Link building is always a hot-button issue in the SEO community. After a tumultuous 2024, we've heard (and felt) that SEOs and organizations are becoming more skeptical about the impact of links and link building. We teamed up with Garrett French of Citation Labs to truly understand where things are going in 2025. Garrett and his team have been building links since the early days of SEO, and I trust no one better to help us identify market trends and get to the bottom of how link building is used by organizations worldwide. So, without further ado, here's our Link Building Trends Report. Feel free to use any/all of the data in the report below, but please link and attribute to BuzzStream and Citation Labs. Table of Contents 61% manage link building in-house, but agencies still play a role. 66% struggle with identifying backlink tactics, making strategy a key challenge. Only about a third (29%) find their link building efforts successful. 68% prioritize links to blog posts, but only just 41% focus on product pages. 75% are given 6 months or fewer to prove the value of their link building efforts. Only 29% say link-building budgets are easy to secure. 56% expect their link building budgets to increase in 2025. Just 11% have a repeatable process for getting cited in AI. Only 40% feel reports effectively convey the value of link building. Section 1 Link Building Management Tracking, reporting, and executing link building efforts is a full-time job for many organizations. So, we wanted to start with some baseline information on how link building is managed in major organizations. (Note: this section examines how link building is managed in-house only. The rest of the report is from agencies, freelancers, consultants, and in-house.) 1 For those we surveyed who work in-house at […]

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PRs sometimes get so caught up in the hunt for links and coverage that we forget a real person is on the other side of our pitch emails. So, I wanted to talk to Rosie Taylor, an award-winning health and consumer affairs freelance journalist and author of the Get Featured Substack, about what it’s like to be a journalist. Rosie also hosts the Mother Bodies podcast, which focuses on postnatal health. (She’s looking for sponsors!) This in-depth conversation hopefully helps shed some light on what journalists genuinely care about in your email pitches and why it’s so important to treat journalists like humans and not as link targets. Rosie has time to open about 5% of pitches; the ones that stand out are personalized, clearly relevant, and offer something exclusive or timely. Freelancers have more flexibility in what and where they pitch, meaning they can shop stories around, but have less control over whether or not it gets coverage. Journalists —especially freelancers— usually can't guarantee backlinks. The best pitches make journalists' jobs easier by including assets like expert quotes, images, and a fully formed story idea, not just a broad concept. Genuine relationship-building matters; even a thoughtful message or social media interaction can help you stand out from a sea of generic pitches. Knowing a journalist's content style is as important as knowing their beat—a health reporter who only writes investigations won't be interested in your quick tips listicle. Below is a slightly edited transcript based on our chat. What is a day in the life of a freelance journalist? Rosie Taylor: Okay, that’s good question. So yeah, it’s interesting what you were saying about putting a human face to the other side of the kind of emails because I do find that sometimes that people. Sometimes forget that journalists are human beings and maybe journalists a little bit guilty […]

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Brands and PRs have had a more challenging time reaching journalists. In our State of Digital PR Report, over 60% of respondents reported finding relevant journalists has been more difficult in the past 12 months. Due to this, PRs are now including podcasts as an alternative outlet to pitch to get clients and brands more coverage. In 2024, I took time to pitch a few podcasts. I was featured on Market Movers, Search With Candour, Optimize, We Earn Media, Marketing B2B Technology, and the Agency Growth Lab. Lately, however, I've been pitching more, believing it's a great way to build the BuzzStream brand. (I've also been getting many more pitches from people wanting to be on the BuzzStream podcast.) So, in this post, I'll share my experience with you and show you how to craft the perfect podcast pitch. Podcast pitching is gaining momentum in PR. Generic pitches won't cut it. Show the host why you're a great guest—don't make them dig for it. Pitch ideas that match the podcast audience. Fill a gap, continue a topic they already covered, or offer a counterpoint. What to Include In Your Pitch Email Lately, I've received an influx of pitches that feel very much like guest post pitches. They are either weirdly generic or lack the specifics to make me want to take action. Take this example below that I received a few weeks ago: They complement me, which is nice, though it is very generic. We discuss personalized email outreach at length in our post. But the main takeaway is that it sounds fake if it's too generic. But, more importantly, it doesn't give me enough information to act. So, let's break down that email, and I'll show you what you should include. Display Your Credibility You always want to display […]

