Some things just belong together: Fish and chips, Batman and Robin, gin and tonic. Meanwhile, some combinations are a little less obvious: pineapple and pizza, socks and sliders, and PR and SEO! 

In turn, you could be forgiven for not recognising this dynamic duo at first.  After all, PR is a strategy which dates back over a century, while SEO has only come of age in the last decade.  

So, how can these unexpected allies supercharge your marketing campaign? Let’s take a look… 

A history lesson 

In 2012, Google introduced the Penguin update to remove content which had been paid to be put there but didn’t necessarily benefit the web-searcher. This is otherwise known as ‘blackhat spam.’ 

From then on, businesses needed to up their game to secure high-quality, relevant links. 

This is where digital PR came in, as it provided the opportunity to secure high value editorially generated coverage over artificially built links.  

Choosing the best channels 

But earned media needs to be secured in the right channels, which is where understanding how SEO works is also key to digital PR.  

Search engine results pages (SERP’s) are much like a food chain – government and news websites are the kings of the jungle, while websites with no links are the bottom feeders.  

Governing this hierarchy are several key metrics, including domain authority. This refers to a score between 1-100 to quantify which websites possess the highest value information and are more likely to be ranked on search engine result pages.  

Using PR practices to generate backlinks from a high domain authority website is killer move for both PR and SEO.  

PR consultancies can curate engaging content and captivating stories, while having knowledge and access to the most relevant and outlets to your campaign, with a high domain authority. This will only amplify the impact of your campaign.   

Getting people talking 

But links aren’t the be all and end all. There is also value in simply getting people talking about your company, as Google treats discussion as an indicator of search relevance.  

Every time you feature in online publications, articles, or blogs (also known as branded mentions), search engines see this as a stamp of approval.  

And of course, what better way to secure these brand mentions than through PR? 

Red Marlin has a proven track record of leveraging SEO for PR.  To find out how our knowledge and expertise can benefit your business then please email hello@redmarlin.co.uk and we’ll be in touch.