Why getting links in articles still matters

Coverage in a print publication used to be the ultimate in PR placements.

Despite the ego-boost it provided the interviewed executive and the PR team, it often didn’t drive business results. It’s not surprising given how unlikely it is that a reader of any given print publication might be in the market for your organization’s products and services at that exact moment.

Now, the most sought-after placements are those that can directly drive qualified visitors back to your site. Unlike vanity coverage that can be dismissed as “nice-to-have” PR fluff, a link to your website can be tracked and quantified. This is why you must endeavor to place links in published articles.

However, you can’t haphazardly pitch website backlinks to your media contacts list. To make this happen, you need to shift your perspective on how you pitch to the media.

Identify relevant outlets

If your goal is to get The New York Times to link back to your website, you’re probably out of luck unless you have ground-breaking proprietary research to share. So, how do you find sites that are a good target for getting your link accepted?