The Hybrid PR: Storytelling Meets SEO

By Abi Bennetts, Digital Account Director

One of my favourite things about working in the weird but wonderful land of digital PR is that no two weeks (or even two days) look the same. One moment you’re deep in backlink reports and link reclamation, and the next you’re organising media and influencer invitations for an experiential activation in central London.

But while I get to enjoy the perks of both traditional and digital PR roles in my day-to-day, over the years, PR has split into two very distinct camps.

On one side, you’ve got the digital PRs - or what used to be called link-builders. These are PRs who live for DA, search rankings, and live or die by a follow or nofollow link. They’ve nailed the art of data-led storytelling, pulling insights from Google Trends, commissioning quirky surveys, and whipping up interactive maps - all designed to earn those juicy high-authority backlinks.

On the other side, there are the traditional PRs: the OG storytellers. They’re all about brand reputation, media relations, and crafting narratives that stick. They know how to get a CEO quoted in The Times, and why genuine journalist relationships will never be replaced by an AI-powered outreach list.

Both groups are absolutely brilliant at what they do, but here’s the catch:

Digital PRs who have no ‘traditional’ tactics as part of their PR strategy risk getting stuck in the vanity metrics, and producing campaigns that are link machines - but may lack strong brand relevance and broader audience reach.

Meanwhile, traditional PRs lacking SEO or digital expertise risk securing online coverage in top-tier publications without a link, missing valuable opportunities to build authority and online visibility for their clients.

And as AI reshapes search, PR is no longer defined by backlinks or print mentions. It’s about earning trust, shaping conversations around your key topics and products and ultimately, and creating brands with visibility across all platforms.

And that’s where the hybrid PR comes in.

So what is a hybrid PR?

I believe the future of PRs will be the ‘hybrids’ who can switch between talking about SERPs and share of voice without missing a beat. Who can show you how a campaign boosted organic traffic, but also why it mattered for brand reputation?

It’s the sweet spot between numbers and narrative - and it’s exactly what I love about being a digital PR working at a ‘traditional’ PR agency.

Because yes, links and domain authority are great, and being able to prove to a client that PR has a tangible impact on business performance and organic rankings is essential.

But stories also matter. They build trust, they shape reputations, and they often - quite literally stop people in the streets. They make people feel something - and if a campaign doesn’t do that? Well, it’s probably not going to be remembered beyond this quarter’s reporting cycle.

So what is a hybrid PR?

The media landscape has transformed dramatically over the last decade. Securing a newspaper mention or stacking mid-DA links isn’t enough anymore. With content flooding every channel and journalists more stretched than ever, the fight for attention has reached new heights, and PR professionals need to make sure their campaigns are working harder than ever.

Those PR professionals who embrace broader skill sets - combining creativity, data, and top-of-class media relations will be the ones who not only survive, but thrive. Similarly, agencies that invest in hybrid talent will have the edge. Brands will get better campaigns (the kind that deliver both measurable results and lasting reputation impact), and people in our industry will future-proof themselves, instead of getting pigeonholed into one side or the other.

My advice to wannabe hybrids

The PR leader of tomorrow won’t fit neatly into the box of ‘digital’ or ‘traditional’. They’ll be a hybrid: part digital analyst, part media relations guru - 100% storyteller.

So if you’re still doing something just for a link, or a high AVE piece of broadcast coverage, you’re missing the bigger picture. Because yes, links drive visibility. But stories drive meaning. And in the noisy, always-on world we’re working in, we need both.