One of the constant questions I see in the realm of Public Relations is whether a business should choose a traditional PR or digital PR strategy and what the difference is. As someone who transitioned from SEO into Digital PR, I initially started my career surrounded by all things Digital PR, seeing little reason for a traditional approach. However, after delving into the world of PR over the last five years, I see the need for a blended approach to stand out in this ever-crowded landscape.

The purpose of this guide is to provide insight into how traditional PR and Digital PR work together for those immersed in traditional PR, and to guide businesses on the value of Digital PR to support your SEO strategy.

Where newspaper clippings and AVE were once the norm, Digital PR is a service which has evolved to move beyond just these traditional metrics. While some still swear by traditional metrics, digital PR introduces a multitude of new factors, to ensure that businesses are seeing the benefits to their SEO strategy alongside the traditional benefits of PR such as improved brand reputation and brand awareness.

At their core, both traditional and digital PR share the fundamental goal of securing high-level, relevant placements. Crafting pressworthy narratives, pitching stories, and creating engaging content remains constant. However, Digital PR moves beyond the conventional, requiring a broader focus on SEO elements to ensure that the Digital PR strategy is aiding to support KPIs such as improved keyword rankings, traffic, search volume, and leads.

The pivotal element in digital PR is the emphasis on links, where search engine algorithms heavily rely on quality links to improve rankings. This shift evolved with Google’s 2012 Penguin update which essentially penalises poor-quality links. Traditional PR’s ability to secure high-level media placements suddenly became a sought-after skill in the SEO industry, and this led to the evolution of the Digital PR service.

• The Link Itself:
  • The process involves persuading journalists to link back to the client’s site, enhancing user accessibility.
  • Navigating the unpredictability of whether a journalist includes a link requires a deep understanding of publications and journalists.

• Nofollows or no link:
  • Journalists may include a ‘nofollow’ code, indicating to Google to ignore link equity, or they may include no link at all to the website. Digital PRs address this by creating valuable resources on their domains to encourage journalists to link back but also note that non-linked equity can still be passed to a site without a link, and that brand mentions are a valuable asset for brands.

• Anchor Text:
  • The text used in links, known as anchor text, plays a crucial role. Balancing keyword focus without appearing overly optimised is a challenge for digital PR professionals.

• Authority Matters:
  • Beyond securing a link, the authority of the publication plays a crucial role in SEO benefits. Higher domain authority, often found in reputable national newspapers, contributes to the overall value of the link.

By combining both traditional and Digital PR tactics, brands can create a diverse set of results. Our experience at Saffron Marketing found the integration of traditional PR tactics into a digital strategy results in overall improvements to a client’s reputation, awareness, and rankings.

Embracing the convergence of traditional and digital PR presents opportunities to enhance brand visibility and organic results in this ever-evolving media landscape. If you would like to look at a layered traditional and Digital PR strategy for your brand, get in touch today.