Which backlink would you rather have: one from a virtually unknown business directory or a link from a major news publication like The Wall Street Journal (WSJ)?
The choice is obvious, as WSJ’s domain has far more ranking power and influence than an obscure directory.
Links from news publications, online magazines, and journalists are known as digital PR backlinks—or PR backlinks for short.
These are especially valuable links because they tend to have higher domain authority than links that come from other sources (like small business directories and blogs).
Backlinks coming from major publications like The New York Times are considered the holy grail of link building due to their sky-high domain authority (95 in the case of the NYT).
Snagging links like these will significantly boost your search engine rankings and provide tons of referral traffic. That’s why PR backlinks should be a critical aspect of all link-building campaigns.
This article reveals why PR links are so highly valued and how you can start building them yourself with the right techniques.
What Are PR Links, and Why Are They So Valuable?
A PR backlink is a link from any media outlet that points back to your website. It could be from a news publication or online magazine.
Acquiring them involves reaching out to prominent journalists in your field and creating content that their audiences will love.
Why do link builders hold PR backlinks in such high regard?
There are several reasons, but the primary one involves Google’s ranking system.
If you want to appear in the #1-ranked organic position, Google has to trust you and view your content as accurate, credible, and valuable to its users.
Google sees established newspaper websites as credible, so high-quality backlinks from them act as ‘credibility votes’ for your content.
So, if you have many links from established newspapers, Google will see your content as especially valuable and high-quality.
Not all backlinks have the same ranking power, as links coming from lesser-known websites will carry less clout.
However, if you can land high-quality backlinks from major news sites like The New York Times, you’ll see a significant increase in your ranking power. That’s why high-value PR backlinks are enough to make any link builder’s mouth start to water.
Here’s a look at the benefits you’ll enjoy from acquiring top-tier PR backlinks.
Improve your website’s E-E-A-T (experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness)
Google looks for experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness, or E-E-A-T for short, when choosing which websites to display in its search engine results pages (SERPs).
Trust is about proving you’re a real, live business. Experience and expertise are two factors you should reflect in every piece of content you create—but authoritativeness works a bit differently.
To build your authority on Google, you need high-quality backlinks more than anything else, and as we mentioned before, PR backlinks are the cream of the crop.
Therefore, many PR backlinks will boost your E-E-A-T, making it easier for your website to rank in the #1 spot for your most important keywords.
Enjoy more organic traffic and referral traffic
By boosting your backlink profile with press links, you’ll rank higher on Google and generate more traffic.
Besides that, you’ll see a spike in referral traffic from getting your website featured on popular media outlets in your industry.
Referral traffic is valuable because:
- The traffic isn’t affected by SEO or algorithm updates (which means that competitors can’t poach it, and it won’t disappear after a Google update).
- It can introduce your products and services to new audiences.
- Referral boosts your brand awareness online, expanding your reach and influence.
Rank higher in search results
Lastly, press links from reputable sources will pass lots of authority on to your site, improving your ranking power on search engines.
If you’re able to secure multiple backlinks from major news sources, you’ll enjoy more traffic and better rankings.
You can find out how authoritative a website is with an SEO tool like Ahrefs.
In Ahrefs, click on “Site Explorer” and type in the publication’s website.
Hit enter and you’ll be taken to an overview page. Here, you can see tons of information about the website’s traffic, backlinks, and paid search.
On the left, you’ll see a number out of 100 labeled “DR,” along with a purple circle bar—that’s how Ahfrefs indicates a website’s authority.
DR means domain rating and it is measured out of 100. The fact that the NYT scores 94 means that it is extremely authoritative.
Where PR Backlinks Get Tricky: Dofollow vs. Nofollow Links: What’s the Difference?
Dofollow and nofollow are HTML attributes that can be applied individually to each of your backlinks. They control whether or not Google considers your links when establishing your site’s authority.
If a backlink has a nofollow tag, then it’s telling Google to ignore this link. This means that it passes on less SEO benefit than a dofollow link would.
Why is this relevant to high-quality PR backlinks?
Prior to 2013, lots of companies built links by publishing press releases with a link to their website on free newswires.
Because these news sites were high authority, the people who posted on them got a significant ranking increase.
Once people realized this, they started publishing press releases everywhere—even if the releases offered readers no value.
In 2013, Google stopped this practice by updating its guidelines to require all press release links to be nofollow.
What does this mean for digital PR link building?
There are two main things to know about the impact of Google’s rules.
1. Use press releases…just not for link building
You can still publish press releases, but their main focus should be to announce something to the public—for example, a new service that you’ve launched or a charity event that you are hosting.
You’ll still get some SEO benefit—but not enough to make press releases a worthwhile link-building technique.
Despite this, nofollow links still offer some value, as they:
- Drive organic traffic to your website.
- Build brand awareness.
- Encourage other journalists and bloggers to pick up your story.
