just building backlinks enough to get the town talking about your brand?
No, we guess!
In fact, backlinks from random resources might harm your site’s SEO, making your website appear spammy & manipulative to Google.
However, backlinks from top-rated niche resources can take your site way higher on Google SERPs, literally!
Digital PR Link Building: Your Holy Grail of Improved Site Authority
Now, just imagine getting backlinks for your website from reputable news and media outlets like The Forbes, The NY Times, CNN, Wall Street Journal, or BBC?
Of course, getting backlinks from such huge publications is not a piece of cake.
For that, you need to focus on building & genuinely maintaining Public Relations (PR) with the authoritative new sites in your niche. But once you build trust with them, getting backlinks from these super high-authority news/media resources is just a matter of time!
This way, you manage to get high-quality PR backlinks ( inbound links to your website from the top-ranking media & news publications/outlets), working as powerful “votes of confidence” signalling credibility & authority of your website to Google.
The results?
✔️Improved E-E-A-T
✔️Established brand identity
✔️Reliable brand reputation
✔️Increased brand awareness
✔️Higher search engine rankings
✔️Increased brand visibility
✔️Quality referral traffic
✔️Significant competitive advantage
✔️More user engagement
Hello, everyone!
Welcome to today’s blog, where we will be discussing the A to Z of PR link building so that you can earn backlinks from reputable media outlets.
We promise, once you’re done reading this blog, you’ll just be a step back from securing PR backlinks & enjoying the sudden rush of referral traffic to your site—the practical & consistent effort on your part!
Before we get into the preliminary steps that can drastically increase your potential of getting PR backlinks, it’s crucial to understand a few things first!
Digital PR Vs. Traditional Link Building: What’s So Different?
Ever wondered why site owners/industry leaders go absolutely crazy about digital PR backlinks?
What’s the hype after all?
Aren’t PR backlinks just another type of traditional backlinks?
Well, maybe the thing is not that simple…
| The Core Differentiating Factors | Digital PR Link Building | Traditional Link-Building |
| The fundamental | You earn the backlinks | You try to get your links placed |
| Focus | Authority, awareness, exposure, reputation, | Improved SEO rankings |
| Method | High-quality links acquired through valuable media relations | Might be a result of a less organic method |
| Objectives | Building user trust | Improving SEO rankings |
| Risks | Involves almost zero risk | Involves risks of getting caught for manipulative practices & content saturation |
| Approach | Broader, data-driven strategy | Narrow, tactical practices |
| Backlink resources | Highly authoritative news/media outlets | Moderately authoritative sites in your niche |
| SEO impact | Strong, improved brand signals, multifaceted | Direct ranking boost, less brand authority |
| Justice to Google’s E-E-A-T | Aligns with the guideline | Might not align with the framework |
| Tactics | Data studies, thought leadership, unique stories, podcasts, reports, news updates | Guest posting, broken link building, and directory submission |
| Link quality | High-quality editorial backlinks | Often varies depending on the resource quality |
| Relationships | Focuses on long-term genuine relationships with journalists/influencers/editors | More of a transactional one |
| KPIs to track success | Brand mentions, branded search volume, social shares, referral traffic | Domain Authority, improvement in keyword ranking & positions on SERPs |
As you can see, the quality of the digital PR backlinks alone makes them superior to traditional backlinks that signal less credibility and brand value to Google.
However, Building High PR Backlinks Involves Severe Challenges!
Since your target resource is highly authoritative & you literally “earn” the backlinks, it’s pretty obvious that the process of PR link building is gonna give you a really hard time.
The hardcore challenges include:
✔️You can’t buy them (strictly against Google’s guidelines)
✔️The need to create data-rich assets
✔️Millions of site users vie to get PR backlinks each day
✔️Higher turn-downs due to generic outreach pitches
✔️The need to follow up without sounding too “pushy”
✔️Requires strategic planning, great content, & skilled outreach efforts
✔️Might take several months to secure just one PR backlink
✔️Not cost-effective (involves trained specialists/in-house team)
✔️No guaranteed results even after trying harder
✔️Journalists might not add a “do-follow” link to your site every time (sometimes, no link at all)
✔️You need advanced analytics tools to track link performance
✔️Difficulty in securing high PR backlinks consistently
✔️Requires continuous outreach innovation & fresh content ideas
Buying is Not An Option for Sure!
In short, you need consistent PR backlinks to stand out in a highly competitive landscape & buying links from these authoritative publications is not possible. Even if you pay millions of dollars to get one of your posts/articles/blogs published on such platforms, you’ll get only a rejection.
