Method summary
The Public Evidence Score rates each provider from observable public evidence alone on stated access dates. Coverage records the observed share of the method, and providers appear in the ranking only at coverage of seventy or more. The category rank score blends that score with category evidence: the offer page, published price or scope, samples and terms. The full specification sits on the methodology page linked here as Methodology for reference.
What digital PR services include
Digital PR in this context is earned media outreach that wins editorial coverage with links on news sites. Campaigns typically combine research studies, creative assets, journalist pitching and pickup reporting for clients. Fractl states that it runs data-driven campaigns with in-house research and journalist pitching.4 Siege Media states that its digital PR creates and promotes content from a stated monthly figure.5 Aira states that its managed digital PR runs on retainers from about £3,000 per month.6 Click Intelligence lists digital PR at £3,500 for five links and £10,500 for fifteen.7 PressHERO lists digital PR plans from $8,880 to $15,000 per month with guaranteed placements.8 The HOTH lists digital PR bundles at $1,500 for five links and $3,995 for fifteen.9 Offer forms range from monthly retainers and link bundles through to quote-only campaign studios. Published retainers, rate cards and case studies separate full category offers from passing mentions.
Pricing across the category
Published digital PR prices stretch from about $300 per placement to $25,000 for flagship pushes.73 74 FATJOE lists media placements from $300 per placement for DR50-plus sites picked from a catalogue.73 LinkPanda lists a single DR80-plus link at $600 with campaign rates at $580 and $550.75 PressHERO lists Sidekick at $8,880, Champion at $11,700 and Titan at $15,000 per month.8 Reporter Outreach lists Starter at $3,000, Growth at $6,000 and Elite at $12,000 per month.76 Ranko Media lists Normal at $5,000, Heroic at $10,000 and Legendary at $25,000 per campaign.74 Reboot Online lists a monthly digital PR retainer from £3,500 with design included.77 Link Building HQ lists Starter at $3,500 and Amplifier at $10,000 for digital PR.38 Quote-only studios publish no unit price, which leaves bespoke campaigns outside direct per-link comparison. The benchmark medians behind the price basket come from the published cohort figures above.
How buyers evaluate digital PR providers
Buyers compare campaign method first, since data studies, reactive press offices and creative stunts suit different goals. Research depth signals quality, because original surveys and proprietary data earn pickups that thin stories miss. Guarantee language needs reading, since guaranteed placements, link counts and pickup volumes promise different things. Pre-approval splits the cohort, since some sellers hold every angle and placement while wires confirm copy only. A pre-approval route for angles and placements, where offered, gives buyers control before pitching. Link attributes shape outcomes, because editorial links are usually dofollow while wire copies default to nofollow. The nofollow page explains how paid and syndicated links are qualified for search engines. Samples take the form of coverage books and live articles, which buyers open to confirm outlet, link and anchor. Turnaround expectations stay modest on proactive work, since research, production and pitching span several months. Terms pages reveal replacement cover, refund routes and excluded niches, which together show how much risk the buyer keeps. Authority floors with traffic screens help buyers compare placement calibre across sellers with different metrics. The organic traffic floors page explains how sellers screen domains for real visitor volume. A replacement guarantee rounds out buyer protection wherever live links can drop after publication. For context on adjacent outreach, buyers compare journalist requests and press release links alongside campaigns.
Risks and search-engine policy
Google's spam policies state that manipulative practices can lead to lower rankings or removal from search results.78 Google asks that paid placements and advertisements carry sponsored, UGC or nofollow attributes on outbound links.79 Earned coverage from genuine stories sits outside paid-link rules, but disclosure still matters wherever money changes hands. Undisclosed paid links risk policy action, and transparent sourcing with honest credentials reduces that exposure. Quoted wording carries reputational risk, since inaccurate claims travel under the client name across major outlets. For background on risky tactics, the link spam page defines schemes that search engines penalise. Acceptance rates stay journalist-controlled, so no seller can promise coverage volumes without misleading buyers. Short campaign windows can therefore end with few placements, which monthly minimums make expensive per link. Syndicated copies of earned stories can outrank the original, which dilutes branded search results for a time.
