Link Building vs PR Outreach: Which Drives Better Results?

Struggling to choose between link building and PR outreach for your marketing strategy? Here's a quick answer:

• Link Building: Focuses on improving search rankings by acquiring quality backlinks. It's great for SEO, with measurable metrics like domain authority, keyword rankings, and referral traffic. Costs typically range from $35 to $550 per backlink.
• PR Outreach: Aims to boost brand awareness and credibility through media coverage. It works best for building authority and trust, with metrics like media mentions, social reach, and brand sentiment. Campaign budgets usually fall between $2,750 and $10,000 per month.

Quick Comparison Table:

Key Insight: Combining both strategies often delivers the best results. For example, creating data-driven content can secure high-authority backlinks and media coverage simultaneously. Decide based on your goals - SEO growth or brand credibility - or align both for maximum impact.

Key Differences: Link Building vs PR Outreach

Goals and Purpose

At their core, link building and PR outreach aim for different outcomes. Link building zeroes in on boosting search engine rankings and strengthening domain authority. On the other hand, PR outreach is all about enhancing brand reputation and credibility through media exposure. Interestingly, the PR industry is forecasted to hit $133 billion by 2027, highlighting its growing importance.

With these distinct goals in mind, let’s examine how the execution of each strategy sets them apart.

Methods and Tactics

The tactics used in link building and PR outreach reveal their unique approaches to achieving their objectives:

"Journalists are always on the lookout for unique data points that can either inspire or support a new story. If you can get them to link to your data, you instantly build credibility and authority on the topic. Then organic links will follow."

• Laura Kutch, Siege Media's Digital PR Specialist

Measuring Results

The success of these strategies is measured differently, reflecting their distinct purposes.

Link Building Metrics:

• Number of linking root domains (LRD)
• Domain authority improvements
• Higher keyword rankings
• Increased referral traffic

PR Outreach Metrics:

• Quality and quantity of media coverage
• Brand sentiment and perception
• Social media engagement levels
• Geographic reach of coverage
• Effectiveness of message delivery

"Numbers are great, but they're meaningless if they don't drive results that are important to our clients."

• Tricia (Harte) Miller, Director of Digital PR

With Google’s Helpful Content Update emphasizing relevance and quality over sheer volume, PR outreach’s focus on securing credible and authoritative coverage has gained prominence. However, when done right, both strategies offer immense value and can complement one another effectively.

Digital PR Vs Link Building

Benefits and Drawbacks

After looking into measurement metrics, let’s dive into the benefits and challenges of two key strategies: link building and PR outreach.

Link Building: Pros and Cons

Did you know that websites in the top spot on search results have 3.8x more backlinks than lower-ranking pages? That stat alone underscores how vital link building is for SEO success.

Benefits:

• Boosts search engine rankings with quality backlinks.
• Strengthens website credibility and trustworthiness.
• Helps grow organic traffic over time.
• Delivers measurable returns on investment (ROI).
• Offers full control over how links are acquired.

Challenges:

• Can be expensive, with costs ranging from $35 to $550 per backlink.
• Requires ongoing and time-intensive efforts.
• Poor-quality links could lead to Google penalties.
• Needs regular monitoring to maintain link quality.
• Demands specialized skills and expertise.

Now, let’s examine how PR outreach offers its own unique advantages, especially when it comes to building brand authority.

PR Outreach: Pros and Cons

Unlike link building, PR outreach focuses on creating a broader impact for your brand. This is especially important because 81% of consumers say they must trust a brand before making a purchase.

Benefits:

• Naturally attracts high-authority backlinks.
• Builds long-term relationships with media outlets.
• Increases brand visibility across multiple platforms.
• Enhances overall credibility and trust.
• Opens doors to diverse content and media opportunities.

Challenges:

• Results can be unpredictable and harder to control.
• Requires significant upfront planning and preparation.
• Success hinges on the strength of existing media connections.
• Often involves a higher initial investment.
• Measuring ROI can be tricky and less straightforward.

Side-by-Side Comparison

To make it easier to weigh your options, here’s a quick comparison of the two strategies:

For example, Visual Capitalist’s infographic, "Mapped: Unemployment Rate by State in 2024," generated 11 backlinks, with an impressive 91% being dofollow. Similarly, HubSpot’s State of Marketing Report earned over 40,000 backlinks, with the same 91% dofollow rate. These examples highlight how authoritative content can drive both media coverage and organic backlinks.

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Choosing the Right Strategy

When to Use Link Building

With 92% of marketers agreeing that links remain a key ranking factor, link building is a powerful way to boost search rankings and drive organic traffic.

Take Vena's SaaS data study as an example - it increased clicks by 113% and impressions by 48%, earning backlinks from high-authority sites like MarketingProfs and PayPro Global.

How much should you budget for link building? It depends on your target site's domain authority (DA):

• DA 20-30: $50-$200 per link
• DA 40-50: $200-$600 per link
• DA 60+: $600-$4,000+ per link

Now, let’s look at how PR outreach can amplify your brand authority.

