Online PR 2025: The Guide to Digital Public Relations

Every other marketing expert talks about “Content is King,” but a crucial truth is often overlooked:

Without the right multipliers, even the best content remains a well-kept secret.

Online PR is the key that opens doors to relevant media and spreads your message far beyond your own channels. Since 2020, the discipline has also seen significant growth, which current growth data on digital PR impressively demonstrates.

What is Online PR (Digital PR)?

Online PR or Online Public Relations is a company’s targeted communication via the internet in the area of press and public relations. Unlike traditional PR, digital PR uses all channels and possibilities of the internet to strengthen a company’s reputation and increase its awareness.

Digital PR differs from traditional PR primarily through its interactivity and reach. While traditional PR focuses mainly on print, TV, and radio, online PR additionally uses websites, social media, blogs, and other digital platforms.

A central feature of online PR is its close connection to search engine optimization (SEO). Through strategically placed backlinks in high-quality publications, digital PR not only improves brand perception but simultaneously strengthens search engine ranking.

• Dialogue-oriented: Unlike traditional one-way communication, online PR enables direct feedback and real dialogue
• Measurable: Success can be precisely tracked through various digital metrics
• Far-reaching: Digital PR content can theoretically reach a global audience
• SEO-relevant: Quality backlinks from PR activities strengthen search engine position

According to Google’s John Mueller, digital PR is “just as important as technical SEO, in many cases even more important” – a clear statement on the growing significance of this discipline for long-term online success.

Why Is Digital PR Indispensable Today?

In a world where most purchase decisions begin with online research, digital PR is no longer optional but necessary. Through targeted online PR, you reach significantly more potential customers than with traditional PR measures alone.

Trust is the most important currency in the digital age. While advertising is often viewed with skepticism, editorial content and mentions in independent media enjoy significantly higher trust.

Digital PR uses exactly this effect by ensuring credible mentions of your brand in trustworthy sources.

Particularly relevant for 2025: With the rise of generative AI in search engines and assistants, the value of independent mentions becomes even more important.

According to a current study by xfunnel, AI systems like ChatGPT, Google Gemini or Perplexity prefer sources considered trustworthy and independent when answering top-of-funnel questions.

Those mentioned today in top-tier media like FAZ, Handelsblatt, or Spiegel almost certainly land in the training data of large language models. This increases the chance that your brand and ideas are used in answers, even when no external sources are cited.

In this video, I explain why digital PR is worthwhile not only as a channel itself, but also why it makes your brand AI-proof:

')">

You are currently viewing placeholder content from YouTube. To access the actual content, click on the button below. Please note that this will result in data being shared with third parties.

More information

Unlock content ">Accept required service and unlock content

Which Instruments and Channels Shape Online PR?

Digital PR uses a broad spectrum of channels and instruments that mutually reinforce and complement each other. The selection of the right instruments depends heavily on your business goals, target audience, and available resources. A strategic combination of different channels achieves the best results for your brand.

1. Press Portals and Newsrooms

Digital press portals like openPR, ots or PR Newswire distribute your press releases online, reaching journalists and editors.

A well-maintained digital newsroom on your company website also offers media representatives all relevant information, image material, and contact details at a glance.

2. Trade Magazines

Trade publications—whether digital or with digital presence – are ideal platforms for more in-depth content. Through guest posts, interviews, or expert statements in industry-relevant magazines, you establish yourself as a thought leader in your field.

These publications often have a very specific but highly relevant target audience that fits exactly with your offering.

3. Thought Leadership for Your Field

Thought Leadership means being perceived as a thought leader in your industry through valuable insights, analyses, and opinions. Through regular contributions on LinkedIn, in trade media, or as a podcast guest, you position yourself and your company as experts.

Long-term building of thought leadership requires patience and consistency but pays off through strong trust and a loyal target audience.

4. Proprietary Studies and Original Research

Nothing generates as much attention and backlinks as exclusive data and research results. By conducting and publishing your own studies, surveys, or market analyses, you create valuable content that media gladly pick up.

This original research is a key element of successful digital PR and can generate mentions and links for years. Additional plus: generative engines love original research.

Learn more about which content assets every digital PR campaign needs in this episode:

')">

You are currently viewing placeholder content from YouTube. To access the actual content, click on the button below. Please note that this will result in data being shared with third parties.

