Digital PR and Link Building

What is digital PR for SEO?

Digital PR means getting your business mentioned. And linked, by sites people already read and trust: news sites, trade magazines, popular blogs, industry groups. To Google, each of those links is a vote of confidence. When the Economic Times links to your research or quotes your founder, Google notices that someone credible vouched for you. For people, it’s simply credibility: being cited by a source they recognise.

Link building is the older, broader term. It covers any effort to earn links to your site. Some of it is excellent (creating useful resources people want to reference). Some of it is risky or plain spam (buying links, swapping links in bulk, posting on low-quality “guest post” networks). Digital PR is the clean version. You earn links by handing journalists and editors something they actually want to use. It’s slower than buying links, and it lasts far longer. Because nothing about it breaks Google’s rules.

What makes a link valuable

SEO tools assign scores like Domain Authority or Domain Rating to websites. They’re handy shortcuts. Remember they’re Ahrefs’ or Moz’s guesses, not Google’s view, and they can be gamed. Judging a link comes down to a few common-sense questions.

A good rule of thumb: would you be happy for a customer to see the page that links to you? If the answer is yes, it’s probably a good link. If you’d be embarrassed, it’s probably a liability.

Followed, nofollow and sponsored links

Since 2019, Google has asked sites to mark links with rel="sponsored" when they’re paid or part of an advertising arrangement, rel="ugc" for user-generated content like forum posts, and rel="nofollow" when they don’t want to vouch for a link. Google treats these as hints. A nofollow link from a major news site still brings visitors, brand exposure and a mention AI tools can read, even if it passes less ranking value. Coverage shouldn’t be judged on follow status alone. See nofollow in our glossary.

Relevance beats raw authority

A link from a huge general news site is great. But for many businesses, a link from a smaller, highly relevant source does more. Picture a Jaipur architecture firm in a respected design magazine. Or a CA quoted in a popular tax newsletter. Or a hospital cited by a medical body. Relevant links help you rank for the searches that bring customers, not just any search. When choosing where to focus effort, ask which sites your customers and peers actually read and respect.

Spotting a bad link before you get it

Some warning signs are easy to see. The site accepts guest posts on any topic, from crypto to wedding dresses. Every article has several outbound links with commercial anchors. The “about” page is vague or missing. Traffic estimates are tiny despite a high authority score. Prices for “do-follow placements” are listed openly. Any one of these is a reason to walk away.

Assets that earn coverage

Journalists don’t link to businesses because they’re asked nicely. They link because something on your site makes their story better: a fresh statistic, an expert explanation, a striking visual, a tool readers will use. The work of digital PR is building those things. We call them linkable assets.

The best PR assets sit where three things meet: what journalists care about, what you’re genuinely qualified to say. And what links back sensibly to your business. A furniture brand surveying 1,000 people on how they choose a sofa is relevant to its business and to home and lifestyle writers. A furniture brand publishing “top 10 cricket moments” is not.

Ideas that tend to fail

Some asset ideas sound good in a brainstorm and flop in practice. Infographics that restate common knowledge with nicer colours. “Ultimate guides” that say the same as the top ten results. Surveys with obviously leading questions (“Do you agree that our product is the best way to…?”). Stunts with no connection to the business. Content that only flatters the brand. Reporters see those daily and bin them. Before spending a rupee, ask: would a reporter on this beat find it new, surprising or useful? If not, rethink it.

Making data credible

Publish research, and the method must hold up. Say how many people, who they were, when, and how you asked. Avoid overstating what the data shows. Share the raw tables if you can. Reporters check methods more and more, and a sloppy survey can embarrass a brand far more than staying quiet. Our linkable asset creation service builds research with this rigour.

Easy wins: unlinked mentions and broken links

Before chasing new coverage, most businesses have links waiting to be claimed. Two quick sources are worth checking first.

Unlinked brand mentions

Your business may already be mentioned in articles, directories or blogs without a link. A friendly note to the author, thanking them for the mention and asking if they’d link the name to your site, often works. Because you’re making their article more useful to readers. Monitoring tools and simple searches for your brand name find these. Our unlinked mention reclamation service handles this systematically.

Broken links pointing at you

Over the years, pages on your site may have moved or been deleted, while other sites still link to the old addresses. Those links now land on a 404 and pass on nothing. Find them in Ahrefs or Search Console, redirect the old URLs to the right new pages, and you win back value you’d already earned. It happens constantly after redesigns.

