Digital PR Link Building (in 2025): Strategies, Tips, & More

Digital PR is a link-building strategy that’s equal parts creative and effective. Do it well, and it can bring you the links you need while making your brand genuinely memorable.

Let’s break down how it works and explore some winning tips & tactics that show just how powerful (and fun) this approach can be.

At its core, Digital PR link building is the process of earning backlinks by creating content people actually want to talk about (and share). Think of it as combining PR’s storytelling magic with the SEO juice of high-quality backlinks.

Here’s how it works: you craft a campaign or piece of content (think: a surprising study, a cool interactive tool, or even a funny meme) that grabs attention.

Then, you pitch that to journalists, bloggers, and influencers who are always on the lookout for interesting stories. If they pick it up and share it, voilà! You’ve got yourself a backlink (and some great exposure to boot).

Digital PR isn’t just about links, though. It’s a chance to showcase your brand’s personality and build authority in your industry. Plus, it’s a lot more fun than sending out boring old email outreach templates.

Traditional PR focuses on building relationships with journalists to land coverage in print or broadcast media (think newspapers, magazines, and TV). It’s all about reputation management and brand awareness.

Digital PR, on the other hand, lives online. It’s about creating shareable content and earning backlinks from websites, blogs, and online publications. While both aim to tell compelling stories, Digital PR has the added goal of boosting your press release SEO.

In short, traditional PR is great for offline visibility, while Digital PR amplifies your brand’s presence online, where most of your audience is hanging out these days.

• Original research: Run your own study to uncover new insights. Journalists love fresh data, and they’ll cite (and link to) your website.
• Curated data: Don’t have the resources for your own research? No worries. Pull together existing data into a well-packaged study.
• Standout products: A unique or buzz-worthy product can land you a spot on “best of” lists, earning you backlinks.
• Linkable assets: Present information in a creative or visually appealing way (think infographics or interactive tools) that others will want to share.
• Something share-worthy: Whether it’s funny, beautiful, or a little controversial, anything that sparks conversation can work.
• Expert insights: If you’re an authority in your field, share your take.

Here's an example:

Digital PR Examples

@DigitalPREx

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Revealed: Chinese is the UK's favourite takeaway 🤤 This research, commissioned by @VodafoneUK, landed links in The Sun, Express, WalesOnline and a bunch of regionals! Check it out: walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/food-…

12:00 PM · Apr 15, 2022

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Vodafone made this fun, engaging graphic that is based on research about takeaway in the UK. It's interesting, starts a dialogue, has share-ability, and ultimately links back to the thing they want to advertise.

It's great for links and generally increasing interest in the company.

When done right, Digital PR delivers measurable results that make a real impact:

• Improves search rankings: Backlinks from credible sites help your website rank higher in search results.
• Increases site traffic: When your content is featured on popular platforms, more people visit your site.
• Adds credibility: Being cited by trusted sources shows your audience that you know your stuff.
• Raises visibility: Creative campaigns help more people learn about your brand.
• Generates leads: More exposure and traffic mean more opportunities to attract customers.

Overall, Digital PR is not just about earning more links, it’s about getting results that matter to your business.

Digital PR can take different forms depending on your goals and strategy. Here’s a breakdown of the three main types:

This is the go-getter approach. Proactive Digital PR involves creating and pitching campaigns designed to grab attention and earn coverage.

This could include original research, engaging visuals, or quirky ideas that you pitch directly to journalists and bloggers.

The goal is to be in control and actively putting your content out into the world.

Reactive PR is about seizing opportunities in real-time.

This could mean responding to journalist requests, contributing to trending stories, or jumping on viral moments.

While HARO (now Connectively) has been shut down, there are plenty of HARO alternatives you can use to help you spot these opportunities and quickly pitch in with valuable insights or data.

If you want to learn more about how to do reactive PR, read our guide.

Unicorn Digital PR is the stuff of legend.

Rare campaigns that go viral and deliver massive results. These are often a mix of luck, creativity, and timing. Think of campaigns that become memes, spark debates, or get shared by celebrities.

They’re hard to plan for but can be game-changing when they happen.

Generally, the best type of Digital PR depends on your goals and resources.

