Digital PR
20 quoted answers, each with its source
The short answer
As of May 2025, an Ahrefs study of 75,000 brands found that brand web mentions showed the strongest correlation with AI Overview brand visibility (0.664), more strongly than backlinks did (0.218). John Mueller stated in January 2021 that digital PR is just as critical as tech SEO, probably more so in many cases, and that the simplification "link building = against Google's guidelines" needs more nuance. A self-reported Q1 2026 survey of 500 SEO professionals reported by Reporter Outreach found 34% ranked digital PR as their best-performing method, nearly double guest posting at 18%. Reporter Outreach's 2026 page also asserts, but does not independently establish, that digital PR is the lowest-risk approach and effectively immune to Google algorithm penalties because editorial decisions sit with journalists.
Every part of this comes from the quotes below. How we write these.
What the rules actually say4
Quoted straight from the people who make or enforce the rules.
- John Mueller said he loves some of the things he sees from digital PR.
- John Mueller said it is a shame that digital PR often gets bucketed with the spammy kind of link building.
- John Mueller said digital PR is just as critical as tech SEO.
- John Mueller said digital PR is probably more critical than tech SEO in many cases.
1 quote from 1 source
I love some of the things I see from digital pr, it's a shame it often gets bucketed with the spammy kind of link building. It's just as critical as tech SEO, probably more so in many cases. — 🍌 John 🍌 (@JohnMu) January 23, 2021
Measured finding6
Something someone actually measured, with the method attached.
An Ahrefs study of 75,000 brands reports that digital PR (brand web mentions) shows the strongest correlation with AI Overview brand visibility.
2 quotes from 1 source
we’ve analyzed 75,000 brands to see which search factors are most likely to influence brand mentions in AI Overviews
Brand web mentions show the strongest correlation (0.664) with AI Overview brand visibility.
The Reporter Outreach digital PR statistics page reports that…
- 34% of SEOs rank digital PR as their #1 best-performing method.
- 18% of SEOs rank guest posting as their #1 best-performing method.
- 34% is nearly double the 18% figure for guest posting.
1 quote from 1 source
34% of SEOs rank digital PR as their #1 best-performing method — nearly double guest posting (18%). Reporter Outreach, 2026
The digital PR data in the Reporter Outreach State of Link Building 2026 report…
- comes from 500 SEO professionals surveyed in Q1 2026 via an online questionnaire distributed across SEO communities, professional networks, and the Reporter Outreach client and partner base.
- is self-reported.
1 quote from 1 source
500 SEO professionals surveyed in Q1 2026 via online questionnaire distributed across SEO communities, professional networks, and the Reporter Outreach client and partner base. Respondents include agency owners (32%), SEO specialists (27%), in-house marketers (21%), freelancers (15%), and others (5%). All data is self-reported.
Practical effect1
What is observed to happen in practice, as distinct from what is documented.
Digital PR's documented position includes John Mueller's statement that the simplification of "link building = against Google's guidelines" seems like it needs a lot more nuance.
2 quotes from 1 source
I feel like there is a simplification of "link building = against Google's guidelines", which seems like it needs a lot more nuance.
— 🍌 John 🍌 (@JohnMu) January 23, 2021
Disputed between sources1
Sources that do not agree, presented without picking a winner.
Digital PR, according to an Ahrefs study, has brand web mentions correlating more strongly with AI Overview brand visibility than backlinks do.
2 quotes from 2 sources
“From my point of view, I don’t think we use those at all for things like PageRank or understanding the link graph of a website. And just a plain mention is sometimes kind of tricky to figure out anyway.”
Web mentions (0.664) correlate much more strongly than backlinks (0.218).
Often said, but we could not find it in the rules8
Lots of people say this. We went looking for an official source that backs it up and could not find one, so treat it as something people repeat rather than something settled.
The Reporter Outreach digital PR statistics page asserts that digital PR is the lowest-risk approach because editorial decisions sit with the journalist, making campaigns effectively immune to Google algorithm penalties.
1 quote from 1 source
Digital PR is the lowest-risk approach because editorial decisions sit with the journalist — making campaigns effectively immune to Google algorithm penalties. Reporter Outreach
The Reporter Outreach digital PR statistics page…
- asserts that 53% of Google penalties involve paid links with keyword-rich anchor text.
- attributes the 53% figure to "Semrush".
1 quote from 1 source
53% of Google penalties involve paid links with keyword-rich anchor text — a risk that disappears when journalists choose their own anchors. Semrush
The Reporter Outreach digital PR statistics page asserts that traditional PR delivers zero measurable link equity.
1 quote from 1 source
Traditional PR delivers zero measurable link equity . Campaigns built for search produce backlinks, brand mentions, and traffic at once. Reporter Outreach
The Reporter Outreach digital PR statistics page…
- reports that the average campaign earns links from 42 unique referring domains.
- attributes the 42 unique referring domains figure to "Digitaloft / Reboot Online".
1 quote from 1 source
The average campaign earns links from 42 unique referring domains . Top performers earn significantly more. Digitaloft / Reboot Online
The Reporter Outreach digital PR statistics page…
- restates an Ahrefs figure as "Brand mentions correlate 3x more strongly with AI search visibility (0.664) than backlinks alone (0.218)".
- attributes the figure "Brand mentions correlate 3x more strongly with AI search visibility (0.664) than backlinks alone (0.218)" to "Ahrefs, 2025".
1 quote from 1 source
Brand mentions correlate 3x more strongly with AI search visibility (0.664) than backlinks alone (0.218). Campaigns produce both at once. Ahrefs, 2025