The entire approach to link building is changing, and not only for SaaS brands. Today, SEO is not only about ranking high in search engines. You also have to be visible in LLMs and other AI systems. That’s why most SEO experts are rethinking their off-page optimization, including how they use guest posting and digital PR.
While both are effective tactics that can help your SaaS business become more visible online, they work differently. And depending on your ultimate goal, the choice between these two strategies may vary. Let’s figure out exactly what you need in this guide.
- To rank in search engines, prioritize guest posting. It gives you more control over dofollow backlink placements.
- To be visible in AI tools, focus on digital PR. It gives you more opportunities to get mentioned across multiple credible sources.
- Combine both link-building strategies to maximize your link-building results. This also helps you improve both search rankings and brand visibility.
- Use press release distribution and guest posting services to simplify the outreach process and save time.
Guest posting vs. digital PR at a glance
Essentially, both strategies mean getting your brand, content, or product/service mentioned on other websites. In the link-building context, businesses typically use these tactics to get backlinks and improve topical authority. But the goals can differ, especially in the AI search age.
Here is a quick breakdown of the main similarities and differences between the two link-building strategies:
| What is the difference? | Digital PR | Guest posting |
|---|---|---|
| Who writes the content? | Journalists | You or the writers you hire or outsource |
| Type of content | Press release or article about your newsworthy story (survey, research, etc.) | Blog posts, listicles, guides, comparisons, etc. |
| Outreach target | Journalists, reporters, editors, and relevant publications | Editors, content managers, website owners, SEOs, and writers on other sites |
| Link placement | Depends on the publication and its editorial decisions | Can be discussed during editorial planning |
| Link attribute | In most cases, nofollow | In most cases, dofollow |
| Best for | Building broader brand awareness and earning media coverage | Reaching a specific niche audience and improving your SEO |
In terms of workflow, bringing these strategies to life can be quite similar. Both involve finding relevant websites, getting contacts, outreaching, pitching, and so on. That’s why you can often outsource these processes to the same agency or freelancers.
And if you’re wondering which one is harder, it really depends. Both tactics can offer easier ways to get backlinks. But there are also situations where getting them is almost impossible. It all depends on the website itself, not the tactic you choose. Usually, the higher the DR, the more difficult it is to get a backlink.
How do these link building strategies work for SaaS?
Guest posting
This link building strategy for SaaS works pretty much the same as in any other niche. It’s a process where other websites publish content that mentions your SaaS company and includes a link to your site. In most cases, you are the one who needs to write this content. This can be:
- Educational blog posts in your niche
- Comparison articles
- Listicles (a good format to get high-quality mentions)
- Guides and checklists
The link placement is usually discussed with the website beforehand. Most of the time, agreements end up with a dofollow link. This link lets Google pass ranking signals, which is especially useful if you want to rank higher in search results.
The most important thing here is to find relevant websites with good SEO metrics. If you get a dofollow link from a spammy website unrelated to your niche, it can be harmful. Especially if the site has a very low domain authority and links to gray niches.
Digital PR
This strategy has become much more diverse than just getting mentioned in press releases. It can include podcast collaborations, getting mentioned on Reddit, and other ways to get your brand noticed. But in link building, PR is mainly about getting coverage in publications related to your niche.
Unlike guest blogging, you usually don’t write the content yourself. Instead, publications cover your existing content because they find it worth sharing. This can be a survey, original research, or another newsworthy piece of content.
There are two main ways to get such coverage:
- Reach out to journalists and publications directly.
- Use press release distribution platforms such as PR Newswire or EIN Presswire.
Another important thing to keep in mind is that PR works a bit differently from guest blogging. It doesn’t guarantee a backlink, even if a publication decides to cover your content. Sometimes, they may add a nofollow link, while other times, they may mention your brand without linking to your website at all.
But this doesn’t mean these mentions have no value. They can still improve brand awareness and contribute to building your topical relevance. With the growing use of AI tools, brand mentions can also help make your company more visible in AI search results.
Outreach strategy: How does it actually work for both tactics
To get backlinks through either strategy, you first need to do outreach. SaaS companies can’t skip this step if they handle the entire link-building process themselves.
Digital PR outreach
- Prepare something worth covering. This can be original research, survey results, interesting and unique data, and any other newsworthy content. The main point here is to give journalists a reason to write.
- Find relevant publications. Look for publications that regularly write press releases or articles in your niche.
- Find journalist contacts and write a personalized pitch. When writing an email, focus on some truly interesting findings and why they matter to the publication’s audience. Keep it short and show that you really care about this opportunity.
Guest posting outreach
- Find relevant websites. Search for websites that accept SaaS guest blog posts. You can use search queries like “your topic” + “write for us” to make the process faster.
- Check the website’s SEO metrics and content. When you find a relevant website, make sure it has good SEO performance and trustworthiness across the web.
- Pitch specific blog post ideas. Once you have an idea of what the website usually writes about, think of related topics you could cover. Then, offer them in a personalized email.
It’s impossible to get a 100% reply rate for every email you send. The whole outreach process can take a lot of time and effort as part of your overall link-building strategy. But if you’re aiming to get high-quality backlinks, it can be worth it.
Still, if you want to simplify the process, there are PR and guest blogging services available. They can help you find relevant websites and, in some cases, handle the outreach process as well.
Which strategy to choose based on your goal
SaaS companies may have different goals at different stages. And depending on the objective, one strategy may be more useful than the other. Here is a more detailed breakdown.
Increase visibility in AI tools
Winner: Both
If your goal is to increase your visibility in AI tools and AI Overviews, digital PR can help. AI tools often recommend brands that are mentioned across multiple credible sources. So, the more your brand appears in relevant and credible publications, the more likely it is to be included in AI answers.
But it doesn’t mean guest blogging can’t help here, too. In some cases, your brand can also be mentioned directly in guest posts, beyond just getting a link. This is especially true for formats like listicles and comparison articles.
Rankings
Winner: Guest posting
But if your goal is to improve your rankings in search engines, PR may not be the most direct approach. Instead, guest blogging can be more useful here. Getting backlinks from relevant and high-authority websites is one of the best ways to help boost your rankings in Google.
Brand mentions and brand exposure
Winner: Digital PR
If your goal is to introduce your SaaS company to more potential customers, digital PR can be more useful. You can use it in many different ways to earn media coverage, for example:
- Getting your SaaS company mentioned in relevant media outlets
- Appearing on niche podcasts
- Getting featured on expert websites and social media
- Joining discussions in communities like Reddit
All these approaches can also be part of your link-building strategy. Of course, in most cases, these will be nofollow links. But if your goal is to get as many brand mentions and as much brand awareness as possible, this may not be the most important thing.
Combine both
Both strategies can bring different benefits for your SaaS marketing. Guest blogging gives you more control over link placement, while PR helps you get more brand mentions and exposure across different platforms.
But the biggest impact usually comes when you combine both strategies and use them at the same time. By combining both, you can work on your search rankings while also increasing your brand visibility in front of new audiences and for AI tools.