So, it’s better to focus on earning them instead!
But before we tell you how to walk the right path, let’s learn about some of the most successful digital PR link building campaigns first.
Honestly, they help a lot, especially if you are looking for some ideal campaign frameworks to stick to!
Top 2 Brilliant PR Link Building Campaigns of All Time
1️⃣Spotify Wrapped
The no.1 on our list is definitely this one!
Hats off to the thought leaders who came up with such a brilliant idea to personalize the entire listening experience for their users.
Spotify, the globally renowned library of 100 million music tracks, 7 million podcasts, & a huge collection of audiobooks & stories, launched a tailored campaign that transformed the listening habits of the users into a compelling story, a touch of personalization, & a unique form of self-expression that they loved to share on social media.
The ‘limited time’ campaign launched at the end of the year created a FOMO in the users’ minds, and they almost dived into grabbing this opportunity to share a ‘shareable summary’ of their favorite songs, artists, podcasts, or genres that made them feel like bringing a part of their own identity under the social media limelight.
This campaign was widely promoted by the users on multiple platforms & got significant media coverage, making it one of the most buzzing PR campaigns that generated widespread excitement, engagement, anticipation, & conversations.
2️⃣Netflights’ Airport Lounge Analysis
Netflights successfully established their brand as a knowledgeable authority by conducting research about the travelers’ pain points & offering them value-driven solutions that created a significant media buzz. Their attempt to provide the travellers with the best-value lounges not only positioned them as experts but also highlighted the goodwill that instantly turned the media spotlight towards them.
Their smart initiative to solve common travel issues with research-backed data & coming up with the “best-value” travel hacks for the passengers waiting for hours at the airport lounges earned Netflight significant media coverage from leading publications like International Airport Review. Their well-researched data, unique passenger needs, pain points, stories, & valuable solutions turned their campaign highly successful.
Now that you know what makes a PR campaign successful, it’s time to share with you some of the proven tactics & ideas that can help you turn the attention of reputable media publications toward you!
Proven Ways for PR Link Building: The Right Footprints to Follow
☑️Crafting Newsworthy Content
Media publications/journalists need fresh & unique content every day that is well-researched, accurate, & supported with proven data. So, if you craft content that provides them with a unique perspective, it might earn you a brand mention from a reputable new outlet.
However, you need to explore a trending topic & its unique aspects to make your content newsworthy. Try to cover “ultimate guides”, create infographics, or add an insightful observation, quotes, or commentary from industry experts within your content to make it highly valuable for the media publication houses.
☑️Build Genuine Connection with Journalists
Backlink is no rocket science.
The logic is way simpler than you can even imagine!
If you have built trust with the media publications, journalists, or reporters & if they believe your website/brand to be credible, your website will be their go-to source for stories.
But do you know why this helps?
Because…you’re not running after the backlink in this case.
It’s the journalists coming to you for new stories.
Don’t believe us?
See, you might be thinking that it only works for big brands like Nyke, D&G, & all!
But there are agencies that work directly with media companies that have an expanded global network with thousands of local news publications. If you partner with one of them, you don’t need to convince the news editors or journalists to pick up your story or cover it. Rather, they will pick up your story because the PR link building agency presents your brand as a worthy content provider for the publication.
❌No need to hire an agency for dollars to run your PR campaign
❌No risk of rejection!
❌No wasted resources & frustration to anticipate when your luck will favor you…
It’s just about making smart decisions & trying out the more predictable way to get high PR backlinks.
☑️Focus on Conducting Surveys
Every content works for PR link building if it’s data-rich, accurate, unique, & newsworthy.
Trust us on this!
…And, what could be better content than that which is backed by original research & real users’/consumers’ responses!
Wondering why this works every time?
…because it’s not available elsewhere.
You know what?
Journalists need fresh statistics, reports, research findings, & data to add credibility to their news articles & your survey will effectively fill that content gap, making your reports & findings “linkable assets” for them. Naturally, the journalists would love to cite your content in their media journals, earning you valuable PR backlinks.
☑️Big Brands Might Get Big PR Shoutouts!
Apart from these, there is one more way that can help you in PR link building, but that does not work alone unless you’re already a big name in your industry.
Sometimes, media publications cite reputable brand names in their news articles, especially when they are relevant to their stories, they have published new research findings, or are organizing public events/charity shows.
