Digital PR Link Building for SEO: A Complete Guide [2025]

To get your digital PR campaign off on the right foot, the first step is to develop relevant ideas for your niche. 

These should be ideas that the media wants to cover, so you may need to get creative. 

Here are the steps we recommend taking:

1. Brainstorm a good idea

The idea you come up with is the foundation of everything else, so it’s critical to land on a good one. 

Before settling on an idea, ensure it hasn’t been done before. 

Google it, research it, check out your competitors, etc. Or, if it has been done before, make sure you’re taking a creative, unique angle that will provide new information. 

2. Decide how you’ll gather the data

When it comes to gathering data, you’ve got two main options: run a survey through a third-party provider or consult existing public sources. 

Here is a list of reliable databases available to the public:

• • Weatherspark – This is a website that provides historical and real-time weather data and analytics for locations around the world.

• • Statista – This is a portal for market research and business intelligence that provides data and statistics on a wide range of industries and topics, including technology, media, and consumer behavior.

• • data.gov – This is the US government’s open data portal where you can access a vast array of data across many topics, including education, health, climate, and more.

• • US Census Bureau – This is a US government agency that provides data and statistics on the US population, including demographics, economics, and social characteristics.

• • National Center for Health Statistics – This is a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and provides access to a wide range of health data and statistics.

• • Bureau of Labor Statistics – This is a US government agency that collects and publishes data on labor economics and statistics, including employment, wages, and productivity.

• • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – This is a US government agency that provides weather, climate, and ocean data and forecasts.

• • World Health Organization – This is a global public health organization that provides data and statistics on health issues across the world.

• • United Nations Data – This is a repository of data from the United Nations and affiliated organizations on a wide range of topics, including economics, environment, and human rights.

• • European Union Open Data Portal – This is the European Union’s open data portal where you can access data from various EU institutions and bodies.

• • The World Bank Open Data – This is a platform that provides access to data on development issues from around the world, including poverty, education, and health.

• • Open Data Institute – This is a UK-based organization that promotes the use of open data for social and economic benefits and provides access to a range of open datasets.
  • Google Trends – Reveals how often specific search terms are entered into Google’s search engine relative to the site’s total search volume over a given period. Note: this tool should be used in conjunction with other data sources.

• • Pew Research Center – This is a nonpartisan research organization that provides data and analysis on social and demographic trends, public opinion, and other issues.

• • International Monetary Fund – This international organization provides data on global economic conditions, including exchange rates, the balance of payments, and debt.

• • National Science Foundation – This US government agency provides data and statistics on science and engineering, including research and development expenditures, graduate education, and workforce characteristics.

• • Eurostat – This is the statistical office of the European Union and provides data and statistics on the EU and its member states.
  • Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services – This is a US government agency that provides data and statistics on healthcare expenditures, utilization, and outcomes.
    
    
  • United States Geological Survey – This is a US government agency that provides data and statistics on geology, geography, and natural resources.
    
    
  • Global Open Data Index – This is a project of Open Knowledge International that ranks countries based on the openness of their data.

• • Refseek – This search engine specializes in finding academic resources and boasts over a billion sources in its database.
    
    
  • WorldCat  – With access to the content of 20,000 libraries around the world, this website is a valuable tool for researchers and students alike.

• • SpringerLink  – Offering access to over 10 million scientific documents, including books and articles, SpringerLink is a comprehensive resource for those in the scientific community.
    
    
  • Bioline International  – This online library features published bioscientific journals and is a helpful resource for those interested in the life sciences.
    
    
  • RePEc  – Run by volunteers from 102 countries, RePEc has collected almost 4 million publications, making it a reliable source of economic research.
    
    
  • Science.gov – As a search engine for over 2200 scientific sites, Science.gov is an excellent starting point for those interested in a wide variety of scientific topics.
    
    
  • PDF Drive – A large database of free PDF book downloads (more than 225 million titles).
    
    
  • BASE  – With over 100 million scientific articles in its database, BASE is one of the most powerful search engines for academic research. And, more than 70% of its articles are free, making it an accessible resource for many.