2. Use outreach for link building
Google says that press releases need to be nofollow, but it says nothing about links from media sites needing to be nofollow.
This means that if you can get a media website to link to yours naturally, then you’ll get a dofollow link—and hopefully a massive rankings boost, too!
But to do this, you’ll need to build relationships with journalists working at news publications. You’ll also need to offer them something interesting to publish.
🤔 How to find out if a link is nofollow
Here’s how you can find out which links are nofollow.
- Right-click on the web page where the link is located.
- Select “Inspect” or “Inspect Element” from the context menu.
3. This opens the browser’s developer tools. In the developer tools panel, locate the section of the HTML code that corresponds to the link. You may need to hover over the elements in the panel to see the specific link highlighted on the web page.
4. Look for the <a> tag associated with the link. If the link has a rel=”nofollow” attribute within the <a> tag, then the link is a “nofollow” link.
How to Secure Valuable PR Backlinks for Your Business Step by Step
When done correctly, press links will introduce your brand to new audiences, generate referral traffic, and positively affect your search engine rankings.
Sounds great, right?
Well, there’s a lot you need to know before you start reaching out to journalists and bloggers, which is why we put together this step-by-step guide for securing PR backlinks.
Step #1: Research your target audience
As with any marketing campaign, PR links are only successful when you have an intimate understanding of your target audience.
Otherwise, you may wind up creating the wrong type of content or even offend your audience by not using the right tone of voice.
Before you do anything else, do a deep dive into your audience:
- Demographics: What is the primary age group that your products and services appeal to?
- Popular media outlets: What do the magazines and publications in your industry typically look like? Do they publish the same types of stories?
- Editorial style: Does your audience prefer a certain tone of voice or aesthetic (i.e., colors, fonts, images, etc.)?
Once you have a solid grip on these factors, do your best to cater your content to the needs of your audience and the media outlets they frequent.
For example, if you notice that your audience’s preferred publications use lots of terms popular with a younger crowd, your content should follow suit.
Step #2: Find a relevant digital PR campaign topic
Next, it’s time to come up with a digital PR campaign that your audience will find compelling.
There are two main things to consider:
💡The format.
💡The subject.
The format is how you deliver your digital PR campaign. Examples include:
- Announcing exciting events.
- Interesting infographics.
- Revealing research.
- Commenting on current industry events.
Think about a format that your audience will enjoy. For example, if you run a cooking channel on YouTube, then your subscribers may enjoy an event where they get to meet you, see you cook, and chat with their fellow fans.
The topic you feature should form part of the content you deliver in the format of your choice. This is where Google Trends comes in handy.
It will help you identify currently trending topics that you can work into your digital PR campaign.
This step ensures that you cover something that’s genuinely interesting to your target audience, heightening the chances that they’ll click on it (or share it with others).
As an example, let’s say your cooking show often covers how to make healthy snacks. Here’s what happens when we search for ‘healthy snacks’ on Google Trends:
You get to see the level of interest in the topic over a set period of time, which lets you know whether the topic is ‘trending’ or not.
Moreover, you can see interest by subregion, and Wyoming has the highest interest in healthy snacks.
Lastly, we get to see some related keywords and topics that you can use to brainstorm content ideas.
Having learned from this, you may wish to host an event in Wyoming and present a session on how to make sweet but healthy snacks.
Step #3: Create professional content
The content you produce for your digital PR campaign needs to be highly professional. If it isn’t, neither your audience nor journalists would be interested.
This means:
- If you’re running an event, hire an event coordinator.
- If you’re publishing research, hire researchers and writers to compile the report.
- If you’re creating infographics, hire a graphic designer.
Crafting professional content adds value to your brand and ensures the audience will want to share it with others.
Step #4: Compile a list of target publications
Brainstorm which publications you want to get coverage from. Think about ones that are relevant to your business and those that might be geographically relevant.
For example, in our YouTube cooking event example, you might target New Food Magazine. However, because the event is taking place in Wyoming, you might also want to target local media outlets like the Casper Star Tribune.
Another way to find publications to target is to see which newspapers have previously linked to your competitors.
You can do this with “link intersect” on Ahrefs. Here’s how to do it:
- In the top menu, select “Competitive Analysis”.
2. Enter your website’s URL or domain in the top bar. Then, enter the names of competitors in the bars below.
3. Highlight “referring domains” at the top and click “Show link opportunities.”
4. You’ll now be shown a series of domains that have linked to your competitors’ sites but not yours. Choose “Dofollow” at the top so you only see these kinds of backlinks.
5. Now, go through the results and try to spot the ones that could be PR backlinks. If you find one, click the drop-down arrows on the right-hand side. This will show you what competitor content has been covered. This also gives you an idea of what the publication might be interested in.
In this case, the real estate industry website realtybiznews.com has linked to two of our sister link-building companies. The articles cover SEO or link-building guides that are tailored to realtors. This suggests that we could pitch a similar guide.
