How to Avoid Bad PR Deals

E947: Most SEOs are building backlinks the wrong way.

I break down the backlink mistake almost every SEO makes: building links purely for rankings instead of credibility, referral traffic, and conversions.

This is inspired by a real Reddit post from a B2B SaaS founder who worked with multiple PR agencies, got burned by most of them, but still uncovered why good PR and good link building overlap more than people realize.

If you're building links that nobody sees, nobody clicks, and nobody trusts, this will change how you think about SEO.

What this covers: - Why backlinks without visibility rarely move the needle - The difference between brand mentions and real features - Why features convert better than most SEO campaigns - How PR shortens the sales cycle without touching your funnel - Why some nofollow links still matter - How high-authority publications increase trust even when users don't find you through them - The SEO value of credibility, branded searches, and referral traffic - Why most PR agencies fail and how to avoid getting stuck with one - What to look for in a publicist or link builder - How viral marketing and linkable assets outperform traditional link building - Using Product Hunt, BetaList, and simple web apps to earn links that actually convert - Why the best SEOs think like publicists

Key takeaway: The best backlinks don't just pass PageRank. They make people trust you before they ever talk to you.

If your link building strategy doesn't: - Drive referral traffic - Increase branded searches - Make conversions easier

Then you're leaving real results on the table.

This isn't about choosing PR instead of SEO. It's about learning the rules of publicity so your SEO actually works.

Who this is for: - SEOs building links for clients or their own sites - Founders doing SEO for B2B or SaaS companies - Marketers tired of backlinks that look good in reports but don't produce revenue - Anyone who wants SEO to support real business outcomes

If you want more on this, I go deep into link building that drives conversions inside my SEO course, Compact Keywords, including: - Links that are just links - Links that build credibility - Links that generate sales

⭐️ The Reddit comment - https://www.reddit.com/r/Entrepreneur/comments/15rpl5n/comment/jw9scyd/

💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/

00:00 Introduction: Maximizing Results with Backlinks 00:07 Backlinks vs. Publicists: A Tough Choice 00:52 The Power of a Good Publicist 01:05 Reddit Case Study: PR Agencies 02:21 PR Agencies: Hits and Misses 05:58 Unexpected Benefits of PR Campaigns 07:49 Key Takeaways and Advice 08:40 Combining SEO with Publicity and Viral Marketing 11:51 Conclusion

The Edward Show. The #1 search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/

#searchengineoptimization #linkbuilding #backlinks #publicrelations