Both methods involve creating a press release and contacting journalists individually through outreach or purchasing access to journalist lists. 

3. Compile the results

Next, you’ll need to organize and compile the results to have all your data in one place and move on to the next phase. 

4. Create a linkable asset 

We recommend sharing the results via a high-quality, attractive, and appealing asset like an infographic, which displays the results in an accessible way. 

5. Write a Press Release

Your press release should contain several key elements, including the results of your findings, commentary that journalists can pull from or quote when writing their articles, information about your company and website, a quote from the representative of your company, and your contact information – to name a few. 

6. Set up brand monitoring

You’ll also need to set up alerts for your brand name to monitor coverage. Google Alerts is free and a good starting point.

7. Decide which journalists you will be targeting

To do this, you can use a source like Muck Rack, Cision or Prowly to purchase access to journalist lists.

8. Send out your Press Release

Next, it’s time to engage the journalists! Send out your press release and monitor click-through rates, engagement, and press mentions surrounding your brand. 

9. Monitor coverage as it comes in

Finally, it’s time to monitor your coverage as it comes in. Don’t forget to feature high-profile mentions on your website and other platforms. 

If running DIY Digital PR campaigns just isn’t your style, we’re here for you.

Contact us today for DFY (done for you) Digital PR campaigns that actually drive results for your brand.

What Makes a Digital PR Campaign Idea Good?

What makes a PR campaign successful and likely to land you DR 75+ backlinks from the world’s top media sites?

1. Data-Driven Approach

Leverage data gathered through surveys, polls, or rankings to give your campaign credibility and authenticity. 

Actionable Tip: Use online survey platforms to collect data and feedback, or leverage existing data available publicly.

2. Emotional Connection

During your PR campaign idea brainstorming phase, focus on creating concepts that invoke emotions such as shock, wonder, amazement, and intrigue.

Engage with your audience emotionally by creating campaign ideas centered around shared experiences, common interests, or challenges.

Actionable Tip: Strive to craft campaign narratives that will elicit strong emotional responses, making them more memorable and impactful.

3. Expert Commentary

Leverage the power of expert insights to provide a fresh perspective on recent news or occurrences.

Actionable Tip: Include quotes or commentaryin your press release, especially on timely, newsworthy events. This gives your narrative an authoritative edge and provides journalists with valuable, ready-to-use content that can augment their reporting.

4. Cultural Relevance

Make your campaign timely and relevant by integrating culturally significant themes or trends. Staying ahead of industry shifts is key to a successful PR strategy.

Actionable Tip: Stay updated with social media trends and news pertaining to your niche to keep your content fresh and relevant.

5. Engaging Dialogue

Foster healthy discussion and engagement by tackling contentious issues or debates in your PR campaigns.

Actionable Tip: Take a strong stance on a particular issue and clearly communicate your position in the press release. This strategy not only engages your audience but also provides journalists with a clear point of view to report on.

6.  Promotion of Discovery and Adventure

Inspire curiosity and exploration in your campaign, focusing on undiscovered places or lesser-known facts.

Actionable Tip: Share unique or lesser-known facts or locations related to your industry or product.

7. Highlighting Unique Topics

Stand out by focusing on less mainstream or overlooked subjects, offering a fresh perspective.

Actionable Tip: Dive into niche communities or use unique hashtags on social media to identify underrepresented topics.

8. Interactive and Visual Elements

Enhance audience engagement using visuals and interactive elements. 🎨🤹

Actionable Tip: Use tools like Canva for visuals.

9. Celebrating Diversity

Promote diversity and inclusion, showcasing diverse voices and different cultural perspectives.

Actionable Tip: Share stories or experiences from various cultural backgrounds or perspectives.

10. Storytelling

Captivate your audience with compelling and relatable stories. 

Actionable Tip: Include compelling quotes and perspectives in your press release that journalists can easily pull from to enrich their stories.

11. Practical Advice and Solutions

Be helpful by offering practical advice or alternatives. Don’t just identify a problem, provide a solution. 