Step #5 Outreach
Outreach is a critical stage in PR link building. This is when you reach out to journalists, introduce yourself, and pitch your ideas.
Outreach is about building relationships, so you must explain to the journalist how your business will interest their audience and how you can add value to their content.
Getting a journalist to respond to your message, let alone accept your pitch, may take several attempts. If you have the time, message the journalist first and introduce yourself. Don’t pitch any ideas.
This way, when you eventually pitch a digital PR campaign, they will recognize your name and be more likely to read your message.
Journalists are busy people whose inboxes are overflowing with PR pitches. You need to write a killer outreach email to stand out and get read.
Here are some tips for doing so:
✅ Personalize the email
Address the journalist by name and mention something specific about their work. Show that you’ve taken the time to research them and understand their focus or recent articles. Reference recent stories they’ve written to show genuine interest.
✅ Start with a strong subject line
Use a clear, concise, and attention-grabbing subject line. Make it relevant to the journalist’s content and audience. For example: “Exclusive data on [topic]” or “Insights on [industry] trends your readers will love”. Keep it short—aim for 6-10 words—and avoid overly promotional language.
✅ Offer something newsworthy or unique
Journalists are more likely to respond if the content is exclusive, data-driven, or offers a unique angle. Focus on how your content can support their current coverage or bring fresh insights to a trending topic.
✅ Highlight the benefit to their readers
Emphasize how your content will benefit the journalist’s audience. They care more about what’s valuable to their readers than your brand. If applicable, show how your resource answers questions or solves problems relevant to their niche.
✅ Keep it brief and easy to read
Avoid long-winded emails. Stick to a few paragraphs that contain short sentences to make your email easy to scan. Journalists appreciate brevity. Introduce yourself and your pitch within the first couple of sentences. If possible, use bullet points or lists to convey key points more concisely.
✅ Include relevant details and links
Provide the journalist with any necessary links, data, or resources they’d need to evaluate your content, but don’t overwhelm them. Offer to provide further information if needed.
Include a direct link to your content, but avoid attaching files—these can clutter inboxes or get caught in spam filters.
✅ Include a clear call to action
End your email with a polite, clear call to action. Ask whether they’d be interested in covering or featuring your content, and be specific about what you’re hoping for—whether that’s feedback, a link, or a mention.
✅ Be polite and professional
Maintain a friendly but professional tone. Acknowledge their expertise, and thank them for their time. Avoid making demands, but subtly convey urgency if the content is time-sensitive—e.g., “I’d love to send this over before it goes live elsewhere.” Avoid sounding overly pushy—respect their decision if they’re not interested.
✅ Follow up (but not too much)
If you don’t get a reply after a few days, send a short and polite follow-up. Gently remind them of your initial email, but don’t overdo it—one follow-up is usually enough.
Here’s an example of how we might pitch to realtybiznews.com:
Subject: Exclusive SEO Tips for Realtors from America Property Expo – Perfect for Your Readers?
Hi [Editor’s Name],
I hope you’re doing well. I’ve been following RealtyBizNews for some time and enjoyed your recent article on optimizing real estate listings for search engines. Clearly, your readers value actionable advice on growing their online presence—something we’re passionate about, too.
My name is [Your Name], and I’m speaking at the upcoming America Property Exhibition, where I’ll present a seminar titled “How to Generate Property Views Online.”
Our session will focus on providing actionable SEO tips to help realtors attract more property views and drive traffic to their listings.
We’ll also be publishing a video of the seminar on our website, and we’d love to share exclusive access with you, should you be interested in covering the session.
Please respond and let me know if your readers would enjoy this. I’d be happy to send over more details.
Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts!
Best regards,
[Your Full Name]
[Your Job Title]
[Your Company]
[Your Contact Information]
Step #6: Monitor your progress
Lastly, you need to monitor the impact of your digital PR campaigns to determine your success rate.
If, for example, your press releases aren’t generating the kind of links you want to see, it’s a clear sign you need to go back to the drawing board and try something new.
How can you tell when you get new PR links?
A great way to know this is by setting up Google Alerts. Doing this will let you receive a notification every time someone mentions your brand online.
Getting set up on Google Alerts is easy. Go to Google Alerts and type in your brand name and any other terms relevant to your digital PR campaign, such as branded product names.
Adjust the options as required and then click “Create Alert.” You’ll now receive emails whenever your brand or other terms are mentioned online.
Start Using PR Backlinks to Boost Your Online Visibility
Now you know what it takes to build high-value PR backlinks for your business.
By reaching out to relevant news publications and media outlets in your field, you’ll significantly boost your brand awareness and online visibility.
Do you need help securing top-tier PR backlinks for your business so you can focus on more important things?
If so, check out our advanced link-building services from Authority Builders. We’ve been helping businesses build backlinks since 2016 and we cover everything from Link Outreach to Content Creation and Guest Posts.