If the brand reaches out to the journalists/editors & asks the media publications to add a link back to their brand, they automatically get a PR backlink.
But, as we said before, it only works for the big industry players who are already the talk of the town!
Hang On! We’ve Got Just The Right Link Building Strategies for You!
Since we’re here to help you out with getting high PR backlinks, it does not matter whether you’re just starting from scratch or you’ve already tried PR link building before as well!
With our PR link building strategies, you’re gonna nail the PR backlink acquisition game for sure…
Solid Campaign Ideas That Attract Real PR Backlinks
👉Expert Commentary
Insightful analysis, comments, debates, quotes, & mere updates coming from the industry specialists are always the hot topic for the media publications. If you have something to share like this, grab the opportunity right away!
It not only turns the media spotlight on your brand, but it also positions you as an authority in your niche.
👉Creative Campaigns
These are thoughtful marketing initiatives, but with a unique aspect!
If you own the art of storytelling, it’s gonna work for you.
All you need to do is research a lot about valuable tools, relevant data, new reports, or videos, and collect useful information for the users.
Now, raise awareness about these and build an emotional connection with the potential users by highlighting the never-explored aspects. This will instantly provoke the media reporters & journalists to cite and link to your brand for added credibility & authority to their articles.
…and, you get the PR backlinks!
👉Product PR
The key objective is to get people talking about your brand/product/services!
And how do you do it?
✔️Ask niche influencers/bloggers/industry experts to try out your services/products
✔️Send them PR packages & encourage them to try them out & provide honest feedback
✔️Collaborate with them for product demos
Now, the big names will share stories with you & highlight the pros of your brand/services. As a result, your brand will also get significant media coverage just like them, positioning you as a niche expert and your brand as a reliable one.
👉Newsjacking
Seems like you heard about it before?
Well, you must have because it’s one of the widely implemented link-building tactics by the global brands.
It’s like striking while the iron is still hot!
The strategy involves leveraging the public interest over a specific news topic that’s trending and getting your brand’s unique commentary, or relevant content that showcases your niche expertise, featured in the news.
This will get your brand immediate media attention & coverage, earning you high PR backlinks.
👉Data-Driven Content & Reports
As we’ve already discussed about if before, any sort of well-researched content, backed up with proven facts, data, reports, analytics, stories, or visuals, is worthy of securing high-quality PR backlinks for your brand.
Just keep 3 things in mind while crafting your content:
📌Make sure you’re the primary source of the data you’re planning to share
📌Make it audience-focused so that the journalists have no choice but to cite your research findings
📌Try to provide the reporters with a strong ‘news hook’ by leveraging the current industry trends
Wondering how?
✔️Create visual reports
✔️Pen down digestible summaries
✔️Build interactive tools on your site
✔️Run surveys
✔️Analyze public datasets
….& there’s a lot more creative things you can do.
The options are endless.
You just need to find the gaps, and you’re good to go!
👉Visual & Creative Campaigns
This is more of a similar approach, just like the previous one.
But the key difference is that now you focus completely on the visual aspects!
✔️Images
✔️Videos
✔️Inforgaphics
✔️GIFs
✔️Photos
…anything that grabs the attention, conveys your unique brand stories, connects you with the audience emotionally, or boosts engagement on your site is definitely good PR content.
Remember the funny Duolingo mascot that took the social media feed by storm? All the linguaphiles & the language enthusiasts across the world were getting all ears to the ‘learn language’ hoot. They were captivated by the trending infographics, widely engaged by the platform quizzes, & loved the interactive interface of Duolingo.
Brilliant PR campaign that got severe PR exposure!
No doubt…
But that’s not all!
In February 2025, the death of the “…Twerking, fuzzy, lime green, fictional, crusty, owl friend” went massively viral online, worked as one of the most innovative marketing pushes, and again got unbelievable digital PR for link building coverage.
That’s exactly what you need to secure high PR backlinks…
👉Human-Interest & Brand-Led Stories
Journalists love to bring success/struggle stories, your personal wins, failures, and unique brand stories into the media limelight that taps into their audiences’ emotions!
This might not be easy for you.
But, if you can share your brand story, purpose, heritage, and foundational struggles through guest appearances, it will help you come close to your leads, earning you long-term emotional connections with them, a humanized brand identity, trust, & significant media coverage.
👉Tools & Linkable Assets
One of the easiest ways to get PR backlinks is to build an interactive tool on your website that offers real value to the users.