Directories and listings that still matter

Most directories do nothing for SEO. A few still count: your industry body, the big local listings, trade associations. They help people find you, confirm your details to Google and AI tools, and now and then send a real enquiry. Simple test: would a real customer use this site to find someone like you? If yes, get listed accurately. If not, skip it.

Link gaps with competitors

Looking at where competitors get links. And you don’t, shows realistic opportunities: industry directories you’re missing from, associations you could join, publications that cover your sector. Our link gap analysis turns this into a prioritised list. Not every competitor link is worth copying, though. Some will be low-quality links you’re better off without, and some will come from relationships you’d need to build first.

Local and sector links

Not every business needs national newspaper coverage. For a clinic in Udaipur or an accountant in Indore, links from local and industry sources are often more valuable and far easier to earn.

The tactics are mostly about doing real things and making sure they’re documented. Sponsor a local cricket team. Run a free health camp. Speak at an industry event. Write a guide for a trade body’s members. Each can earn a natural link. Our local link building and sector authority building services focus here, and the local link building entry has more ideas.

Three worked examples

These are composite scenarios based on common patterns, not specific client stories. Names are invented.

Example 1: a fintech app with no coverage

The situation. A personal finance app has a good product but almost no links beyond app store listings. Bigger competitors appear in every “best budgeting apps” article.

What we’d do. The app has anonymised, aggregated spending data from its users (with consent built into its terms). A quarterly report shows how spending on food delivery, travel and subscriptions changes across Indian cities, with a clear methodology. Each edition is pitched to business and personal finance journalists, with charts and a spokesperson ready.

What changes. Coverage builds over several quarters as journalists start expecting the report. Links come from finance sections of national publications, and the brand starts appearing in roundups. AI assistants begin mentioning it when asked about budgeting apps. See finance and fintech.

Example 2: a manufacturer reclaiming lost links

The situation. An industrial equipment maker redesigned its website two years ago. Organic traffic never recovered.

What we’d find. Dozens of links from engineering forums, supplier directories and trade publications point to old product pages that now return 404 errors.

What we’d do. Each dead URL gets redirected to its matching new product or category page. Trade magazines that mentioned the company without linking get a polite two-line email asking for a link.

What changes. Rankings for product terms recover over the following months, without a single new piece of content. See manufacturing and industrial.

How journalists find sources

Knowing how reporters work makes outreach far more effective. Most journalists juggle several stories on tight deadlines. They find sources through people they know, by searching Google and LinkedIn for experts, and through requests on source platforms. They favour sources who reply fast, speak plainly, give specific facts and don’t demand approval of the final article.

That means a few things for businesses. Make your experts findable: proper bios on your site, LinkedIn profiles that say what they know, contact details that get answered. Reply in hours, not days. Give specific, quotable lines. Nobody prints “we remain committed to customer excellence”. And accept that you won’t always be quoted, or quoted exactly as you’d like. Reliability builds relationships, and relationships bring repeat coverage.

Turning expertise into regular coverage

Businesses that get quoted often usually have one or two people who’ve become known for a topic. Reporters love an orthopaedic surgeon who explains sports injuries simply. Or a tax adviser who can turn Budget jargon into plain words within an hour. That reputation takes time. But every quote makes the next easier, and the links and mentions keep paying off. A short monthly habit, watching your topic’s news and offering comment when something breaks, builds this steadily.

Example 3: a boutique hotel earning travel coverage

The situation. A heritage hotel near Jodhpur relies on booking platforms and has few direct links.

What we’d do. The hotel’s owner knows the region’s history and craft traditions deeply. Together with the PR team, the hotel publishes a well-researched guide to lesser-known stepwells and craft villages within a day’s drive, with original photography. It’s pitched to travel writers and bloggers planning Rajasthan itineraries, and the owner offers interviews.

What changes. Travel blogs and a couple of magazine features link to the guide and mention the hotel. Direct bookings from organic search and referrals grow. And the hotel’s name starts appearing in AI suggestions for unusual stays near Jodhpur. See travel and hospitality.

A data campaign, start to finish

Here’s how a single digital PR campaign comes together, using a made-up example: an online grocery delivery service in Bengaluru wanting coverage beyond its own blog.

Finding the story

The team brainstorms what journalists cover that the business knows about. Food prices are always news. The service has two years of anonymised order data across neighbourhoods. One question stands out: how has the average cost of a weekly vegetable basket changed. And where in the city has it risen most?

Building the asset

Analysts define a standard basket of 15 common vegetables and track its price month by month, by area, from the platform’s own prices. The methodology is written up plainly: what’s included, how prices were averaged, what the data can and can’t show. A designer creates a simple chart and a neighbourhood map. Everything goes on a dedicated page that will be updated every quarter.