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I visited Google Search Central in NYC last week and felt energized about the power of PR. While most of the conference clarified recent actions, like site reputation abuse, one section discussed the partnerships the search team is making to adapt to the changing search landscape. Here it is below: The funny thing is that, as SEOs, we take what Google tells us with a grain of salt. What they say they are doing doesn't always match what research from SEOs tells us they are doing. But, in this instance, they are finally addressing the issue head-on. Traditional methods of targeting top-funnel keywords and using that to drive traffic are no longer working (look at what happened to Hubspot). Google tells us that "past success on Search may not guarantee future success." I've transcribed the key points below, indicating the direction Google is heading. Google is testing new SERP features more frequently. At least 48% of these features favor keeping users on Google (vs. sending them to sites). Google is saying that traffic patterns may fluctuate. They also say that past success on Search may not guarantee future success. Build a brand with digital PR tactics like unique data studies. Consistent Testing, SERP Will Evolve In the graphic’s first two points, Google sets the stage for brands getting fewer clicks. On the one hand, they are making changes that benefit users and giving them quicker access to the knowledge they want. Either way you look at it, there are a lot of changes going on in the SERP, and many of them are taking away your clicks. For example, their rental feature may take away clicks from rental sites: Google has close to 40 distinct SERP features at the time of publication. These include things like: Featured Snippets People Also Ask (PAA) Knowledge […]

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There aren’t many guests on the podcast who I can say “wrote the book on the topic.” But Jane Hunt from digital PR agency JBH literally wrote the book on Digital PR. Their book, the Digital PR Playbook, is an absolute must-read for digital PRs. A different team member wrote each chapter, encompassing everything from digital PR history to tactics to measuring performance. In our talk, we discussed many digital PR topics, but what I kept coming back to was the idea that digital PR is growing up. It’s no longer just a link-building tactic; it can grow a brand. Digital PR is more than “PR done online”; it’s a strategic blend of content marketing, SEO, and traditional PR tactics, focused on earning links and building brand credibility. The objective of digital PR should extend beyond just acquiring links. It can positively impact a company’s bottom line by driving traffic, increasing inquiries, and boosting sales. JBH has used campaigns, like “dream job” initiatives, to promote products and build brand awareness. Brand mentions in reputable publications, even without links, are valuable signals to Google and audiences. If you’re using media databases, so is everyone else. The journalists are most likely getting inundated with pitches. Vary your digital PR tactics, such as newsjacking, proactive PR, thought leadership, and hero campaigns. Transcript Here’s a slightly-edited transcript of our talk. Can you tell us about your digital PR book? Jane: Yes. So I wrote this book, and I think it’s backwards on the screen, but maybe it’ll be forwards when you view it, but yes. So this has been written by the JBH team and we literally launched it in September and basically it’s the culmination of a year’s work. So myself and our digital PR director had this idea about five years ago […]

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The podcast all started from a single email. One of Nathan Gotch’s email newsletter editions caught my eye:   Nathan, SEO expert, creator of the Gotch SEO Academy, co-founder/CEO of Rankability, was writing about SEO for a new website, specifically about creating linkable assets. I realized that I get a lot of questions about link building for new websites: What kinds of tactics work? How long does it take? How expensive is it? So, I thought, who better to invite onto our pod than Nathan himself? Actionable Takeaways Here are some quick actionable takeaways from our chat. 1. Build a Dream 100 Link Prospect List Borrowing from Russell Brunson's concept, Nathan told me about this awesome idea to identify the top 100 sites in your niche that you’d dream of earning links from. Then, this becomes your link target list. It helps you keep focused on quality over quantity. It can also set a foundation for relationships that can also lead to links. 2. Focus on Link-Worthy Assets, Not Just SEO Content How-to guides and long-form posts are great for ranking—but not always for earning links. Instead, prioritize referenceable assets like proprietary or curated data and statistics and other content that provides information gain. (This is the essence of the passive link building guide we just wrote.) 3. Assess Link Opportunities with the Referral Traffic Principle One of the ways that Nathan thinks about backlinks is to ask: "Could this realistically send us traffic or drive a conversion?" If not, it's likely not worth your time. This single question can eliminate 80% of poor-quality link opportunities and push you to invest in higher ROI prospects, according to Nathan. 4. Go Slow & Strategic with Outreach For high-value sites (your Dream 100), treat outreach like relationship-building. Avoid the “hard sell”. 5. […]

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To be a quality PR, finding the correct journalist to target is a significant piece of the puzzle. But, even when you find the perfect fit, the new hunt begins: finding their correct email address. One of the most common ways is to use email address finder software. A quick Google search will help you find many. I have relied on tools like these daily—I even included one as a tip in our finding email addresses guide! However, some new research has got me second-guessing the accuracy of these tools. These tools are built for scaled sales outreach, not PR. For this study, we tested 553 journalist emails through email outreach tools. (See our methodology.) Here’s what we found: Only 38% of the emails found were correct after we cross-checked manually. 62% were either wrong (34%) or marked (28%) "not found." Of the wrong email addresses, 59% will never receive a bounce notification, even though the messages never reach the recipient. Of the tools that gave confidence scores, the average confidence score was 87.5, even though they were wrong one-third of the time. How Do Email Finder Tools Work? To understand what's going on here, let me briefly explain how email finder tools work. Most standard email finder tools use a combination of web scraping, data aggregation, and pattern prediction. 1. Scraping   One of the most common ways tools find addresses on the web is what we do manually. They check publicly listed email addresses on author pages, bylines, PDFs, and press releases. 2. Pattern Prediction Some tools rely on pattern prediction (email permutator, anyone?), which gives you a guess based on other commonly found emails on the domain. The problem there is that these are guesses. For example, we follow the [firstname]@buzzstream.com pattern. But if there were two Vinces […]