More information

Unlock content ">Accept required service and unlock content

5. Social Media and Influencer Relations

Social media platforms are not only marketing channels but also important PR instruments. Here you can interact directly with your target audience, respond to crises, and spread your messages.

Collaboration with influencers – especially with micro-influencers in your niche – can also significantly increase the credibility and reach of your messages.

Successful Formats for Digital PR with Synergies

The most effective digital PR campaigns use various formats that mutually reinforce and can be repurposed multiple times. These integrated approaches create synergies between PR, SEO, content-marketing and Generative Engine Optimization.

A strategic approach enables you to develop different content formats from the same foundations that work on different channels.

Studies & Surveys

Proprietary market research is the gold standard for digital PR. By collecting exclusive data on relevant industry topics, you create valuable content that media gladly pick up.

According to current surveys, brands with proprietary studies have a 68% higher chance of journalist interactions, as such insights can be immediately used for reporting.

A well-conceived study can be used for various PR activities for months – from press releases to social media snippets to infographics and webinars.

• Ensure relevance: Choose topics interesting to both your target audience and journalists
• Make methodology transparent: Document your approach carefully to create credibility
• Prepare results visually: Infographics and diagrams increase chances of media adoption
• Illuminate different angles: Divide your data into multiple thematic press releases

Example: Evergreen Media collects proprietary data on “How do people in the DACH region use generative AI?” This data is prepared in a whitepaper (SEO asset), spun in a press release (PR angle), and shared via outreach with trade media & industry portals (Linkbuilding).

Expert Commentary on Current Developments

Reactive PR – quickly reacting to current news—is a powerful instrument. By commenting on relevant industry events, legislative changes, or market developments, you can achieve valuable media presence with relatively little effort.

Many journalists actively seek expert assessments to enrich their reporting. The effort: a short interview with Fireflies, and done.

Thought Leadership Contributions in Trade Media

Through substantial specialist articles in respected publications in your industry, you not only build authority but also receive valuable backlinks. These contributions shouldn’t be promotional but offer real added value – for example, through insights only an insider can give, or through analyzing current trends from a new perspective.

Unique Data Stories from Your Systems

Many companies sit on a treasure of internal data without knowing it. Anonymized insights from your customer data, sales figures, or usage statistics can tell exciting stories relevant to media.

These exclusive insights are particularly valuable because they’re found nowhere else.

How Do You Effectively Connect Online PR and SEO?

The combination of online PR and SEO is particularly effective because both disciplines mutually reinforce each other.

While SEO ensures perfect alignment with demand and relevance, digital PR delivers the valuable backlinks and mentions indispensable for top rankings. A well-thought-out strategy integrates both areas seamlessly.

1. Define Common Goals

Successful integration begins with common goals. SEO and PR teams should work closely together and align their strategies.

Define clear KPIs affecting both areas – such as the number of high-quality backlinks, improvement of domain authority, or increase in organic traffic through PR activities.

2. Develop Content Formats with Dual Impact

Develop content that’s both PR-suitable and SEO-relevant. Data-driven studies, industry reports, or comprehensive guides work excellently for both purposes: they generate media interest and simultaneously valuable backlinks that strengthen your SEO.

Keyword research from the SEO area can help identify PR topics actually being searched for.

3. Use Link Building Through PR Strategically

Quality backlinks remain one of the most important ranking factors. Through targeted PR work, you can win natural, editorial links from trustworthy sources – something hardly achievable with pure SEO measures.

Pay attention to thematic relevance: a link from a thematically appropriate trade publication is more valuable than a link from a general news site.

4. Editorial Alignment & Timing

Coordinate your PR and SEO activities temporally. For example, if you’re launching a new product category, both your PR campaign and SEO measures should start simultaneously.

This way, both measures mutually reinforce and create maximum visibility at the right time.

How Do You Measure Success in Digital PR?

Measuring the success of your online PR activities is crucial to optimize strategies and demonstrate ROI.

Unlike traditional PR, the digital world offers numerous metrics giving you precise insights into the effectiveness of your measures. To truly benefit from this data, you need a structured approach and the right tools.

1. The Most Important KPIs

For comprehensive success measurement, you should keep an eye on different metric areas.