Actionable Tip: Include practical advice, solutions or alternatives directly in your press release. Make it easy for journalists to relay your insights and solutions to their readers.

12. Global and Local Perspectives

Balance global and local viewpoints, demonstrating how they intersect and impact each other.

Actionable Tip: Showcase how your product or service fits into the global context, and its local implications.

Remember, a successful campaign resonates with its audience on an emotional level, is relevant, encourages dialogue, and offers value. 

How do Agencies Run PR Campaigns?

Different agencies follow different processes. 

Here at Bright Valley Marketing, we follow these steps:

1. Campaign ideation. We spend the first two weeks of a campaign researching and brainstorming campaign ideas that will be a hit with journalists. While we establish a two-week timeframe for our brainstorming session, we usually come up with ideas within a few days.
2. Approval. Once we’ve brainstormed ideas for your campaign, we’ll seek your approval. Either you love the ideas we’ve come up with, or we go back to the drawing board until you do.
3. Production. Next, we enter the production phase. During this phase, we either run surveys or consult existing data. From there, our designers create a branded linkable asset for you (usually in the style of an infographic or slideshow), draft a press release, and send all files to you to review and approve.
4. Media outreach. Finally, we spend two weeks reaching out to journalists and monitoring the coverage as it comes in. We keep you in the loop every step of the way and provide you with weekly coverage reports.

What to Look for in a Digital PR Agency

How do you find a digital PR agency that works for you? Here’s what we recommend looking for in the best digital PR services: 

• • Solid online reviews and strong customer recommendations
  • A track record for achieving more coverage than what is guaranteed 
  • Produces reliable, accurate, data-driven research
  • Demonstrates ethical and moral conduct, such as not working with gambling sites or other questionable organizations.
  • Excellent customer service – a good digital PR agency should keep you in the loop every step of the way.
  • Truly invested in your business – at Bright Valley Marketing, we care about your success. Our customers stay with us long-term; we have a high retention rate because we simply care.

Looking for a PR Link Building Service? We’re Here to Help!

Don’t waste another day building backlinks that don’t have an impact on your website’s SEO.

Competition is fierce, and with Google rolling out more core algorithm updates, NOW is the time to bulletproof your site.

Here at Bright Valley, we’ve secured over 10,000 media links from the world’s top media sites through our Digital PR link building services.

If you’re ready to supercharge your website with digital PR, send us a message.  Please include your niche and website URL so we can assess if we can help.

FAQs

1. Is my website a candidate for Digital PR?

Most likely, the answer is yes. We primarily work with B2C websites and affiliate websites. Some of the industries our clients are in include travel, pets, beauty, health, and business. We do not work with adult sites or gambling sites, however.

2. What kind of media coverage can I expect from a digital PR Campaign?

In the past, we’ve secured coverage from outlets like CBS News, Boston.com, Star Tribune, Miami Herald, Orlando Sentinel, Oregon Live, Hartford Courant, the SF Examiner, and more. 

3. How much does a Digital PR campaign cost?

It depends on the type of campaign you choose. We offer two types of campaigns. One is a survey-based campaign, where we poll your target audience and generate data that way, and one is where we research existing data. Contact us for more info.

4. What makes a good digital PR campaign idea?

The best digital PR campaigns are catchy and compelling. They should be relevant and should offer information journalists want to write about. Fortunately, our creative team has years of experience with this.

5. How many PR campaigns should I run for my website?

It depends on two things: how fast you want your site’s organic visibility to grow and your marketing budget. Some of our clients run multiple campaigns per month, while others run campaigns once every quarter. You determine the cadence.

6. Do you have any minimum campaign requirements or contracts?

We do not require you to commit to multiple campaigns. We believe if you’re happy with your campaign, you’ll continue working with us. We do have a standard online marketing agreement to cover our bases, but it’s not a long-term contract. We hate being locked in, and I’m sure you do too!

7. What is the average DA / DR of the media coverage you secure for a PR campaign?

On average, the media outlets we secure placements are a DA of 62. We don’t count coverage that comes in from websites with a DA of less than 30. We’re soon transitioning to DR as the key metric.