Analytics 10 min read

Measuring PR Success

PR is notoriously hard to measure, but that doesn't mean you can't track results. Here's how to measure what matters and prove the value of your PR efforts.

Last updated: January 2025 Includes 2 templates

The PR Measurement Challenge

PR is harder to measure than paid advertising because:

  • Results are often delayed and indirect
  • Attribution is complex (many touchpoints)
  • Brand value is hard to quantify
  • Vanity metrics can be misleading

The solution: track a mix of activity metrics, quality indicators, and business outcomes.

Coverage Metrics

Quantity Metrics

  • Number of placements: Total articles published
  • Share of voice: Your coverage vs competitors
  • Coverage by tier: Tier 1 vs Tier 2 vs Tier 3 publications

Publication Quality Tiers

  • Tier 1: TechCrunch, NYT, WSJ, Forbes, major nationals
  • Tier 2: Industry publications, respected blogs, regional business press
  • Tier 3: Local media, niche blogs, smaller outlets

Reach Metrics

  • Potential impressions: Publication's reach/circulation
  • Social shares: How widely the article was shared
  • Syndication: How many outlets picked up the story

Quality Assessment

Not all coverage is equal. Assess quality by:

Message Inclusion

  • Were your key messages included?
  • Was your spokesperson quoted?
  • Was your company the focus or just mentioned?

Sentiment

  • Positive: Favorable framing, endorsement
  • Neutral: Factual coverage, no opinion
  • Negative: Critical, unfavorable framing

Prominence

  • Headline mention vs body mention
  • Lead paragraph vs late reference
  • Featured image of your product/team

Link Quality

  • Did they include a link to your site?
  • Is it a dofollow or nofollow link?
  • Where does the link go (homepage vs specific page)?

Business Impact Metrics

Website Traffic

  • Referral traffic: Visitors from press coverage
  • Direct traffic spikes: Around coverage dates
  • Branded search: Searches for your company name

Lead Generation

  • Sign-ups from coverage sources
  • Demo requests mentioning the article
  • Inbound sales inquiries

Other Business Signals

  • Investor inbound interest
  • Recruiting pipeline quality
  • Partnership inquiries
  • Customer mentions of coverage

SEO Impact

One of the most measurable PR benefits is SEO improvement.

Backlink Acquisition

  • Number of new backlinks from coverage
  • Domain authority of linking sites
  • Anchor text quality

Domain Authority

  • Track DA/DR over time (Moz, Ahrefs)
  • Compare to competitors
  • Correlate with PR campaigns

Branded Search

  • Google Search Console brand queries
  • Google Trends for your brand name
  • Correlation with coverage timing

Setting Up Tracking

Google Analytics for PR

  • Set up UTM parameters for trackable links
  • Create a "PR" campaign source
  • Track referral traffic by publication
  • Set up goals for sign-ups/conversions

UTM Parameter Template

PR UTM Structure

?utm_source=[publication]&utm_medium=press&utm_campaign=[campaign-name]

Example: ?utm_source=techcrunch&utm_medium=press&utm_campaign=series-a-announcement

Coverage Monitoring

  • Google Alerts: Free, basic monitoring
  • Mention: Real-time monitoring ($)
  • Muck Rack: Comprehensive tracking ($$$)

Reporting Frameworks

Weekly PR Report

  • Coverage secured this week
  • Pitches sent / responses received
  • Notable wins or challenges
  • Next week priorities

Monthly PR Dashboard

Monthly Report Template

  • Coverage: X placements (Y Tier 1, Z Tier 2)
  • Reach: X potential impressions
  • Traffic: X visitors from PR sources
  • Backlinks: X new links acquired
  • Leads: X attributable sign-ups
  • Highlights: Top 3 coverage wins
  • Pipeline: Stories in progress

Quarterly Review

  • Coverage trends over time
  • Share of voice vs competitors
  • SEO impact analysis
  • Business impact assessment
  • Strategy adjustments

Tools for PR Measurement

Free Tools

  • Google Alerts — Basic mention monitoring
  • Google Analytics — Traffic tracking
  • Google Search Console — Search performance
  • Social media native analytics

Paid Platforms

  • Muck Rack — Comprehensive PR platform
  • Cision — Enterprise media monitoring
  • Mention — Real-time monitoring
  • Ahrefs/Moz — Backlink and SEO tracking

DIY Spreadsheet Approach

For early-stage startups, a well-organized spreadsheet tracking coverage, links, and traffic spikes can be sufficient.