Pitching

The finding with the strongest headline (“Tomato prices drove a sharp jump in the weekly basket cost in July”) goes to city reporters and food writers, with the chart, the method link and a spokesperson available that day. A separate angle, comparing neighbourhoods, goes to hyperlocal news sites and community newsletters.

Results and repeat

Several outlets use the data, most linking to the page. More importantly, when the next quarter’s update is ready, some of the same reporters ask for it. The page becomes a recurring source, earning links each time. And the brand becomes the name journalists think of for food price data in the city. That’s the long-term payoff of good digital PR: not one spike, but a reputation.

(This is an illustrative scenario. Any real campaign needs data you’re allowed to use, with customer privacy protected.)

What to do first

Start with what you already have. Lost and unlinked links are the cheapest authority you’ll ever get. Once that’s done, put your energy into one strong asset, not five weak ones.

Link building myths worth dropping

Measuring digital PR

Links are only part of the value. A useful report looks at the full picture.

Expect impact to build over months. One big article rarely moves rankings on its own. Steady coverage over months does. Our share of voice and brand search volume entries explain two useful measures.

Digital PR across markets

Selling in several countries? You need coverage in each one that matters. A link from a respected UK trade magazine helps your UK page. It does much less for India. Every market has its own outlets, news cycle and angles. An Indian SaaS firm moving into the Gulf might pitch local data to Gulf business media, like how Dubai firms handle invoicing. That beats sending Indian stories abroad.

Language matters too. Hindi, Tamil or Marathi coverage reaches people English outlets miss, and regional journalists are often easier to reach. A pitch tailored to each audience’s language and worries usually beats one global press release.

Building a media list and a pitch that works

A media list is just the people who write about your field: journalists, editors, bloggers, newsletter writers, podcast hosts. A good one is small and specific. Fifty well-picked names beat 5,000 scraped emails.

1. Start with the topic, not the outlet

   Start by searching recent articles on your topic. Write down who wrote each, where, and from what angle.

2. Read their work

   Know what each person covers and how. A reporter who writes about startup funding won’t care about your consumer survey.

3. Include niche voices

   Trade newsletters, niche bloggers and podcasts often have smaller audiences, but the right ones.

4. Keep notes

   Keep notes on who replied, what they used and what they asked for. Relationships build over time.

See what it does? It mentions the journalist’s own work, opens with one specific finding, offers more, and stays short.

Reviews and community discussions

AI assistants and Google also read reviews and community chatter. For software, that means review platforms. For local businesses, Google reviews and local directories. For consumer products, marketplace reviews, YouTube reviews and forums like Reddit. Nudge real customers to leave honest reviews where your buyers look, and reply to them, good or bad. Fake reviews and planted posts backfire. They break platform rules, and once spotted, they wreck trust.

Checking what AI tools say about you

A simple quarterly check helps track progress. Ask two or three AI assistants the questions your customers would ask, like “best interior designer in Jaipur for small flats”. As coverage and reviews pile up, your brand should start appearing more often, and described more accurately. Spot a mistake? Find where it came from, fix it at the source, and check again in a month.

Podcasts, speaking and expert profiles

Not all authority comes from articles. Industry podcasts, conference talks, webinars and guest columns in trade magazines all count. Most give you a profile page and a link, and they build the expert’s reputation too.

Pick outlets your customers actually follow. A SaaS founder on a respected SaaS podcast reaches buyers. The same founder on a generic “entrepreneur motivation” show reaches almost nobody useful. Five relevant appearances beat fifty random ones.

Handling negative coverage and mentions

Digital PR isn’t only about earning good coverage. Sometimes the job is damage control: a critical article, a viral complaint, a nasty review. How you respond often matters more than the original problem.

The basics are simple and hard. Respond quickly and calmly. If the problem is real, admit it. Explain what you’re doing to fix them. Correct factual errors politely, with proof, by writing to the publication directly. Hold off on legal notices unless there’s truly no other option. They often turn a small story into a big one. Over time, build enough good, accurate coverage that one negative piece doesn’t define you.

Burying bad results under fake reviews or spam usually backfires. Honest replies and real fixes take longer, and they last. Months later, people remember how you handled it, not what went wrong.

Digital PR around a launch or announcement

Product launches, new locations, funding rounds and anniversaries are moments when businesses want coverage. On their own, these announcements usually interest only trade press and local media. The way to widen the reach is to attach a story people outside the company care about.