• Proactive Digital PR is best if you have a strong creative team and the time to plan and execute campaigns. It gives you more control over your messaging and outreach.
• Reactive Digital PR works well when speed is key, especially if you’re short on time or want to capitalize on trends and news stories.
• Unicorn Digital PR isn’t something you can rely on, but aiming for creative, bold campaigns occasionally can pay off big when the stars align.

Ultimately, from what we've seen, a mix of proactive and reactive strategies (with the occasional shot at a unicorn) tends to deliver the best results.

Mastering Digital PR link building requires a clear plan. Here’s our step-by-step guide to get you started:

Figure out who you’re trying to reach.

What websites do they visit? What kind of content grabs their attention?

Defining your audience helps you tailor your campaigns and find the publications most likely to link to your content.

Develop content that’s interesting, useful, or visually appealing.

This could be original research, curated data, infographics, or even a bold opinion piece.

The goal is to make something people will want to link to and share.

Research journalists, bloggers, and influencers in your niche.

Use PR tools like Prezly to create your own curated media list.

When it's time to contact them, make sure your pitch is personalized to increase your chances of getting a response.

Send your content to the people on your media list.

Keep your pitch concise and highlight why your content is valuable to their audience.

Follow up politely if you don’t hear back. Persistence can pay off!

Monitor your campaign’s performance.

Use backlink tracking tools to see which sites are linking to you, and note what’s working. Use those insights to improve your strategy for future campaigns.

Ready to get started? Here are some actionable tips to make your Digital PR campaigns more effective:

Data is king in Digital PR.

Conduct surveys or compile statistics that reveal surprising trends.

Journalists love citing original data, and these campaigns often earn high-quality backlinks from respected publications.

Help a Reporter Out (HARO), doesn't exist anymore. But, you can use similar alternatives that are still around to connect with journalists looking for sources.

Quickly respond with relevant insights or quotes to earn mentions and backlinks without creating full campaigns.

Infographics, videos, and interactive tools get more attention than plain text.

A well-designed visual asset can stand out, get shared more often, and attract valuable backlinks.

Tie your campaigns to holidays, seasons, or annual events.

This makes sure your content feels timely and relevant, making it easier to pitch to journalists covering those topics.

Don’t just cold-pitch, invest time in building relationships with key journalists in your industry.

Engage with their work on social media, comment thoughtfully, and become a trusted resource they’ll reach out to.

Create roundups featuring the best resources, tools, or trends in your industry.

These lists are shareable, provide value to your audience, and often attract backlinks from others who want to be included.

Monitor trending news stories and create content that adds value or a unique angle to the conversation.

Journalists are more likely to link to relevant, timely insights that expand on breaking news.

Position yourself as a go-to expert in your niche.

Write thought pieces or offer commentary on industry trends. Journalists love quotes from credible sources and often link back to them.

Turn blog posts into infographics, videos, or white-papers to appeal to different audiences.

Repurposed content gives you more opportunities to pitch and earn backlinks from multiple formats. For more info, read our guide on how to repurpose content.

Collaborate with non-competing brands to co-create content, like surveys or reports.

You’ll reach a wider audience and often benefit from shared promotion and backlinks from your partners.

Step-by-step guides are highly linkable because they provide practical value.

Choose a topic your audience struggles with, break it down into actionable steps, and include visuals to enhance understanding.

These guides often get linked in resource pages or as references in articles.

Digital Third Coast ran a survey about the growing “sober curious” trend among young adults.

Their findings got picked up by over 115 media outlets, earning 87 solid backlinks.

It’s proof that a simple idea and some interesting data can grab headlines and boost your site’s authority.

Expedia created a fun, interactive map showing where people were traveling during the pandemic.

The result? Tons of coverage and over 100 backlinks from big-name websites. Turns out, people love a good map, especially when it tells a story about their own habits.

Fractl looked into how different regions use emojis and pitched the findings to media outlets.

The result? Over 70 backlinks from sites like The Washington Post.

Lesson learned: Everyone loves a good laugh, and quirky data can work wonders for getting links.

Digital PR is a creative, effective way to build high-quality backlinks while boosting your brand’s visibility and credibility.

From original research to quirky campaigns, the possibilities are endless (if you’re willing to think outside the box).

Ready to level up your Digital PR work? Try Prezly to create press releases, pitch contacts, teack results, and earn more media coverage. Start now with a 14-day free trial.