How Search-Focused Digital PR Drove a 750% Revenue Increase and 300+ Press Placements [Case Study]
Earned media has become essential for AI search. AI systems like ChatGPT and Google’s AI Overviews prioritize editorial sources that are independently trusted, using them to validate information. Editorial coverage accounts for 61% of AI-generated responses, which proves that media mentions directly influence AI visibility and authority. In this case study, we’ll show you how we helped an investment platform grow revenue through a focused digital PR campaign. The results? We saw a 750%+ increase in revenue from £1.5k to £12.9k/month. Our PR campaign was picked up by more than 300 publications including Google, Yahoo, Bing News, AP News, EIN Presswire, National Law Review and more. And from the start of the campaign, organic traffic more than doubled. The site also saw over 1k visits from LLMs like ChatGPT and Gemini during this period. You’ll learn: To start, here’s some context about the client and the situation that brought them to us. The Challenge The client is a financial investment platform who were looking to expand their visibility and presence in the UK market. They weren’t struggling because they lacked expertise or great content. They had both, and a history of results to prove it. The problem was that search had changed around them, and their visibility hadn’t kept up. On-site work had taken them as far as it could for now. To move forward, they needed something that would extend their reach beyond their own site, build their reputation in places where their audience was actually paying attention, and give AI search systems the kind of third-party validation they are actively looking for. What they needed was a digital PR campaign with a search-first strategy. They didn’t have a system for generating press coverage. They hadn’t built relationships with the publications their audience trusted. And they had no process for turning their internal expertise into the kind of newsworthy stories that get picked up, linked to, and cited by AI search tools. That’s where we came in. What Is Digital PR? Before we get into the mechanics of what we did, it’s worth clarifying what we mean by digital PR. It’s often confused as part of traditional marketing, but they’re not the same thing and that difference is what makes this approach effective. Marketing is the content you publish on your website, social channels, email list, or any other owned channel. You control the message, the timing, and the format. Everything is tightly moderated. If something doesn’t land, you tweak it and try again. Digital PR (also known as online public relations) is different. It’s about building your brand’s visibility and reputation by earning coverage, high-quality backlinks, and positive mentions across trusted digital platforms. In short: marketing speaks to your own audience, PR speaks to someone else’s: through publications, journalists, bloggers, or creators they already trust. That “earning” is key. You can’t buy credibility, you have to deserve it. In practice, digital PR usually involves creating genuinely newsworthy content (such as original research or data-led stories), building relationships with journalists and publishers, pitching relevant stories through strategic outreach, and monitoring brand mentions to manage your reputation. For example, Vanarama ran a digital PR campaign where they created an interactive 3D rendering of what an Apple Car might look like based on publicly available patents. By giving journalists and tech bloggers something unique and visual to cover, the campaign was picked up by outlets like HypeBeast, Mashable, and Tech Times. These are all high domain authority sites whose links provide value and whose validation means something. Done well, digital PR increases both visibility and credibility, and because it often results in authoritative backlinks, it also strengthens your presence in search results. Why Does It Matter More Than Ever For Search? Traditional SEO has always valued backlinks as a ranking signal, but the nature of these signals has evolved. A link from a high-authority editorial source carries significant weight, signaling to Google that a trusted third party deems your content credible. Earned coverage, not paid placement, remains one of the most reliable ways to boost domain authority and long-term ranking potential. With the rise of AI search, the importance of this is only accelerating. In fact, global communications firm Edelman has described the current moment as the “Golden Age of Earned”, driven by the rise of AI search and generative discovery. As AI systems increasingly pull answers from credible third-party sources, editorial coverage, expert commentary and independent recommendations are becoming the signals that shape visibility online. Large language models like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews don’t just pull answers from your website. They synthesize information from across the web and are heavily biased toward trusted sources. Right now, that trust is built through the kind of third-party validation PR provides: editorial coverage, independent brand mentions, expert commentary, and research cited across authoritative domains. Here’s an example… If you ask ChatGPT: What are the key trends in remote work technology that experts are predicting will define 2026? The tool names Advanced AI and Automation Integration as the first trend, and the cited source is this press coverage of Zoom’s AI Companion feature. There’s data to back it up too. Research into AI citation patterns by Hardnumbers shows that editorial media is the most influential source of information, making up 61% of the total responses generated by LLMs. When AI systems see your brand mentioned and recommended across the internet, whether in newspapers, industry publications, niche media, or expert roundups, they begin to treat you as an authority worth citing. Take Caraway as an example, they regularly appear in AI answers to queries like “best ceramic cookware set.” A key reason for this is the brand frequently featuring in high-authority editorial lists from publications such as Good Housekeeping, Food & Wine, and Taste of Home. When AI systems generate recommendations, they often cite these articles, so the brands mentioned in them are far more likely to appear in the final AI-generated answer. If they don’t see your brand, they’re likely to recommend your competitor. This is why digital PR and search are now more closely intertwined than ever. A search-first approach to PR, which prioritizes link equity, brand signals, and AI citation patterns from the outset, is one of the highest-value investments a business can make in 2026. Executing a Successful Digital PR Campaign Here’s how we approached this, step by step, and how you can apply the same process. When Digital PR is Right for Your Business Digital PR can drive massive value for the right businesses, but it’s not always the right move at every moment. To avoid wasting resources, time, and potentially damaging relationships, make sure you’re prepared for a successful PR push. Key Indicators You’re Ready for Digital PR 1. A Unique, Credible Point of View – Does your business offer a perspective only you can provide? Journalists are always looking for fresh insights. It doesn’t need to be controversial, but it should be something that stands out and adds value. For example, Direct Apply ran a campaign called “The Future Worker”, where they imagined what remote workers might look like in 25 years with eye-catching visuals. That unique angle got picked up by high Domain Authority outlets including HuffPost and The Daily Mail, generating widespread coverage and backlinks because it offered a fresh perspective tied directly to their brand and audience. If your perspective is unique and directly tied to your experiences, this is a strong indicator that you’re ready to pitch. 2. Strong, Shareable Assets – If you’ve got research reports, case studies, or high-quality visuals waiting in the wings, that’s PR gold. Journalists are always looking for content they can easily incorporate into their work. If you can offer them something they’d otherwise have to create themselves, you’re ahead of the curve. For example, SoundCloud publishes an annual report full of original data about the most interesting music scenes and consumption trends. This kind of report earns hundreds of backlinks and wide media coverage each year because it gives journalists ready-made insights and stats they can reference. 3. A Big Upcoming Event or Moment – A product launch, company rebrand, or milestone anniversary creates a natural hook for the media. For example, when Apple unveils its latest iPhone model each year, the announcement becomes major global news. Journalists from tech, business, and mainstream outlets all cover the launch because it’s a highly anticipated event with immediate relevance and news value, resulting in thousands of media mentions and huge earned media exposure. These are the kinds of moments journalists love, as they have an immediate relevance and news value. This news hook can dramatically increase the likelihood of media coverage. 4. Restrictions on Paid Advertising – Businesses in regulated industries often face restrictions on how they can advertise, making earned media (PR) a vital strategy. For example, medical cannabis provider Curaleaf Clinic tested street‑sourced cannabis for contaminants and turned the findings into a high‑visibility safety story that was picked up by the NY Post. If you Read More Read More
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