Algorithmic changes and evolving search habits have blurred the lines between PR, earned media and SEO, and further enhanced the importance of brand visibility in the independent press – historically the purview of ‘traditional’ PR – as a key SEO consideration.
Securing an earned backlink from a quality news publisher website is absolute gold dust for off-page SEO.
When a brand secures a mention in a respected publication or a high-authority website, the addition of a backlink can provide major benefit.
But, as far as earned media is concerned, gaining a backlink is by no means a guarantee. As with any dealing with the independent press, content (including links) essentially comes down to editorial decision making.
And, generally, editorially-driven sites will often not want to be seen as endorsing a particular brand (unless it’s as part of a paid-for partnership, opportunities for which do exist), and generally speaking they will understandably want to keep traffic on site.
While linked mentions are likely to always to be given more weight by algorithms, digital marketers have postulated for some years now that unlinked or ‘implied’ links will attain greater authority over time.
The convergence of earned media and SEO is where strategic communication meets technical expertise, significantly increasing brand visibility and authority.
For marketers and comms teams who break down these historic silos, collaborate and increase transparency around results and impacts there are huge benefits to be had – not least much more effectively demonstrating hard and fast brand ROI on earned media activities.
Put simply, there are SEO rewards for great PR efforts.