Examples include:
✔️EMI Calculators
✔️Headline generators
✔️Color palette generators
✔️Store locators
✔️Interactive maps
✔️Job boards…..& more
These are solid ‘linkable assets” for the news reporters and journalists that provide the users with practical values. So, once you develop such assets on your site and promote them actively on social media, you will earn quality PR backlinks for sure.
👉Establish Yourself as a Thought Leader
Do you know what makes people think that you are an authority in your niche?
What makes people trust you and your brand?
It’s not reputation…
It’s consistency!
If you want to be a thought leader, be consistent with your marketing ventures. Long-term marketing endeavors, niche-specific branding strategies, wider business network, a deeper engagement with your potential leads, & an ever-expanding community establish you as a thought leader.
…and when people start anticipating your new blog, research findings, industry opinions, & survey data, you’re already an “authority” in your niche. So, now it’s just a matter of time for you to receive innumerable media coverage and high PR backlinks.
👉Sensationalize Your Product Launches
It’s just creating a buzz around your new product launch that generates excitement.
That’s it!
The more irresistible your story is, the more media and PR coverage your brand will receive at the time of product launch.
Here’s how to do it:
✔️Address the pain point of your audience first
✔️Highlight your concern for the audience
✔️Create the market demand for your product in advance
✔️Tell them how your product can address their issues
✔️Focus on the “wow” factors
✔️Think beyond typical announcement events
✔️Try to involve your audience as much as you can
✔️Create a FOMO by launching a “Limited Edition” of your products
✔️Connect with your audience emotionally by sharing your brand story
✔️Do not hide your struggles and obstacles that you overcame
✔️Be active on social media & run interactive campaigns
✔️Share engaging visuals, infographics, videos, & demos on social media platforms
✔️Host frequent Q&A sessions, quizzes, & “exclusive reveal” events prior to product launch
All these will create significant social media buzz, making the journalists/reporters reach out to you for exclusive interviews about the product launches. So, this one really works if you want to secure PR backlinks for your website.
👉Use the Skyscraper Technique
It’s basically one of the most predictable ways to secure PR backlinks.
…because, this time, you aren’t shooting in the dark.
You have definite resources that got PR backlinks & you’ve something better that is linkworthy.
In simple words, the steps include:
✔️Finding popular niche content with PR backlinks
✔️Highlighting the value-driven parts or info
✔️Researching well about the trends related to the topic covered
✔️Collecting unique data, conducting surveys, & coming up with something unique
✔️Creating a superior version of the linked content (skyscraper technique)
✔️Reaching out to website owners/editors linking to the original content
✔️Offering your version as a better alternative
That’s all!
If your content is rich in proven facts, data, visuals & offers real user-value, the editors would love to link to your content as a form of crediting your brand as its authoritative resource, earning you high PR backlinks.
👉HARO/Register as a Source for Reporters
Help A Reporter Out (HARO) came into vogue in 2008, roughly, when it was founded as a Facebook group by Peter Shankman. The platform’s popularity quickly surged primarily due to the fact that it was unrivalled at that time in bridging the gap between journalists/industry experts.
It’s a platform where journalists used to post queries in order to get reliable answers back (they are often on tight deadlines and they need answers to their queries faster than you do, honestly!)
With a vast network of 250,000 authentic sources, HARO gained severe popularity back then as people could connect with the reporters in a jiffy and managed to get brand mentions by them as a reward. On the other hand, the journalists could find expertise on any topic on that virtual platform.
Now, imagine yourself as a news source for the reporters.
…ever wondered how many PR backlinks or brand mentions you can secure this way?
All you need to do is:
✔️Join a HARO platform (Qwoted, SourceBottle, Featured, Help A B2B writer, ProfNet, etc.)
✔️Sign up/register as a source
✔️Complete your profile with your personal/company details & expertise
✔️Add relevant links to your other profiles/websites
✔️Check your email/platform dashboard three times a day
✔️Once you find a relevant query, hurry up!
Respond quickly by preparing a short pitch, offering your industry insights, solutions, or sharing relevant data that showcases your niche expertise without sounding too pushy. Try to keep your message short & simple and don’t forget to add links to your site’s relevant pages (not more than two).
To improve your chances, try to personalize your pitch as much as you can so that it doesn’t sound generic. If your answer is value-added, the journalists will link back to your website, earning you quality PR backlinks.
Phew!
That was sort of a marathon…
Now, just for your convenience, here’s a quick step-by-step guide to PR link building.