Why some providers are listed but not ranked
A provider appears in the ranked table only when evidence coverage reaches seventy on the hundred-point method scale. Coverage sums the weights of criteria the graders could observe, so thin public evidence keeps a provider below the line. Such providers appear under a listed-not-ranked block that names the missing criteria beside each name. The block therefore records observation limits rather than judgements on the quality of unranked offers. Publishing the missing evidence is the route into the table, and later scoring rounds reassess every provider afresh. Studios folding PR into wider retainers clear the price gap only with a published unit definition.
Method note
Dedicated campaign pages usually name research, assets and pitching outright, which makes the working model unusually transparent. Billing centres on retainers and bundles, with unit counts published beside the headline prices. Pre-approval splits the cohort, since editors set the pace while buyers value control over angles.
Limitations
As of September 2026, public evidence cannot show acceptance rates, since journalists alone choose which stories earn coverage. Outlet calibre stays firmly editor-controlled, so deliverables vary well beyond what product pages describe. Scores change as public evidence changes, so later scoring rounds may reorder the table below.
Frequently asked questions
How much does digital PR cost?
A single placement costs between about $300 for catalogue media links and about $600 for DR80-plus campaign links.73 75 Monthly retainers run from about £3,000 for managed campaigns to $15,000 for flagship programmes.6 8 Bundle pricing cuts unit cost, with fifteen-link packs listed near $4,000 in the published rate card.9
What does a digital PR campaign include?
A campaign typically includes research, asset production, media pitching and coverage reporting with links. Reactive press offices answer journalist queries daily, while proactive studios launch studies on a slower cadence. Coverage books and live articles document the resulting placements for buyers to inspect closely.
How long does digital PR take?
Proactive campaigns span several months from initial research through production to pitching and coverage. Stated results timelines of two to three months appear across several different category pages. Reactive placements land faster, since editors pick complete responses to live journalist queries each day.
Are digital PR links dofollow?
Editorial links from earned coverage are usually dofollow, while wire copies default to nofollow. Buyers confirm the attribute on each live placement directly rather than assuming uniformity across channels. The nofollow page explains how paid and syndicated links are qualified for search engines today.
What does pre-approval mean for campaigns?
Pre-approval means the buyer reviews campaign angles, target lists or placements before pitching or publication. Some sellers hold every angle while wires confirm copy only, so buyers compare the exact step. Full campaign design approval with agency stakeholders always suits regulated brands best in practice.
How are providers scored?
The Public Evidence Score rates each provider from observable public evidence alone on stated access dates. Coverage records the observed share of the method, and the category rank score blends that score with category evidence. The full method sits on the methodology page, which defines every criterion and weight.
How often does the ranking table update?
Scoring runs in rounds, and each round carries an identifier recording the month and sequence. A rescore is always a new round rather than an edit of an older table. Later scoring rounds can reorder the table below as public evidence changes over time.
What does listed, not ranked mean?
The label means the provider's evidence coverage sits below seventy on the hundred-point method scale. Such providers appear in a separate block naming the missing criteria beside each name. Publishing the missing evidence remains the only public route into the ranked table below.
Do digital PR sellers guarantee coverage?
Guarantee language varies widely, with placements, link counts and pickup volumes promising different things. No seller controls editors, so coverage volumes without qualification mislead buyers badly every time. Monthly minimums make thin campaign windows expensive, which careful buyers weigh fully before signing.
How is a factual correction requested?
Corrections go through the provider named on the page, using the public contact route shown beside the article. The request states the page, the sentence at issue and the replacement wording with its source. Later scoring rounds reassess the page in full once the underlying public evidence changes.
See also