Public relations (PR) and search engine optimization (SEO) are two sides of the same coin, both aiming to enhance a brand's visibility and credibility. While PR focuses on securing high-quality media placements, SEO strives to improve a website's search engine rankings. The intersection of these disciplines becomes evident when media placements not only build reputation but also bolster search rankings through increased domain authority.
However, measuring Public Relations Return on Investment (PROI) has traditionally been challenging. Unlike digital advertising or email marketing, PR efforts don't always yield immediate, quantifiable data. This is where SEO tools like Ahrefs come into play. By analyzing backlinks and media mentions generated from PR activities, specialists can gain insights into how their efforts impact a client's online presence.
What is Ahrefs?
Ahrefs is a comprehensive SEO toolset utilized by marketers, SEO experts, and PR professionals to monitor backlinks, analyze keyword rankings, and assess domain authority. It offers in-depth insights into website performance on search engines, elucidating how media placements influence a brand's online visibility.
With Ahrefs, PR specialists can:
- Monitor media mentions and backlinks resulting from earned press.
- Evaluate the authority and search impact of publications.
- Assess how PR-driven links enhance a website's overall SEO health.
(Note: You can track similar metrics using other tools like SEMrush, but this blog focuses specifically on Ahrefs to provide a more detailed analysis.)
How SEO Tools Make PROI Easier to Measure
While PR specialists may not analyze keyword rankings daily, SEO tools like Ahrefs offer valuable data to measure the impact of media placements. From tracking backlinks to assessing search visibility, Ahrefs provides key insights that help quantify the return on PR efforts.
Here are six ways PR professionals can use Ahrefs to track and measure PROI.
1. Measuring Keyword Volume for PR Placements
When a media placement includes a backlink to your client’s website, it’s not just about securing a link, it’s also about understanding the keywords associated with that placement and how they drive visibility.
How to Check Keyword Volume in Ahrefs:
- Log in to Ahrefs and go to Site Explorer.
- Enter the URL of the media placement.
- Navigate to the Organic Keywords section.
- Review the keywords the page is ranking for and their monthly search volume.
This analysis helps PR specialists determine if media coverage is associated with high-search-volume terms that can enhance visibility.
Quick Guide to Understanding Keyword Metrics:
- Keyword: The exact phrase users are searching for on Google.
- Volume: The average of the estimated number of times that phrase is searched monthly.
- Traffic: The estimated amount of traffic the URL receives from ranking for that keyword.
- Position: The placement of the URL on Google’s search results—#1 is the best. If a page ranks beyond position 10, it is not on the first page of Google and is unlikely to receive clicks.
Bonus Insight: The URL ranking first for a keyword is estimated to receive 32% of total clicks.
2. Checking Where the Placement Ranks in Google
Not all media coverage delivers the same impact. A feature in a major publication is valuable, but if it ranks low in search results, it may not generate much organic traffic.
How to Track Article Rankings in Ahrefs:
- Open Site Explorer and enter the URL of the article featuring your client.
- Go to the Organic Keywords section.
- Filter results by ranking positions (e.g., Top 10).
- Identify where the article ranks for relevant keywords.
A high-ranking media placement can continue to drive traffic and brand awareness long after publication.
3. Evaluating the Paid Ads Value of a Placement
One of the most compelling metrics PR specialists can use is Traffic Value—a feature in Ahrefs that calculates how much it would cost to buy the same visibility through paid ads.
How to Find the Traffic Value of a Placement in Ahrefs:
- Enter the URL of the media mention in Site Explorer.
- Check the Traffic Value metric under the Organic Traffic section.
- Compare this number to paid search costs—if the organic placement is generating significant traffic value, it’s proving ROI without ad spend.
If the media placement generates significant Traffic Value, it showcases PR’s effectiveness in driving organic visibility without ad spend.
4. Estimating How Many Users Are Seeing the Placement
With Ahrefs, PR professionals can estimate how much organic traffic a media mention is generating. This is just an estimate based on the volume of each keyword and their rankings. Typically the actual number of organic traffic is higher. This is a great metric to reference if you don’t have access to the URL’s analytics.
How to Check Organic Traffic in Ahrefs:
- Go to Site Explorer and enter the article’s URL.
- Navigate to the Organic Traffic section.
- Review the estimated number of monthly visitors the article receives.
- If the article has strong traffic, it shows PR placements are continuing to generate awareness beyond publication day.
5. Assessing the Domain Rating (DR) of the Placement
SEO and PR both benefit from strong credibility and authority. One way to measure the authority of a media placement is through Domain Rating (DR)—Ahrefs’ proprietary metric that evaluates a website’s backlink strength.
How to Check Domain Rating in Ahrefs:
- Open Site Explorer and enter the media outlet’s URL.
- Locate the Domain Rating (DR) metric.
A high-DR website (e.g., DR 80+) adds significant credibility and SEO value to your client’s profile.
6. Tracking PR’s Impact on a Client’s Domain Authority
One of the most overlooked ways PR supports SEO is by improving a client’s own Domain Rating (DR). High-quality backlinks from reputable media outlets enhance a website’s authority in Google’s eyes, leading to higher rankings and increased visibility.
How to Track DR Growth in Ahrefs:
- Enter the client’s website URL into Site Explorer.
- Navigate to the Backlink Profile section to see newly gained PR-driven backlinks.
- Monitor changes in Domain Rating (DR) over time.
A steady increase in DR indicates that PR efforts are contributing to stronger SEO performance and improved search visibility.
SEO Showcases Success
Integrating Ahrefs into PR workflows empowers professionals to move beyond traditional metrics, providing concrete data on the impact of their efforts. By evaluating domain authority, monitoring backlinks, analyzing organic traffic, and assessing SEO value, PR specialists can effectively quantify PROI. This data-driven approach not only showcases the value of PR initiatives but also guides strategic decision-making for future campaigns.
The synergy between PR and SEO facilitated by tools like Ahrefs is indispensable for elevating a brand's online authority and visibility.
So, the next time a client asks, “How do we know PR is working?”—you’ll have the data to prove it.
This blog was created in partnership with Jade Pruett from HelloSEO
