The first thing people often think of when they hear the term ‘PR’ is brand awareness. But in today’s digital-first landscape, PR goes far beyond building brand awareness and boosting a company’s credibility. In fact, PR can be used to strengthen a startup’s digital marketing efforts, especially when it comes to building a long-term SEO strategy. 

If you’re wondering how SEO and PR can possibly be connected, just think backlinks. 

Below, we’re diving into exactly how PR can boost your startup’s SEO.

Build backlinks through earned media 

As a startup, there are many company milestones you want to share with the media. Maybe you recently secured a Series A funding or perhaps you have an upcoming product launch. In either case, you can — and should — reach out to the media to help amplify the news. 

Here’s where the SEO boost comes into play. When your startup lands earned media coverage in reputable tech news media outlets with high domain authority, like Forbes, WSJ or TechCrunch, your website traffic will subsequently increase. Why? With the credibility of these sites attached to your brand, thanks to their high domain authority, Google will recognize your website as a trusted source for related content, which will ultimately help boost your ranking. 

Once a publication writes about your startup and the backlink goes live, you’ve essentially solidified your place on their website and boosted your own SEO in the process. Plus, most media outlets keep their backlinks as they archive their pages longer than most other websites. Translation? Continued SEO goodness for your startup. This is why it’s essential to work with a tech PR agency rather than an SEO firm focused on quick and easy links to build your ecosystem of backlinks. Google always rewards quality and value over quantity and keyword tricks. 

Increase brand awareness

When executing a media campaign, whether you’re working with a tech PR agency or handling outreach in-house, target a variety of media outlets in order to increase the number of placements you receive. The more articles that mention or feature your startup, the more exposure and recognition your brand will receive. 

Not only can an increased interest in your startup lead to more credibility in the industry, but it will also encourage people to conduct organic and direct searches on your startup. An increase in searches around your brand will let Google know that your startup is indeed legit, which will help boost your ranking as Google prioritizes brands with proven search volume and online presence. All that to say, an increase in brand awareness through PR will ultimately improve your startup’s Google ranking.

Become a thought leader

Once you’ve dipped your toe in the water and landed a few articles, you can start to incorporate thought leadership content into your startup PR initiatives. In order for a startup to build credibility early on, it’s essential for startup founders and key stakeholders to share their take on industry trends. This can be done by submitting contributed articles to industry publications and mainstream media like the Forbes Technology Council, writing articles on LinkedIn, or even speaking at conferences or industry events.

Contributing to high domain authority sites like Forbes, however, are the key to boosting your startup’s SEO. Not only will you see an increase in referral website traffic from the published article, but news outlets will often share articles in several places like their social media channels or email newsletter. 

Create social validation

Earning media placements in top tech publications is an accomplishment to be proud of. So don’t forget to show it off! Take full advantage of the recognition by including the press on your startup’s website. 

Not only is this a way to consolidate your media placements, but you’ll also be creating social proof. When potential clients, stakeholders, or anyone visiting your website sees that your startup was featured in recognizable publications, your brand will start to win their trust.

About Sam Lauron: Sam is a freelance writer and content marketing manager for Swyft, which is a PR firm in Austin and Houston and a top digital marketing agency in Denver since its founding in 2011. Swyft recently opened a satellite office where it offers PR in San Francisco.