Your Digital PR Guide

As a home service business owner, you're already an expert at solving problems for your customers. But getting those customers to find you online? That's where digital marketing comes in.

You've probably heard terms like "SEO" and "digital PR" thrown around, but what do they actually mean for your plumbing, HVAC, or electrical business? This guide breaks down digital PR in plain English - no marketing jargon - so you can understand how it might help grow your business.

Whether you're just getting started with online marketing or looking to take your current efforts to the next level, this resource will help you make informed decisions about your marketing investment.

What is Digital PR?

Digital PR is like having a professional spokesperson for your business online. Instead of just hoping customers find you, Digital Shift actively gets your business featured in news articles, industry websites, and respected online publications.

Here's how it works: Digital Shift finds interesting stories about your business - maybe you just helped 1,000 customers, donated to a local charity, or have expert advice about common home problems. Then they reach out to journalists, bloggers, and industry websites to get them to write about you and include a link back to your website.

Why Digital PR Helps Your SEO (Search Rankings)

When Google sees that trusted websites are linking to your business, it's like getting a recommendation from a respected neighbor. Google thinks, "If these credible sites think this business is worth mentioning, they must be legitimate and helpful."

Here's what this means for your business:

Improved Results Timeline: While basic SEO improvements typically take 6-12 months, adding digital PR to your existing SEO strategy can help accelerate your progress, with initial improvements often visible in 4-6 months.

Quality Links: Digital Shift gets you featured on sites that Google actually respects - not sketchy websites that could hurt your rankings.

Become the Local Expert: When potential customers see you quoted in articles or featured in news stories, you become the trusted professional they want to call.

Builds on Itself: Each article or mention can make the next one easier to get, though this requires ongoing effort and investment.

When Digital PR Makes the Most Sense

Digital PR works best as an addition to solid SEO basics (like a good website, accurate Google listings, and customer reviews). It's particularly valuable in larger, more competitive markets where multiple businesses are fighting for the same customers and basic SEO alone may not be enough to stand out.

Real Example

Imagine you're a plumber who just completed your 1,000th service call. Digital Shift would turn that into a story about your commitment to the community and get it featured in local news sites and industry publications. When people search for "reliable plumber near me," Google sees all those quality websites linking to you, which can help improve your rankings compared to competitors who don't have that credibility.

Important Considerations

Newsworthiness Required: Not every business has ready-made stories that media outlets want to cover. Digital Shift works with you to identify or create newsworthy angles.

Investment Required: Digital PR requires ongoing budget and effort - results depend on consistent activity over time.

Works Best Combined: Digital PR supplements your core SEO strategy rather than replacing fundamental optimization work.

The Bottom Line

In competitive markets, digital PR gives you an additional edge by helping Google see your business as more trustworthy and authoritative. Think of it as the difference between quietly doing good work and having the whole neighborhood know you do good work. Both matter, but the second one can bring you more customers.

Results vary based on market competition, campaign consistency, and overall SEO health. Digital PR works best when combined with strong SEO fundamentals.