The document discusses how to measure the effectiveness of digital PR coverage. It recommends that PR professionals focus on metrics that measure awareness and conversation rather than just links, as the purpose of PR is broader than SEO. It suggests prioritizing metrics like brand searches, social engagement, quantity of coverage that meets certain criteria, and achieving multiple exposures of a brand over time. The document also provides a sample scoring system that assigns points to coverage based on various elements to quantify results. The key message is that digital PR measurement should serve the overall marketing objectives of each client.
7. I wasn’t doing a bad job. I had
launched loads of campaigns that
worked, with a lots of press coverage
@FrannGriffin
8. But I couldn’t really tell clients
what being in the newspaper or
magazine meant for their brand
@FrannGriffin
9. Proving ROI on
traditional PR is
almost impossible…
…it’s like telling someone about the
best piece of cake you’ve ever had
without them being able to taste it!@FrannGriffin
12. But there are a lot of metrics..
..A LOT!@FrannGriffin
13. If you’re really
lucky, you’ll have
a client that
understands
digital PR
But 9 times out of 10 you’re probably
fighting an uphill battle in every exchange…@FrannGriffin
14. That time when you had some tier
one media coverage for a client
A better time when the coverage
included a follow link and full
credit to your client
Think about….
@FrannGriffin
15. The time it didn’t though…
No link
Citation only
No brand name
@FrannGriffin
16. GOES ONE OF TWO WAYS WITH A CLIENT
@FrannGriffin
28. MeasuringDigitalPR
We all know that coverage with a no-follow link is
NOT bad.
We also know that citations DO hold weight in SEO.
We need to remember the wider awareness that
coverage can achieve BEYOND SEO.
Points to consider
@FrannGriffin
29.
If you take anything away from what I
babble about for the next 15 minutes, it’s
this:
Good PR isn’t always ideal SEO.
@FrannGriffin
30. Metrics that matter
The purpose of PR
Serving results to a client
My suggested approach to measuring
This talk is going to cover:
@FrannGriffin
31. Note: there is no set, correct
answer to measuring PR.
Just like there is no perfect
cake recipe - each is bespoke
to an individual client’s taste.
@FrannGriffin
32. A fresh outlook on digital PR’s purpose
Confidence to go back to the office ready to
improve your PR reporting
Insights into my own formula for measuring
my clients’ coverage
@FrannGriffin
My promise to you today:
34. PR by definition…
“Public Relations is about reputation - the result of what
you do, what you say and what others say about you.”
- CIPR (Chartered Institute of Public Relations)
Nothing about website
traffic or engagement
Nothing about
SERPs
@FrannGriffin
Nothing about links
35. There are a lot of points I can make here…
@FrannGriffin
36. But there’s one I want to
make clear when we talk
about measurement…
SEO is a technical tactic.
PR is a creative tactic.
@FrannGriffin
37. It’s impossible to measure two tactics
in the same way, with the same KPIs.
@FrannGriffin
38. Digital PR is a phrase coined by the
SEO world where PR helps SEO efforts…
@FrannGriffin
A good PR story
is infinitely more
effective than a
front page ad.
- Richard Branson
39. It might sound basic, but we need to
constantly remind ourselves of the
purpose of PR in this industry.
Otherwise we fall into the trap of
calling ourselves…
@FrannGriffin
41. IT’S TIME TO STOP
CALLING DIGITAL
PRs LINK
BUILDERS !!!
@FrannGriffin
42. Why? Because we do so much more
than just build links!
…therefore there is more to measure
than just the impact of links!
@FrannGriffin
43. PR exists to build a conversation about your brand or client
Successful PR isn’t just a link - so it cant be measured solely on links
What’s tasty cake to a PR isn’t necessarily tasty to a SEO
Good PR isn’t always ideal SEO.
Takeaways from this section:
@FrannGriffin
47. PR is not advertising so can’t be compared
It’s impossible to track how circulation figures
leads to a “maybe” spike in conversions or traffic
It’s literally made up half the time!
@FrannGriffin
AVE or opportunity to see
48. Tier one journalists are not obliged to link out
Citations and implied links carry weight on their
own and Google will still recognise these - N.B
Google announced it is evolving no-follow with two
new link attributes in March 2020 - we might see
no-follow links start to become recognised more!
