In 2024, Google’s algorithm updates have made it clear that brands sticking with outdated link-building tactics are risking more than just their rankings. As penalties and site removals become common, decision-makers are realizing that digital PR for SEO is now the standard for building real, lasting authority. If your competitors are outranking you in search, it’s likely because they’ve already adopted PR-first link building, leaving traditional approaches behind.
The Hidden Cost of Traditional Link Building in 2025
For years, brands leaned on mass guest posting, directory submissions, and reciprocal links to bolster SEO. But Google’s smarter algorithms have turned these once-common strategies into real liabilities.
Traditional link-building can quietly sabotage your search performance—and your bottom line.
Google’s March 2024 core update resulted in the deindexing of over 800 websites engaged in manipulative practices, a move that cost more than 20 million monthly organic visits (Search Engine Journal, 2024). These risks are heightened by Google’s 2024 expansion of spam policies to include expired domain abuse, scaled content abuse, and site reputation abuse, making it even harder for low-quality strategies to escape scrutiny.
For brands, recovering from these penalties is now a longer, costlier process than ever before. Making the switch to PR-driven methods isn’t just smart—it’s urgent. For more on the risks of outdated link-building tactics, see Avoiding Google Penalties: Why Real PR (Not Guest Post Link Schemes) Is the Only Safe Bet.
What Makes PR-First Link Building Different?
Forget mass outreach and paid placements—PR-first link building is about earning trust, credibility, and powerful editorial links that actually move the needle.
Here’s how PR-first stands out:
- Editorial link acquisition: Rather than chasing quick wins, this strategy secures genuine, journalist-placed links from high-authority publications—a method now seen as the industry’s most effective by nearly half of surveyed experts for 2025.
- Alignment with Google’s standards: By prioritizing earned media, PR-first link building naturally avoids SEO penalties for unnatural links.
- Brand authority building: Every campaign not only boosts search rankings but also elevates your reputation within your industry.
Sites that use manual, relationship-driven link-building methods are far less likely to be penalized by Google (Page One Power, 2024). This approach not only improves search visibility but also strengthens brand reputation for both users and search engines.
If you want to explore what separates true PR-first link building from commodity agencies, see PR-First Link Building: The Secret That Separates Champions from Commodity Agencies.
Why Google’s 2024 Algorithm Updates Changed the Game
It’s a question every SEO leader faces: How have Google’s latest updates shifted the rules for ranking and link building?
The March 2024 core update signaled a major shift. Google’s documentation removed the word “important” from its statement about links, reducing the emphasis on simple link volume as a ranking factor (Search Engine Journal, 2024). New spam policies now target expired domain abuse, scaled content, and site reputation abuse, penalizing manipulative schemes across the board (PageTraffic, 2024).
This was no minor update—over 800 sites were deindexed in the early rollout, representing 1.7% of those monitored and millions of lost monthly visits.
Google’s focus on content quality and relevance means shortcuts are now more likely to backfire.
As SEO expert Roger Montti explains, “The March 2024 Core Algorithm Update signifies a paradigm shift in how Google evaluates and weighs link signals, emphasizing the need for website owners to adapt by producing quality content and employing comprehensive SEO strategies” (Search Engine Journal, 2024).
For a deeper dive into Google’s latest spam policies, visit Why “Editorial PR” Is the Last Safe Haven for SEO in Google’s Anti-Spam Era (Update).
The Prism PR Process: Editorial Links That Move the Needle
How does Prism PR deliver results when other agencies fall short? The answer is a transparent, step-by-step approach that puts your brand’s authority first.
- Strategic Discovery: Every campaign starts with a deep dive into your market, uncovering stories and data that make your brand newsworthy.
- Editorial Content Creation: Our veteran journalists craft original, high-value assets designed for digital PR (for SEO) and to maximize E-E-A-T signals—never “menu” guest posts or low-quality sites.
- Targeted Outreach: These assets are pitched directly to editors and journalists at high-authority outlets.
- Editorial-Only Placement: Only natural, DA 50–90+ links count—never paid posts or directories.
- Pay-for-Performance: You pay only for delivered links, with transparent reporting at every stage.
