Best Practices for Using the Relevancy Tool in Digital PR

Ever built a bunch of high-quality, high-authority links and still felt like something was missing? That missing piece is relevance. Google doesn’t just care about strong sites linking to you, it wants to know why. Is the link actually relevant to your content and brand? Does it back up your expertise? That’s exactly where our Relevancy Tool changes the game.

In digital PR, the conversation is almost always about "quality" links. Metrics like Ahrefs DR and Moz’s DA are go-to tools for any PR pro to measure this, but they only tell part of the story. What’s missing is a way to measure relevance. How do you measure how well a link actually fits a client’s brand and audience?

If you want to measure a site’s relevance and track your link-building strategy’s success, keep reading to learn more about our tool.

So, how do you use the Relevancy Tool to sharpen your PR strategy? Let’s break it down.

The Main Focus of This Tool Is to Improve Your Reporting

The Relevancy Tool really changes the game for reporting by adding a focus on relevance. We all know tools like DA and DR show a site’s strength, but they don’t tell you how well the content actually fits your client’s niche. 

By adding a relevance metric to your reports, clients can see exactly how each link is helping them reach their audience and how Google would view the link as proof that your client is an authority in their field. It’s about getting a link from a source that’s not just reputable and high-quality, but also relevant. Measuring relevance helps you show how valuable each link is, making your reports way more meaningful.

Google’s John Muller on relevant backlinks: 

“I don’t think we differentiate like that in our systems. From my point of view, I would tend not to focus on the total number of links to your site, or the total number of domain links to your website, because we look at links in a very different way.”

“We try to understand what is relevant for a website, how much should we weigh these individual links, and the total number of links doesn’t matter at all. Because you could go off and create millions of links across millions of websites if you wanted to, and we could just ignore them all.”

Source: Search Engine Journal

3 Key Ways Our Tool Can Strengthen Your Digital PR Strategy

1. Pinpoint your target domain list with the tool

According to Buzzstream’s State of Digital PR Report 2025, 60.7% of digital PRs have found it more challenging than ever to find relevant journalists for their digital PR campaigns.

Next time you create a press release, use our Relevancy Tool on the websites where you’ve already built links. This helps you see the most relevant links and decide if rebuilding them is worth it. Then run the tool on a competitor’s backlink gap analysis. It will help you to prioritise the sites that deserve extra attention with more personalised press releases.

We recently worked with a new client who initially lacked enough relevant links, which meant that while they had quality links, they weren’t demonstrating to Google that they were an authority in their sector. By focusing on securing fewer repeat links from domains the brand had been on before and prioritising new, relevant domains, we were able to secure 34 highly relevant links (along with several other ones). In just 5 months, alongside some on-site optimisations, they saw a +7.62% increase in organic sessions for the targeted PLP we were focusing on.

2. Build strong connections with journalists in these domains

After identifying your target websites, focus on building strong connections with the journalists at these sites. If our tool shows that a site is highly relevant to your client’s brand, these outlets are more likely to have an audience that aligns closely with yours. This makes them ideal partners for ongoing coverage and increases the chances of building a lasting PR relationship.

For example, we recently refreshed our target list for an interior client, honing in on the most relevant sites for coverage. We dedicated extra time to personalising emails and tailoring our approach. As a result, more journalists from these relevant domains have come back to us, asking for quotes for articles or even requesting full features on the brand’s new collections. This shows how spending a little more time on research and targeting the right outlets can make a real impact in the long run, saving you time later because journalists are now coming to you.

3. Create press releases tailored to the most relevant domains and their typical coverage

While many PR professionals rely on a core press release, adapting your pitch to match the tone and structure of each priority publication can make a big difference.

A great way to build relationships with outlets is by sending them content they genuinely want to write about, rather than the same press release you send to everyone. Tailor your press releases specifically to each website, referencing recent articles they’ve written on similar topics, sharing which articles you loved, and engaging with their content. 

A lot of digital PRs don’t bother referencing a journalist’s recent article in their email pitches - 47.4%, in fact! If you take the time to do this, you’ll really stand out to the publications that matter. An email pitch that feels like a natural fit for a publication’s content is far more likely to capture a journalist’s attention.

Using the Relevancy Tool isn’t just about improving your reporting and strategy; it’s about building genuine connections with the publications that matter for better SEO and reaching your target audience.

Want to start landing coverage that actually matters? Try the Relevancy Tool for free today and get smarter with your digital PR.