When to Use PR Outreach

PR outreach is all about building brand awareness and credibility. For instance, Hippo Insurance used their Preparedness Pulse Report to secure coverage on Yahoo Finance, Benzinga, and MSN. They tied evergreen topics to timely issues like inflation and climate concerns, which resonated with their audience.

PR outreach works best when you have:

• Fresh, newsworthy data or research
• A compelling brand story to share
• A budget for larger campaigns (typically $2,750-$10,000 per month)
• A need to secure coverage on high-authority platforms

Combining Both Methods

For the best results, combine link building with PR outreach by aligning your strategies and budgets. Here's a quick comparison:

A great example of this dual approach is Asbestos.com. Their 9/11 anniversary study earned 87 backlinks, including placements on Scientific American (DR 81) and Yahoo (DR 95). This strategy delivered consistent link growth while also securing high-authority media coverage.

"Journalists are always on the lookout for unique data points that can either inspire or support a new story. If you can get them to link to your data, you instantly build credibility and authority on the topic. Then organic links will follow." – Laura Kutch, Digital PR Specialist at Siege Media

Focus on creating data-driven content that attracts both organic links and media attention.

Conclusion: Making Your Choice

Main Points Review

To wrap things up, we’ve explored how link building and PR outreach offer distinct advantages. Link building is your go-to for consistent backlink growth and improved keyword rankings, while digital PR shines when it comes to securing top-tier media placements and enhancing brand reputation.

Here's a standout stat: content with thought leadership links can boost search visibility by as much as 534%. This highlights the strengths of each strategy and provides clarity for making an informed choice.

Decision Guide

Your decision should align with your goals:

• Link building: Ideal for businesses aiming for steady SEO improvements through dependable backlink acquisition.
• PR outreach: Best for brands looking to enhance authority and gain exposure through premium media coverage.
• A combined approach: Offers the best of both worlds, increasing both online visibility and brand authority.

For example, Represent Clothing saw their SEO traffic skyrocket from 70,000 to 355,000 visitors in just 20 months by earning high-quality backlinks from sites with Domain Ratings between 20 and 70. Similarly, Raven360 improved their Domain Rating from 42 to 48 and grew their monthly organic traffic from 400 to 2,220 visitors in six months.

And remember, when it comes to links, Google prioritizes quality over quantity. As John Mueller from Google puts it:

"You could create millions of links across websites if you wanted to, and we could ignore them all. Or there could be one really good link from a really good website out there that is for us a really important sign that we should treat this website as something that is relevant because it has that one link."

Ultimately, the path you choose depends on your specific objectives, but a thoughtful strategy can deliver powerful results.

FAQs

How can combining link building and PR outreach improve my marketing results?

Blending link building with PR outreach can supercharge your marketing efforts by combining the best of both worlds. Link building zeroes in on getting high-quality backlinks to improve your SEO, while PR outreach builds your brand's presence by securing media coverage and fostering relationships with journalists. When these strategies work together, they can elevate your online visibility, establish authority for your brand, and drive more visitors to your site.

The magic happens when these two approaches align. Not only can this boost your search rankings, but it also helps you connect with your audience more effectively. Whether you’re aiming to grow website traffic, solidify your brand, or improve digital performance, this combined strategy delivers measurable results.

How do I decide whether to focus on link building or PR outreach?

Choosing between link building and PR outreach comes down to your marketing goals and available resources. If your main objective is to enhance SEO by earning quality backlinks, link building is the way to go. These backlinks can help improve your search engine rankings and bring in more organic traffic. Meanwhile, PR outreach is more about strengthening your brand, establishing credibility, and connecting with broader audiences through media coverage and storytelling.

Think about your target audience and the content you’re promoting. If your aim is to captivate a wide audience with engaging narratives, PR outreach might be the better fit. On the flip side, for campaigns focused on technical SEO, link building tends to deliver stronger results. Also, take your budget and time into account - PR outreach often involves a bigger upfront investment and more effort in relationship-building, while link building can be more straightforward but still requires resources. Match your approach to your goals for the best outcome.

What’s the best way to measure the success of a combined link building and PR outreach campaign?

To gauge the effectiveness of a combined link-building and PR outreach campaign, focus on metrics that tie directly to your objectives. Start by keeping an eye on the number of high-quality backlinks you earn from trusted sources. These links not only enhance your website's authority but also play a major role in improving your search engine rankings.

Another key metric to monitor is referral traffic - this shows how many visitors are landing on your site through those links. For a deeper analysis, track metrics like Domain Authority (DA) and Linking Root Domains (LRD) to evaluate the broader impact of your campaign on your website's overall performance.

Don’t stop there, though. Think about how the campaign aligns with bigger goals, such as boosting brand awareness, generating leads, or driving sales. By regularly reviewing these metrics, you can adjust your approach to maximize results and clearly demonstrate the campaign's return on investment (ROI).

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