Each step is designed to maximize both your authority and your long-term SEO value.
To see our full SEO link building process, visit our service page.
Mini Case Study: Editorial PR in Action for Real Brands
Brands that invest in PR-first strategies are seeing real-world results—even as traditional tactics lose ground.
A recent industry analysis of 7,105 link-building sites during Google’s March 2024 Helpful Content Update found that those relying on guest posting and low-quality outreach experienced a median organic traffic decrease of 97.37% (Paul Teitelman, 2024).
By contrast, brands focused on earned media backlinks from authoritative outlets, such as those secured through digital PR, maintained or even improved their search performance. Editorial links from outlets like Fox News (DA 94) and Chicago Tribune (DA 92) demonstrate the caliber of results that are possible.
For example, brands like PrettyLittleThing have earned hundreds of backlinks and coverage from global media through campaign-driven digital PR, not traditional link exchanges.
Explore more about earned media coverage and outcomes at Prism PR Successes.
Key Takeaways for Decision Makers: What to Do Next
Too many brands still cling to traditional link-building tactics, not realizing the risks until it’s too late.
Key takeaway: PR-first link building is now the safest, most future-proof path for building brand authority and maintaining search rankings.
2024’s updates mean shortcuts that once delivered fast results now deliver risks, while true authority-building is rewarded more than ever.
Choosing a PR-first partner is the most reliable way to future-proof your brand’s search performance.
For proven client successes and more on how editorial PR-first campaigns drive measurable results, visit Prism PR Successes.
Frequently Asked Questions About PR-First Link Building
What is E-E-A-T in SEO, and how does digital PR support it?
E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. Digital PR supports E-E-A-T by earning high-quality mentions and links from reputable sources—often through integrated influencer partnerships and cross-channel campaigns—demonstrating your brand’s authority and credibility to both users and search engines.
For more, see Beyond Backlinks: How Executive-Level Digital PR Shapes Brand Reputation and Rankings.
What are the risks of using outdated link-building tactics in 2025?
Traditional link-building tactics carry a growing risk of penalties and lost traffic, as evidenced by the March 2024 core update. Brands relying on manipulative link schemes are seeing dramatic traffic losses and, in some cases, complete deindexing.
How should brands adapt link building strategies for 2025?
The future is in link building strategies that emphasize relationship-driven outreach, editorial placements, and data-driven content—delivered through comprehensive digital PR campaigns.
Digital PR is a direct path to demonstrating E-E-A-T in SEO—an essential for ranking in 2025 and beyond.
The Future of Digital PR: Trends and Best Practices
The convergence of PR, SEO, and AI is changing how brands build authority online. The March 2024 Core Update specifically targeted low-quality, AI-generated content, reinforcing the need for human oversight and high-quality storytelling (Neil Patel, 2024).
Brands that integrate digital PR for SEO with content marketing and influencer strategies will be best positioned for the next wave of search.
Recent analysis shows that long-form content exceeding 3,000 words attracts substantially more backlinks, further proving that quality outperforms outdated tactics.
Data-driven, authentic narratives—and a focus on brand authority building—will separate winners from those left behind.
For a full playbook on holistic digital PR strategies, see From Earned Media to Search Rankings: The New Playbook for PR in the SEO Era.
References
- Search Engine Journal. (2024). Google’s March 2024 Core Update Impact: Hundreds Of Websites Deindexed. https://www.searchenginejournal.com/googles-march-2024-core-update-impact-hundreds-of-websites-deindexed/510981/
- Paul Teitelman. (2024). A 6-Month Study of the Potential Impact of Google’s March 2024 Helpful Content Update on Niche Sites. https://www.paulteitelman.com/a-6-month-study-of-the-potential-impact-of-googles-march-2024-helpful-content-update-on-niche-sites/
- PageTraffic. (2024). March 2024 Core Update: What You Need to Know. https://www.pagetraffic.com/blog/march-2024-core-update/
- Editorial Link. (2025). Link Building Statistics 2025. https://editorial.link/link-building-statistics/
- Neil Patel. (2024). Google March 2024 Algorithm Update: What You Need to Know. https://neilpatel.com/blog/google-march-2024-algorithm-update/