The Digital PR Playbook reviewed

As anyone working in digital PR will testify, keeping up with social media trends and SEO (search engine optimisation) is no mean feat. Yet many brands remain confused by the benefits of digital PR and how it can improve their search rankings or drive organic traffic. 

The Digital PR Playbook has been written by the team at JBH, a digital PR and SEO agency based in Manchester and London. 

Different members of the agency’s staff have been tasked with writing chapters. These flow nicely, starting with an introduction to digital PR, its differences with traditional public relations and where the two overlap in terms of brand building.

Wisely the authors show themselves as thought leaders and refrained from turning the book into a 200-page sales pitch. 

The book explains how digital PR brings together traditional public relations and content marketing with SEO. It provides solid insight into targeted link building, measurement and what you need to swiftly react to breaking news, trends or crises.

In her introduction, co-founder Jane Hunt, is in honest in her assessment that this is a critical time for digital PR. Some agencies have closed their digital PR departments. And there’s huge interest and speculation of AI’s capabilities.

As Jane writes, “TikTok search is threatening Google’s patch”.

There’s already speculation as to whether Google’s AI-powered search experience (SGE) could spell the end to digital PR and link-building. (Hunt doesn’t think organic search and the role of backlinks can dismantled that quickly.)

But we do know that Google is focusing on quality content.

It’s clear from the outset that digital PR isn’t a quick win – so if you or your organisation like to buy links, this mightn’t be such a pleasant read. Hunt acknowledges that some brands may be put off by the initial investment in digital PR which, “unlike PCC [pay per click], might not provide an immediate ROI.”

In a sector that swims in acronyms, it’s refreshing to see the authors taking time to unwrap jargon too. 

The chapter on backlink architecture, for example, succinctly explains the different types of backlinks and how to achieve a successful backlink campaign.

Ditto the section on domain authority vs domain rating where the writer takes a novel of approach at breaking them down with a series of analogies. (“The more popular parties you’re invited to, the cooler you are,” as way of describing Ahrefs – an SEO tool designed to help people get higher Google rankings – brought a smile to this reviewer’s face.)

Hero campaigns are well covered by explanation of their potential to capture the public’s imagination and prove game changing for brands. While emphasising the need for strong ideas, creation and originality the author makes the strong case for having robust data, attention-grabbing design and captivating copy too.

In covering the importance of newsjacking to digital PR, the book recognises the challenges that practitioners face: competitors consuming the same news outlets, issues around timing and the rewards of having a journalist link back to a client’s website. Fortunately, there’s a handy step-by-step guide to persuading clients to sign off quickly on newsjacking opportunities.

The Digital PR Playbook is a refreshing and practical guide that will appeal to those working within the sector and those practitioners wanting to learn more.

• The Digital PR Playbook is available on Amazon (£18.75)