Coming up with incredible products and services people can’t live without is only part of the equation for making a success of your business.
The rest is all about building strong, mutually beneficial relationships with both existing and potential customers.
That’s where a good PR (public relations) strategy comes in. But traditional PR is no longer enough to succeed here in the digital age.
You need an effective search engine optimization (SEO) campaign to boost your discoverability online, and digital PR is an essential part of that.
Here’s a closer look at what digital PR is all about and how you can use it to take your company’s SEO strategy to the next level.
You’ll build better brand awareness
While it’s terrific if people are sharing your content and linking back to your websites, you want them really talking about your brand, as well.
With or without accompanying links, brand mentions help get your company’s name out there and make sure people know who you are.
And the more people are out there talking about your brand, your products, and your message, the better the boost to your SEO.
There’s much evidence out there to suggest frequent brand mentions significantly boost your company’s authority quotient with Google.
And other major search engines (like Bing, to name just one example) have actually confirmed that they track brand mentions and use them as ranking signals.
You build long-term authority
Digital PR comes attached to valuable long-term benefits, as well. For instance, you’ll build your company’s authority over the long term.
The better your content and the more successful your efforts, the higher your position as a trusted authority in your industry or niche.
Every link share, social media mention, and conversation gets you closer to that goal.
Over time, you become the person your buyer persona most wants to hear from when it comes to topics you know a lot about.
It’s worth mentioning that building authority isn’t just about shouting the loudest or spamming every social feed in sight. Sometimes it comes down to showing up consistently, adding value, and not being afraid to share genuine expertise—maybe even some occasional vulnerability when things don’t go perfectly. People remember honesty, and Google’s algorithm seems to reward what’s real over what just looks polished.
As your brand’s credibility grows, you start to notice subtle shifts: maybe more unsolicited mentions in forums, or industry colleagues quoting your research during conference talks. Suddenly, you’re not chasing every mention quite as anxiously; the conversation finds its way to you. Oddly enough, authority tends to snowball in both directions—get a little, and with the right moves, you tend to get a lot more, sometimes when you least expect it.
Planning and Executing a Successful Digital PR Strategy
Great digital PR is about successfully applying the proven techniques associated with traditional PR to the current digital landscape.
Here’s a look at some of the best strategies to consider when planning your own campaign.
Press Releases
Newsworthy, well-executed press releases are still an essential part of any comprehensive PR campaign, as they encourage journalists and major media outlets to cover what’s new with your brand.
Boost SEO by also optimizing yours for the right keywords to ensure they come up in relevant search queries.
High-Authority Backlinks
The higher the authority level of the sites linking back to your content, the better the benefit for your company.
Research the top authority sites in your industry or niche, and generate link-worthy material that meets their needs as well as yours.
Think infographics, case studies, original research, and terrific long-form content.
Powerful Pitches
It’s not just the quality of your content that counts when approaching website owners and peers about possible backlinking opportunities.
The way you pitch it matters, too.
Show target sites how sharing your content will benefit them. What makes your content original, valuable, or especially engaging to their audiences?
Influential Conversations
Modern consumers want more than just products and services they can trust.
They want to be involved in conversations with and about the brands they buy from, as well.
Cross-promote your best content across your business’s social media channels. Interact with people who share or comment on what you post.
Spark additional conversation and inspire shares by making sure your content is especially informative, interesting, witty, or entertaining.
Effective Networking
Building ongoing solid relationships with people who can help you get your message in front of your target demographic is a crucial part of digital PR.
Yes, part of that means networking with editors, journalists, and media professionals from noteworthy online publications.
But you’ll want to reach out to popular bloggers and social media influencers, as well.
Leverage the trust they’ve built with their own loyal, longstanding audiences to boost confidence in your brand.
In the digital age, great PR is still all about getting the right people talking about your brand and building people’s sense of trust in what you have to offer.
By expanding your efforts to fully embrace PR’s digital component, as well, you’ll boost your reach exponentially and better reach valuable demographics to keep your company growing.
Wrap Up: Outstanding Digital PR and SEO Go Hand in Hand
Success in the digital age is all about building authority and boosting visibility.
A solid, socially astute digital PR strategy is half of that equation. A thorough, well-managed SEO campaign is the other half.
Each supports the other to help you grow your company and better meet your business goals.
Now that you know how digital PR can benefit your company, are you ready to learn more about SEO and discover how to make the most of your campaign?
Download our handy authority guide on how to put together a winning SEO strategy!
Learn how to launch a new campaign, develop an understanding of technical SEO, uncover the difference between on-page and off-page SEO, and more!
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