A new clinic opening in Jaipur is a small local item. A new clinic opening with free screening for a common condition, backed by data on how many local residents go undiagnosed, is a story for health reporters. A new app feature is a minor tech note. The same feature launched with a survey on the problem it solves can reach a much wider audience. Plan the story weeks before the launch, prepare the data, quotes and images. And pitch it to the right people with an embargo if useful. And make sure every piece of coverage links to a specific, relevant page on your site rather than just the homepage.

After the launch, keep the momentum. Share coverage on your own channels, add it to a press page. And follow up with journalists who covered you when you have the next relevant story. One launch handled well can start relationships that pay off for years.

Common questions about digital PR and link building

Do backlinks still matter for SEO?

Yes. They’re still one of the clearest signs to Google that others trust you. What’s changed is that a few relevant, respected links now count for far more than a pile of weak ones. They also shape how AI assistants describe you. More in our answer on whether backlinks still matter.

Is it safe to buy backlinks?

No. Paying for links that pass ranking value breaks Google’s spam rules and can get you demoted or hit with a manual penalty. More often Google just ignores them, so you’ve thrown money away. If you pay for a placement, it should be marked sponsored.

How many backlinks do we need?

Nobody can give you a number honestly. Look at the sites ranking for your target searches and count how many relevant, trusted sites link to them, not their total links. Five good links from your industry can beat 500 from nowhere.

How is digital PR different from guest posting?

With digital PR, journalists cover you because your story, data or expert helps their article. Guest posting means writing for someone else’s site. A thoughtful guest column in a respected trade magazine is fine. Churning out guest posts on any site that’ll take them, just for links, is a link scheme.

Are nofollow links worthless?

Not at all. They pass less ranking value. But a nofollow link from a big news site still sends visitors, builds credibility and creates mentions AI tools read. Google also treats nofollow as a hint, not a hard rule.

How long until link building shows results?

Fixing broken links to your site can help within weeks. Newly earned links usually show up in rankings over three to six months. After that, good assets keep attracting links, and the effect builds on itself.

Should we disavow bad links?

Usually no. Google ignores most spammy links on its own. Use the disavow tool if you’ve got a manual action for unnatural links, or a clear history of bought links you can’t get removed.

What makes a story newsworthy?

It’s new, it matters to that outlet’s readers. And it’s backed by evidence: fresh data, a sharp expert view, or a timely angle on something already in the news. “We opened a new office” rarely qualifies. “Rents in Jaipur’s IT corridor rose 18% in a year, according to our 2,400 listings” might.

Can a small local business do digital PR?

Yes, often cheaply. Local papers, city blogs, community groups and trade associations all need stories and experts. A good quote, a local survey or a useful guide goes a long way.

Do you guarantee a number of links each month?

No, and we’d be wary of anyone who does. Earned coverage depends on journalists choosing to use your story. We commit to the work, the targeting and honest reporting, and we track links, coverage and ranking movement every month.

What’s an unlinked mention, and is it worth chasing?

It’s when a site names your business but doesn’t link to you. If the article is positive and the site is relevant, a short, friendly email asking the editor to add a link often works. Mentions still help with brand recognition and AI tools even without links. So don’t pester anyone who says no.

Which pages should links point to?

Usually the page that best serves the reader: the research itself, the relevant guide, or the service page the story is about. Sending every link to your homepage wastes some of the value. We plan targets so your most important pages get support.

Can our founder be the expert, or do we need a spokesperson?

Founders often make the best experts. Because journalists like hearing from the person who runs the business. What matters is that the person really knows the subject, can explain it simply and replies quickly. Sometimes a senior specialist on your team is a better fit for a technical topic.

How do you measure whether digital PR worked?

We track coverage won and the quality of the outlets, links earned and where they point, referral traffic, changes in branded searches, rankings for the pages we’re supporting. And how AI assistants describe you. We report it monthly and compare it with what you spent.

Do you work with our existing PR agency?

Happily. They often have relationships we can build on. And we can add the SEO side: making sure coverage links to the right pages, turning stories into data-led pitches and tracking the search impact.

What should we prepare before starting?

A list of people on your team who can talk to journalists, any data you already collect that could be shared safely, past coverage. And the pages you most want to rank. Also agree who signs off quotes and how fast. Because a two-day approval loop loses most reactive opportunities.

Is digital PR worth it for B2B companies?

Often more than for consumer brands. Trade publications, industry newsletters and analyst blogs are read by exactly the buyers you want. And a single respected mention can open doors in sales conversations as well as in search.

What makes a good pitch email?

It is short. It names the reporter’s own recent story. It gives one clear finding or one expert view. It offers more if they want it. Five lines is often enough.