Digital PR is beneficial in the sense that it assists in the earning of high authority backlinks by embedding the brand within content that is already considered credible and frequently referenced.
How exposure leads to the generation of backlinks
First off, there is the aspect of visibility.
As a brand, data, or point of view is featured in a prominent publication, it becomes part of a general circulation pattern. The publication is often a source that writers and journalists follow in their research.
As a result, a chain reaction ensues:
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A publication includes the reference
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Other publications pick up the reference as they discuss related content
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The reference is then featured in multiple publications
As a result, backlinks are created as the reference is reused, rather than the backlink being the initial act.
Mentions that naturally lead to the generation of backlinks
It is essential to note that not all mentions generate backlinks, but some are more likely than others.
This is often the case when the brand is featured as:
- A source supporting a claim
- An example within a discussion
- A reference tied to data and a certain piece of insight
In these cases, the author has a reason to refer back to the original piece. When the mention is informational in value, the backlink is likely to follow.
How prominent publications impact the flow of backlinks
High authority backlinks often come from places where content is actively being referenced by others.
Large publications are often at the heart of this ecosystem, with content being consumed, referenced, and used as inspiration for new content. When a brand is included in this content, it gains indirect access to this ecosystem.
The process looks something like this:
coverage is published on large publications, smaller, more niche publications write about the same thing, those publications reference the original content, and links are then generated as part of this referencing process.
The backlink is not always coming from the first publication, but from one of the layers after that.
The role of context in how links are generated
The relationship between Digital PR and backlinks is about context, not exposure.
A mention that is placed centrally within a topic is far more likely to be picked up than one that is merely a passing mention. A mention that is placed in relation to a specific point is far more likely to be reused than one that is merely a general mention.
A link is far more likely to be generated in instances where:
- It is closely tied to the article’s subject
- It references something that can be reused elsewhere
- It is clear from the context
In this instance, other writers do not have to try to understand what this mention means. They can reuse it outright, which increases the chance of a link being generated.
Why does some coverage generate links, and some does not
Just because coverage has been generated through Digital PR, it does not always mean that this coverage will be turned into a backlink, even if exposure has been high.
A piece on branding or storytelling might get visibility without a clear reference point for others to use. Other writers reading that piece might know what the brand is, but not see a reason to link to it.
On the other hand, content that includes:
- Data points
- Clear claims
- Well-defined examples
has a greater chance of being repurposed in other content. It is in that repurposing that links begin to appear.
The difference is not in the scope of the publication, but in how useful the mention is in other articles.
Where the relationship is often misunderstood
Digital PR is often thought to provide a direct route to acquiring high authority backlinks. In fact, the relationship is not so direct.
The initial aim is to get included in a discussion. Backlinks are a result of that discussion expanding to other sites. Some mentions may be contained within a single article. Others may branch out to include several different references.
It is dependent on how that initial piece of coverage fits into the overall process of creating and referencing content in that space.
As can be seen over time, the relationship becomes more apparent. Digital PR does not directly generate backlinks. It inserts a piece of content into the world that can be referenced. If that piece of content naturally fits into other pieces of content, backlinks are a natural result without direct placement.
