What Is Digital PR? Examples, Costs and Results
The short answer
Digital PR is the work of getting a business mentioned, quoted or linked to by online publications, by giving journalists something worth covering: original data, an expert's view or a real story. It builds reputation and earns links that Google treats as a sign of trust. Editors decide what runs, so coverage cannot be guaranteed.
Key takeaways
- Digital PR earns mentions and links by giving journalists something useful. It does not pay for them.
- Google's spam policies treat paying for links, or for articles containing links that pass ranking credit, as link spam.
- A paid placement is allowed when its link is marked as sponsored. It is then advertising, not earned coverage.
- Taskcover's digital PR campaigns start from $3,000 per project.
In this guide
This guide is for owners who are considering digital PR or have been pitched it by an agency. It explains what digital PR is, shows examples, sets it beside link building and traditional PR, and covers what it costs and what results to expect. It supports our digital PR and link building service.
What is digital PR, and how does it work?
It works the way press relations always have, with one addition: the coverage is online, so it can link to your website. You offer a journalist something their readers would want. If they use it, they mention your business and may link to it.
How a digital PR campaign runs
- Find the story
Something new or useful that your business can stand behind: figures from your own records, a survey, an expert's view on the news, or a local event.
- Prepare the proof
Put the numbers, the method and a named spokesperson on a page of your website. That is the page a journalist checks and links to.
- Offer it to the right journalists
Send a short, personal email to the few writers who cover the subject. See how to pitch journalists.
- The editor decides
They may run it with a link, run it without one, or pass. You cannot control which.
Google's How Search Works site says one factor it uses to judge quality is whether other prominent websites link or refer to the content.
Digital PR examples
Most campaigns are one of four kinds. These examples are made up to show the pattern.
| Kind of campaign | Example | Why a journalist might use it |
|---|---|---|
| Your own data | An online furniture store publishes which sofa colors sold most in each state, from its own orders | Figures nobody else has |
| Expert comment | A dentist explains what a new study on sugar-free drinks means for children's teeth | A qualified voice on the day of the story |
| A survey | A roofing company asks 500 homeowners in its state how they check a roof after a storm | A new number on a seasonal topic |
| A local story | A software company trains 50 local shop owners for free and shares what they asked | A real event with real people |
A survey needs the most care. The headline can only claim what the method supports: 500 readers of your newsletter are your readers, not "Americans". Publish who paid for the survey, who ran it, when, how many people answered and the wording of the questions. The American Association for Public Opinion Research asks researchers to disclose each of these.
Digital PR vs link building vs traditional PR
All three try to get other people to talk about you. They differ in where the result appears and what it is for.
| Traditional PR | Digital PR | Link building | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main aim | Reputation and awareness | Reputation, plus links and mentions online | Links to your website |
| Where it shows up | Print, radio, television and events | Online news, trade sites and blogs | Any website that will link |
| Main risk | Coverage that never reaches your website | A good story that nobody picks up | Methods that break Google's rules |
Digital PR is one honest way to build links, and there are others: see how to get backlinks without buying them.
What do Google's rules say about PR and links?
A link has to be the publisher's own choice. Google's spam policies call links created mainly to manipulate rankings link spam, and several things sold as PR are on the list.
| What is offered | What Google's policies say |
|---|---|
| A journalist chooses to mention you and link to you | Nothing to mark. It is an ordinary link. |
| An article about you on a news site, for a fee, with an ordinary link | Payment for articles that include links passing ranking credit is link spam. |
| The same paid article, with the link marked as sponsored | Allowed. Google says buying and selling links for advertising is a normal part of the web, and no violation when the link carries rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow". |
| A press release sent to many sites, full of keyword-rich links | Listed as link spam: links with optimized anchor text in press releases distributed on other sites. |
Google says sites that violate its spam policies may rank lower in results or not appear at all. It also says links marked sponsored or nofollow will generally not be followed, so a paid placement buys readers, not ranking credit.
How much does digital PR cost?
The cost follows the work behind the story: how much research it needs, how many journalists and markets you want to reach, and whether it is one campaign or ongoing work. We have found no industry average we would stand behind.
Our own price is the one reference point we can give. A Taskcover digital PR campaign starts from $3,000 per project and covers the angle, the publications worth approaching and the outreach plan. Ongoing authority work for large sites or several countries is custom, from $12,000 a month. Placement fees charged by a publication are not included, and no links or placements are guaranteed. Prices are in USD and are on the pricing page.
What results can you expect from digital PR?
Expect mentions, some of them with links, and visits from the people who read them. Some links may be marked nofollow under the publication's own policy, and some mentions carry no link at all. Do not expect a fixed number: a provider can only commit to the work, which is a good story offered to the right people. How to measure digital PR explains how to count the results and what they are worth.
Related serviceDigital PR that earns its links
Stories built on your data or expertise, offered to publications your customers read. We do not buy links.
See the serviceQuestions people ask about digital PR
Is digital PR worth it for a small local business?
It is when you have something to say and a local or trade press that covers businesses like yours. If you have neither yet, start with links you can earn more easily, such as suppliers and associations. How to get backlinks lists them.
Are press releases good for SEO?
Not as a source of links. Google lists links with optimized anchor text in press releases distributed on other sites as link spam. A press release is still a fair way to tell journalists your news, and the coverage they choose to write is what counts.
Does a mention without a link still help?
It helps your reputation with the people who read it. Google says one factor it uses to judge quality is whether prominent websites link or refer to content, but it has not said how much a mention without a link counts. Do not expect a ranking gain from one.
Can I do digital PR myself?
Yes. An owner with real figures or a clear point of view can email a journalist directly. It takes time more than money: finding the right writers, preparing the proof and following up once.
See who is vouching for you, and for your competitors
Send us your website and two or three competitors, and we will show you who mentions them, who mentions you and where we would start.
The authors
Who wrote and checked this guide
Written by
Jamiez Nguyen
Founder & CEO
Jamiez Nguyen founded Taskcover and leads strategy and client growth. He started it in 2017 as a team doing search work behind the scenes for other agencies, then opened it to businesses in the USA, Canada and Australia.
Reviewed by
John Edward
CTO
John Edward leads the technical side of Taskcover: how sites are built, how fast they load, and how search engines read them.
Updated Fact-checked About the people at Taskcover
Sources
Where the facts in this guide come from
Facts last checked on October 12, 2026.
- 1Automatically generating and ranking resultsGoogle Search: How Search WorksChecked on October 12, 2026
- 2Spam policies for Google web searchGoogle Search CentralChecked on October 12, 2026
- 3Qualify your outbound links to GoogleGoogle Search CentralChecked on October 12, 2026
- 4Disclosure StandardsAmerican Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR)Checked on October 12, 2026