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In this episode of the BuzzStream podcast, I chat with Doug Downs, the principal at Stories and Strategies Podcast Productions. I first met Doug after checking out his podcast while researching the best PR podcasts on the web. Doug graciously invited me to appear on his podcast as a guest, which you can check out here. As Doug is an expert in all things podcasting, I figured picking his brain about pitching yourself or your clients to get on podcasts would be an excellent opportunity. Tune in to learn how to appear on podcasts and use them for brand awareness and link generation. Actionable Takeaways Here are some actionable takeaways from the conversation. First, here are some for aspiring podcast guests: 1. Ditch the Templates Generic mass-pitching doesn't work. Research the podcast, reference past episodes, and pitch a compelling episode idea that aligns with their audience. 2. Use Transcripts for Better Personalization You don't necessarily have to listen to an entire episode to personalize (although it’s probably better that you do). You can pull transcripts from Apple Podcasts or YouTube and have ChatGPT pull out key insights to help you tailor your pitch. 3. Prioritize Relevance Over Volume Mass pitching might land you spots on low-quality podcasts. Instead, focus on podcasts with engaged audiences relevant to your niche. 4. Gauge Podcast Quality with Tools Before pitching, use platforms like Listen Notes and Rephonic to check a show’s ranking and listenership. Then, here are some for those who are thinking of starting a podcast (or want to know how to make their’s better.) 5. Think of Your Podcast as a Gift, Not a Sales Pitch I love this concept. Content is a gift! This keeps it from sounding too commercial. Instead, use it to educate, entertain, and build relationships with your audience. 6. […]

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Getting links without needing to pitch anything is the dream. While it's not totally hands-off from an outreach perspective, the passive link building approach has spread like wildfire over the past few years. And there's a big reason why: it works. These data-driven posts can bring in relevant, authoritative links over time and supercharge a site’s authority. In this post, I will show you exactly how to do it and provide some examples of different industries. Use keywords that researchers search for when writing—like "[industry] statistics" or "[industry] trends". Trends, market analysis, and even interactive tools or calculators can attract passive links. Evaluate SERPs to ensure the top ranking posts get links to determine the keyword’s linkability. Use unique data—either uncovered through deep research, proprietary data, or created via surveys to boost linkability. Regional data can make outreach even more effective. While passive, this strategy greatly benefits from an initial outreach push. Refresh statistics and reports yearly to maintain rankings and attracts more backlinks. What is the Passive Link Building Approach? Passive link building is when you create an asset or post based on a keyword with high link intent, creating a flywheel that helps the post gain links and rank. High link-intent keywords are ones that researchers or bloggers search for online when writing their stories when looking for citations. The most common type of keyword is "statistics" but as you'll see, this approach is not limited to statistics posts. You can see trends, tools, and even definitional content getting links over time. A quick example is our link building statistics post. The keyword "link building statistics" gets 200 searches per month. Our post has garnered over 25 highly authoritative, relevant keywords since it was published in June 2024: As the post gains links, it ranks higher, which helps […]

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I met Amanda Walls, the founder/director of digital marketing agency Cedarwood Digital, at BrightonSEO last year, where we participated in a panel discussion. (She’s speaking at next month’s BrightonSEO as well!) My ears perked up when she mentioned that she was a former journalist. Any former journalist who has leaped into digital PR immediately gets my attention. Former journalists have a unique and valuable perspective on everything that we do because they know what it’s like to be on the other side. Amanda proved that in this chat. The first half is about her journey as a journalist into PR. The second is where we get some tactical information about pitch strategy, email crafting, and media list building. Don’t miss this one! Tell us a little bit about your path from journalist to PR Amanda: Yeah, sure. So, yeah, so I grew up in Australia. I was originally from Melbourne, so I grew up there. I did school. I did university. And then at my school, I think I went through that stage that a lot of people go through where I didn’t know what I wanted to do. So in Australia, what you do when you finish school is you put down kind of eight, uh, Uh, you know, of course topics that you want and mine couldn’t have been more varied. So I had like a journalism line. I had economics. I had commerce engineering. I had straight engineering. I had just like a general arts degree. I kind of put them all down. Um, and I remember when I looked at them, I was like, wow, I’m a really confused person right now. I don’t know. So I basically, I could have ended up as anything. I could have ended up as like an engineer. I could have […]

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