Dilutes the purpose of PR (general awareness) to
rely solely on links
Links
@FrannGriffin
49. PR isn’t just a quick fix. The most solid and successful
campaigns will be mentioned time and time again.
For maximum impact, digital PRs should be looking at
longevity:
Ways to re-launch around an upcoming key date
Using a campaign reactively to respond to current
news
Repeating a study seasonally or year-on-year
Reporting on campaign lifetime
@FrannGriffin
50. TF, DA and CF
@FrannGriffin
Big tier one media sites sit well on these metrics
naturally
These provide guidelines for key media targets
and focus, but should not restrict or limit outreach
The aim of a good PR campaign is to go viral;
avoid being prescriptive
52. A really good digital PR campaign will get people
talking and searching for you or your client directly.
This is just as valuable and testament to a
campaign as ranking changes or traffic from a link.
Brand searches
@FrannGriffin
53. Naturally, the more noise you make, the more you’ll
be heard
DO record and report on print coverage - even as a
digital PR - as it is still a positive result that counts
Look at syndications and shares too - as these can
all improve SEO efforts
Quantity of coverage
@FrannGriffin
55. Supposedly, a prospective
customer needs to hear
about your brand at least
seven times before they will
engage or take action.
In 2019, with all the digital
advances and different
trusted platforms around, I
would argue that it is more
like seventeen!
Making an impact seven times
@FrannGriffin
Paid ad on Google
Press coverage
Social media
Organic search
Word-of-mouth
Advertising
Email campaigns
56. We need to look at the conversation beyond the coverage -
what engagement, shares and activity has your campaign
generated?
Tip: Buzzsumo is a great tool for tracking keywords and
campaign names
Tip: Brand 24 is a great free tool for monitoring hashtag volumes
Social media engagement
@FrannGriffin
57. Age UK and Cadbury have both done this well with their
recent “Donate Your Words” campaign.
Age UK interacted with a lot of tweets,
adding a “human” element
All press coverage on the story was
shared, boosting reach
@FrannGriffin
58. AVE
Links, particularly if
they are follows
TF, DA or CF
Brand searches
Social media engagement
and online conversation
Quantity of coverage
Takeaways from this section:
@FrannGriffin
Care less about: Care more about:
62. I did the maths and analysed all tier one coverage we’ve achieved in three
different recent campaigns. On average:
68% of the coverage contained a link
31% of the time was it a follow
* Calculate your own averages - these vary by luck, policies, industry or media
sector and campaign seasonality - and give this guidance to clients
beforehand
* This can help you plan around SEO expectations and target other media
tiers
@FrannGriffin
Set link expectations
63. I believe a great piece of digital PR coverage contains the
following nine elements that we can immediately measure:
1. Client name in article headline
2. Client name citation or link within the piece
3. Specific name drop of your campaign name
4. Use of client image / video / creative collateral
5. Social media amplification - it’s being talked about
6. Complete article ownership and SOV (Share of Voice)
7. Length of coverage
8. Key quote or message included from the campaign
9. Good site reach
@FrannGriffin
Ingredients for good coverage
64. A simple tick against each element from the checklist
will give each piece of coverage a score out of nine.
Tip: set expectations and targets for both clients and
team goals by using these as targets before launch.
@FrannGriffin
Bronze
1 - 3
Silver
4 - 6
Gold
7 - 9
67. Use your own campaign data to set benchmarks
Find a measuring system that works for you and
shows your coverage in the best light
Report these alongside traditional SEO and shared
goals such as: traffic increase to a site or landing
page, ranking improvements and SERP visibility
Takeaways from this section:
@FrannGriffin
69. SEO impact from
coverage is only half
of the picture or
benefits from digital
PR, so report on more
than SEO metrics.
@FrannGriffin
70. …don’t be afraid to introduce new
ways to measure and track results.
Reports should be tailored to each
client’s overall marketing objectives…
@FrannGriffin
71. Digital PR is still changing and evolving. It’s up to
us how we positively report it as the professionals.
Final note: never apologise for not getting a link!
@FrannGriffin
72. (…and a quick favour to ask!)
Thank you!
@FrannGriffin #BrightonSEO