• Media resonance and reach show you how often your company was mentioned in online media and what potential readership you reached. Pay particular attention to your share of total reporting in your industry compared to competitors (Share of Voice).
• In the area of SEO metrics, the number and quality of acquired backlinks play a central role. Track how your domain’s authority improves through PR work and whether your positions in search results for relevant keywords rise. This data shows you the direct influence of your PR activities on your search engine optimization.
• Ultimately, business impact counts: Is relevant organic traffic increasing? Do PR activities lead to more leads or sales? Is brand awareness increasing, recognizable through more brand searches and direct traffic? These metrics directly connect your PR work with business goals.

2. Tools for Monitoring and Reporting

The right tools make success measurement more efficient and precise.

• For media monitoring, you can use platforms like Meltwater, Talkwalker or ARGUS DATA INSIGHTS to capture and analyze all online mentions of your brand.
• For SEO analysis, tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush or seoClarity are suitable. They help you track backlinks, measure domain authority, and monitor rankings. Analytics platforms like Google Analytics or Adobe Analytics deliver important data on traffic and conversions.
• For social listening, tools like Brandwatch or Hootsuite are suitable, with which you can analyze resonance in social media. A good dashboard that brings all this data together helps you keep the overall success of your digital PR strategy in view.

Where Is Online PR Heading?

Digital PR is in constant flux, driven by technological developments and changing media landscapes.

For 2025 and beyond, clear trends are already emerging that will shape the future of online PR. Understanding and proactively using these developments will be crucial for the long-term success of your PR strategy.

1. Artificial Intelligence as Driver of Digital PR

AI is fundamentally changing online PR – both as a tool for PR professionals and as a mediator between brands and audiences.

Currently, 66% of PR professionals already use AI daily for press releases, sentiment analyses, and journalist outreach (see ‘AI Use in PR Practice’). 

Particularly impactful is the influence of generative AI systems on information search. When ChatGPT, Google Gemini and other AI assistants answer questions directly, the cited sources become the new “top positions.”

PR strategies must therefore increasingly aim to be named as a trustworthy source in these AI-generated answers.

• AI-powered media research: Algorithms identify relevant journalists and publications more precisely than ever
• Automated personalization: Tailored pitches for different media representatives based on their interests and publication history
• Predictive analytics: Prediction of topic trends and optimal publication times
• Content generation: AI-assisted creation of press releases and basic content

2. Bridging Paid, Owned, and Earned

The traditional boundaries between paid, owned, and earned media are increasingly blurring. Successful digital PR strategies of the future will seamlessly integrate these channels:

• Content amplification: Own content is reinforced through paid promotion and thereby generates organic mentions
• Influencer collaborations: Collaboration with opinion leaders connects paid partnerships with organic reach
• Data-driven orchestration: All channels are dynamically controlled based on performance data

In this integrated future, digital PR will no longer be viewed as an isolated discipline but as a central component of a holistic communication strategy.

Companies driving this integration now will have a clear competitive advantage.

What You Should Do Now

To be successful in the dynamic field of digital PR, you should proceed systematically. A systematic approach helps you set the right priorities and use your resources efficiently.

Here are the most important steps you can initiate now:

1. Analyze Your Current Situation

Begin with a thorough inventory.

• How visible is your brand currently online?
• Which media report about you?
• What’s your website’s link profile?

Also analyze your competitors: Where are they mentioned? Which PR strategies do they employ? These insights form the foundation for your own strategy.

2. Strategy Development with Clear Goals

Define precise, measurable goals for your online PR. Do you want to increase brand awareness, place certain keywords in top rankings, or generate more qualified leads?

Determine which metrics you’ll track and set realistic timeframes for goal achievement.

3. Media and Influencer Mapping

Create a detailed list of relevant publications, blogs, and opinion leaders in your industry. Research the responsible editors and their special interests.

This mapping helps you target your PR activities and address the right contacts.

4. Content Strategy with PR Potential

Develop a content-strategy, that systematically plans PR-suitable content. Look for data and stories in your company that could be interesting for media.

Connect this content with your SEO goals to create synergies and maximize impact.

5. Build Technical Infrastructure

Ensure you have the necessary tools for monitoring, outreach, and success measurement.

An efficient CRM system for managing media contacts, reliable monitoring tools, and meaningful analytics are indispensable for professional digital PR work.

Frequently Asked Questions