In the world of SEO and online visibility, two terms often get thrown around interchangeably: digital PR and link building.
While they overlap in some ways, they serve different purposes, follow different strategies, and offer vastly different long-term value.
Let’s break down what each actually means, and which one gives you more bang for your buck.
What is digital PR?
Digital PR is public relations done online. Instead of pitching stories to traditional media like newspapers or TV stations, digital PR targets digital outlets, such as online magazines, blogs, podcasts, YouTube channels, and even influencers.
The goal? Get your brand featured in places where your audience is already paying attention. That could mean interviews, expert commentary, product mentions, or features in “top 10” roundups. When done right, digital PR builds brand awareness, earns trust, and drives real traffic.
Yes, links are often part of the outcome, but they’re not the entire point.
What is link building?
Link building, at its core, is about getting other websites to link to yours, ideally with a keyword-rich anchor text. These backlinks are one of Google’s top ranking factors. The more high-quality sites link to you, the more search engines view your site as authoritative.
Link building has traditionally involved outreach, guest posting, directory submissions, and, in some cases, buying links (which Google actively penalizes). Some see it as a “cheap” SEO tactic because of its mechanical nature and short-term mindset.
That said, good link building isn’t just about links. Search engines use links as votes to evaluate your online reputation, so good link building still involves pitching, storytelling, and offering value, all borrowed from the PR playbook.
Digital PR vs. link building: How are digital PR and link building different?
The key difference lies in objectives and outcomes.
- Digital PR is about brand visibility. It’s designed to get your name in front of real people through trusted platforms. It supports goals like:
- Earned brand mentions that influence SEO (Search Engine Optimization), AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization).
- Backlinks that influence traditional SEO performance.
- Referral traffic from the media hits or “best of” list placements.
- Social media buzz and content to populate your profiles.
- Improved online reputation by getting on websites your customers trust.
- Sales enablement content that can drive conversions during a sales cycle.
- Link building, on the other hand, is about search engine visibility. It exists to influence search engine rankings (in a white-hat way, ideally) by boosting your site’s authority through backlinks.
In short: Digital PR builds brand equity. Link building boosts SEO metrics.
If you want a more detailed breakdown of the differences, the table below might be helpful.
| Digital PR | Link Building | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Goal | Brand awareness, thought leadership, and high-quality backlinks and brand mentions from earned media. | Acquiring backlinks to improve search engine rankings. |
| Key Tactics | Creating compelling stories and pitching them to journalists and publications, often including content (e.g., reports, studies, surveys, infographics, listicle pitches, etc.). | Creating content (e.g., blog posts, infographics) and reaching out to request links, guest posting, and other direct acquisition methods. |
| Content Focus | High-value, newsworthy content that journalists want to cover. | Content that is valuable and can be a natural fit on other sites, but not necessarily newsworthy. |
| Relationship Focus | Building long-term relationships with media and influencers for ongoing coverage. | Often focused on a single transaction or exchange for a link, though relationships can be built. |
| Scope | A comprehensive marketing strategy that includes SEO, branding, and public relations goals. | A specific tactic within a broader SEO or marketing strategy. |
| Backlinks | Earned, high-authority brand mentions and backlinks that are often editorial and natural. These are loved by search engines and influence AI search tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity. | Acquired through a variety of methods (earned or paid), which can vary in quality. |
| Cost | Higher cost due to a greater level of expertise required. Retainers average anywhere from $5,000 per month to $25,000 per month. | Cost depends on the quality of work. You can buy backlinks for $100, or you can leverage expertise to earn links at $1,000 or more each. Link building service retainers range anywhere from $500 per month to $25,000 per month. |
There’s also a difference in ROI perception. If digital PR is used only to chase SEO KPIs like backlinks, it can seem expensive. But that’s the wrong lens. Digital PR delivers value across multiple channels. If you’re just counting links, you’re missing the full picture.
Which is better: Digital PR or link building?
Digital PR wins. Hands down.
Here’s why:
- It supports SEO, but doesn’t rely on SEO alone.
- It earns high-quality backlinks naturally, the kind Google rewards, not penalizes.
- It builds brand authority, not just domain authority.
- It results in links that won’t lose their SEO power after an algorithm update.
- It boosts visibility across search, social, and referral channels.
- It strengthens your reputation, which matters more than ever in Google’s EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) model.
Link building still has a place, especially if it’s done through white-hat strategies like guest blogging or other forms of outreach. But shady, pay-per-link schemes? They’re risky and outdated. Google’s algorithm updates have been catching on, and punishing, manipulative link profiles hard.
Most bought links are low-quality and easy for search engines to spot. And while high-quality backlinks do matter, the best way to acquire them is to earn them, which is exactly what digital PR helps you do.
Final Take
If you’re thinking long-term, digital PR is the smarter investment. It creates momentum across your entire marketing strategy, from SEO to brand perception. And the best part? It earns links as a byproduct, not the sole objective.
Meanwhile, traditional link building, especially when done in isolation, is a narrow tactic with diminishing returns.
So instead of choosing one or the other, think bigger: combine the outreach, strategy, and storytelling power of digital PR with smart SEO execution. That’s how you build something that lasts.
