Digital PR for link building: how it works and how to do it

Traditional PR aims for coverage and reputation, and measures success in readership. Digital PR uses the same craft, finding a newsworthy angle and pitching it to journalists, but plans each campaign around online coverage that links to the brand's website. The output is measured in links from relevant publications as well as in mentions and audience reached.

It differs from press release distribution and guest posting. Distribution puts a release in front of many outlets at once and is best for announcements. Guest posting places an article you wrote on a chosen site. Digital PR relies on a journalist deciding your story is worth writing about. Our guide comparing PR distribution and guest posting covers when each fits.

Yes, when the coverage is on relevant, well-read sites. Google's spam policies list buying links that pass ranking credit as a link scheme and ask that paid links carry rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow". They also name links with optimised anchor text in press releases distributed on other sites. Earned editorial links fall outside those definitions, which is why digital PR is the method most compatible with Google's guidelines.

Not every link will be followed. Some publishers add nofollow to all external links, and since 2019 Google has treated nofollow as a hint rather than a strict rule. Even unlinked mentions build the brand association that search engines and AI systems pick up. See whether press release links help SEO for the detail.

Journalist request services are a reliable source of expert sourcing opportunities. In the UK, many reporters post requests on X with the #journorequest hashtag, and paid platforms such as Qwoted connect sources with writers.

1. Pick the pages you want to strengthen. Usually a category, service or resource page, not only the home page.
2. Find an angle journalists need. Look at what your target publications covered in the last month. A story that adds data, a local angle or a new perspective to an ongoing conversation is far easier to place than a company announcement.
3. Build the asset. Survey results, a data analysis, an expert view or a tool, with the method stated clearly so a journalist can trust it.
4. Build a targeted media list. The specific journalists who cover the subject at each outlet, not a bought list of generic newsdesks.
5. Write a short, personal pitch. Lead with the headline finding, explain why it matters to their readers and offer the data and a spokesperson.
6. Follow up once, then track. Record every piece of coverage, whether it links, and where the link points. Ask politely for a link only where the publication credits you without one.

Count linking root domains from relevant publications, not raw links. Track how many are followed, what they point to and whether the target pages gain rankings over the next three to six months. Alongside links, measure referral traffic, growth in branded searches in Search Console and how often AI engines mention the brand for your core topics. Our guide on measuring PR sets out a full framework.

In the UAE, regional titles such as Gulf News, Khaleej Times and The National cover business stories with a local angle, and the UK has a deep trade press for almost every sector, so a campaign can be built around either market. As a digital PR agency based in Dubai, we run campaigns in both.