SEO & PR: How to Make Them Work Together
Public relations (PR) gets people talking. Search engine optimization (SEO) gets people searching. When you blend the two, your brand doesn’t just show up—it stands out!
Let’s explore how SEO and PR can work together to drive brand visibility, authority, and long-term growth. We’ll need to start by understanding the connection between the two.
SEO and PR may seem like separate disciplines—one technical, one relational—but they share a common goal: getting your brand found and trusted by your target audiences. SEO focuses on optimizing content so it ranks well in search engines. It’s driven by keywords, backlinks, and site structure. PR is about telling compelling stories and placing them in front of the right audiences, often through earned media and strategic outreach.
Together, they can amplify each other: PR earns the attention, and SEO ensures it’s not only discoverable, but that the attention lasts.
How SEO and PR Complement Each Other
Backlinks Build Authority
High-quality backlinks from authoritative websites are one of the most important ranking factors in SEO. PR campaigns, especially those that result in media coverage, can earn valuable links from reputable news outlets and blogs.
Example: A press mention in Forbes or CBC News not only boosts credibility—it creates a link Google trusts.PR Fuels SEO Content Ideas
PR teams like Bubblegum Canada are constantly monitoring what’s trending, which topics journalists want to cover, and ideas that spark public interest. These insights can feed into SEO content calendars to create timely, high-ranking blog posts, opinion pieces and editorial, media pitches, FAQs, and much more.SEO Optimizes PR Assets
Optimizing press releases, bylines, and digital media kits with relevant keywords makes them more discoverable online. Well-optimized media content can drive long-term search traffic and support brand storytelling.Consistency in Messaging and Keywords
By aligning PR messaging with SEO keywords, brands ensure that the language they use in media interviews, press releases, and blog content all reinforce the same themes and key growth areas—helping both Google and consumers connect the dots.
It’s clear, SEO gets you discovered. PR gets you remembered.
When used together, they don't just add value—they multiply it. Brands that align these two strategies build deeper trust, gain more visibility, and see greater returns across all channels. But before you start matching up this power duo, there are a few best practices to consider:
Coordinate your teams and don’t be afraid to bring all your partners into the same room to align on strategy and content
Target media outlets with high domain authority
Include links in your PR placements back to your website—ideally using anchor text that matches your SEO strategy
Repurpose PR wins into SEO content by turning interviews, quotes, or feature stories into optimized blog posts or landing pages that expand on the topic and help drive organic traffic
Track and measure success by combining PR metrics like media reach and sentiment to Google analytics for example for a full picture of ROI
Ready to elevate your PR and SEO strategy? Reach out today to see how Bubblegum has combined this winning strategy for our clients.