Our No-Fluff Step Guide to Get PR Backlinks…
Well, enough of those long, tiring link-building strategies & journeys.
So far, you might have already got an idea of the steps involved in PR link building.
That’s why we won’t go deeper into it.
Just a brief outline of the steps to PR link building.
✅Ask yourself, why do you need a PR backlink
✅Be clear about your link-building goals
✅Research your niche industry, journalists’ dreams, & trending topics
✅Design Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, & Time-bound (SMART) campaigns
✅Decide on the topic you want to focus on
✅Explore new creative angles
✅Collect unique data through surveys, events, quizzes, and Q&A sessions
✅Craft linkable & shareworthy content (something that creates engagement & excitement)
✅Audit your existing assets & make sure they get the attention of the reporters/journalists
✅Pen down a strong & unique pitch (for HARO)
✅Do not forget to track your site’s KPIs after securing PR backlinks
Simply focus on adding value to the industry audience rather than acquiring just a few PR backlinks. This mere thought will automatically channelize your link building PR efforts into the right direction.
Acquiring PR backlinks is definitely easier when you are aware of the link-building trends, audience preferences, market opportunities, & the strategies that work.
But it’s also important to learn about the red flags of link building PR to watch out for.
🚫The Big NOs for PR Link-Building!
❌ Never ever think of purchasing PR links (PR backlinks can not be bought)
❌ Make sure you don’t sound manipulative or aggressive when reaching out to journalists
❌ Never send an outreach message twice without customizing the pitch
Wanna Launch Your PR Link Building Campaign? Let Us Help YOU!
Acquiring high PR backlinks for your brand is entirely different than simply optimizing your site for SEO. It involves consistent digital efforts that can establish your brand as a niche authority and you as a thought leader, instead of waiting for your “chances.”
In short, if you want to boost your site’s authority & visibility, stop thinking like “maybe…this time I’ll get lucky!”
By implementing the strategies mentioned above, you may secure high PR backlinks for your brand. But, if you don’t wanna invest your time or focus on your core business performance, trust our experts.
We are the most trusted link-building specialists across the world with a wider & ever-expanding industry network, active working relationships with most of the industrial giants & media houses, & a team of the most creative link-building strategists to create head-turning content for you that deserves quality media coverage.
Now that you already know how to get high PR backlinks, it’s totally your choice if you wanna run your own PR campaigns or save your time and resources & secure link building PR coverage in the most predictable way with our experts.
However, building PR backlinks will definitely take your business to new heights for sure.
So, don’t waste your time and start taking initiative today to secure PR backlinks!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What is PR link building?
Ans: PR link building is a digital marketing approach that combines the active efforts of leveraging Public Relations (PR) & the strategic link-building practices that align with the search engine guidelines. The process focuses on earning high-quality backlinks from authoritative media publications, journalists’ outlets, & news websites instead of asking for backlinks from random resources. It builds brand trust and positions you as an authority and a thought leader in your niche.
Q2. How much should I pay for PR backlinks?
Ans: There are sources that might sell you PR backlinks for roughly around $100 (lower-tier) to $1500 (high-quality). However, PR backlinks can not be purchased since they are earned. So, stay away from such link schemes that might hurt your site’s SEO health drastically. Instead, focus on ethical link-building practices that will boost your site’s authority.
Q3. Is PR link building worth it?
Ans: Definitely!
High PR backlinks connect your site with authoritative niche resources signaling credibility, reliability, & higher user-value of your website. PR backlinks boost your site’s authority & trust, position your brand as a niche expert, & build long-term relationships with journalists. It’s way more powerful compared to traditional link-building that focuses mostly on improving your site’s visibility & SEO rankings.
Q4. How to get PR links?
Ans: The best way to get PR backlinks is to craft newsworthy content that gets immediate media coverage. Also, joining a HARO platform might help you secure high PR backlinks.
Q5. What is PR, and an example?
Ans: PR refers to the practice of managing, controlling, or sometimes manipulating how the target audience, the common public, or an individual perceives your brand. PR strategies involve the implementation of proven techniques that help you build a positive brand image and reputation through improved communication & fostering user engagement, rather than basic advertising. Examples include Dove’s Real Beauty campaign or KFC’s Clever Crisis Management Ads.
Q6. What is a PR link?
Ans: PR links are backlinks from reputable media outlets, publications, news resources, journalists’ articles, or platforms, earned through strategic PR efforts (press releases, publishing newsworthy content) that boost your site’s E-E-A-T aspects significantly.
