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Measuring What Really Matters in Modern PR

Illustration of multiple pieces of data and analytics from good, modern PR practices, resulting in more traffic towards a client's website.

The Holy Grail of public relations (PR) has always been proving the ROI of quality press coverage. How do you know if the time and investment being put into a proactive PR strategy is actually driving results? The default answer—increased awareness—has long felt nebulous and incomplete. At BNO, we believe the true value of PR goes beyond impressions and clicks. Yes, data matters, but so does the quality of the work, the sentiment it conveys, and how well it aligns with your brand’s mission and values. A thoughtful, data-informed approach to PR creates lasting impact—beyond increased visibility.

The challenge with traditional PR measurement

In today’s landscape, where teams are expected to do more with fewer resources and dwindling budgets, proving ROI is critical. Yet, when it comes to public relations, measurement has traditionally focused on top-of-funnel metrics like awareness, rather than direct impact on revenue. PR often gets grouped with content marketing and SEO as brand-building efforts while digital marketing channels like social media and paid media sit closer to the middle of the funnel, where performance is tracked through hard numbers. This can make PR seem less quantifiable—but that doesn’t mean it’s less valuable.

The truth is that PR requires a smarter, more strategic approach to measurement—one that adapts to shifting goals, leaner teams, and fast-changing market conditions. At BNO, our agility allows us to rise to this challenge. We tailor metrics, pivot strategies, and evolve quickly to meet clients where they are, helping them prove value even when traditional benchmarks fall short.

The problem with awareness is that more awareness does not necessarily generate better outcomes. Despite the old adage “all press is good press,” not all publicity is created equal. Simply generating buzz doesn’t guarantee engagement, trust, or business growth.

A headline in a national outlet might look impressive, but if it doesn’t resonate with your audience, align with your values, or drive any meaningful action, its impact is limited. That’s why we prioritize measuring not only how many people saw your message, but what did they do with it? Did it drive traffic to your site? Spark positive sentiment? Did the latest article prompt additional media interest or new opportunities for thought leadership?

Real success isn’t just being seen—it’s being remembered, trusted, respected, and most importantly, acted upon

Metrics that matter

Our PR pros work in tandem with our analytics team to develop custom PR measurement dashboards that provide a clearer, more actionable picture of PR performance than even the leading wire services provide. These dashboards help our clients understand not only if their message is getting out—but how well it’s landing with target audiences. Here are a few of the key indicators we track:

Content score

Each media mention is assigned a custom content score that measures overall impact. The proprietary algorithm is part of our secret sauce. The precise formula for this content score may differ from client to client, depending on their individual goals, but is typically calculated by weighing the following components:

  • Authority: This evaluates the credibility and reach of each outlet. Is it a top-tier national media target with broad influence, or a niche industry trade that reaches a highly targeted audience? Both can be valuable, but in different ways.
  • Sentiment: This analyzes the tone of the coverage—positive, neutral, or negative—to understand how the message may shape perception and credibility. (Some may claim “all press is good press,” but we prefer not to test that theory.)
  • Quality: A simple mention of your organization in an article carries less weight than a dedicated feature, a leadership-authored thought piece, or a detailed spotlight on a product, service, or company.
  • Messaging: This measures alignment with key goals. Press coverage that highlights your priority business areas scores higher than coverage that may miss the mark on your key messages.

These components combine to offer a more nuanced view of performance—not just where you showed up, but how meaningful that coverage really was. And because we’re able to identify high-performing content patterns, we can apply those insights to inform future pitches, prioritize the right media targets, and continuously sharpen our strategy.

Along with evaluating the quality and alignment of media mentions, we closely monitor referral traffic and downstream engagement to measure the real-world ripple effect of each placement. Referral traffic, website visits that come directly from an article or outlet link, helps us connect media exposure to site behavior and lead activity. Additionally, when outlets share articles on social media, we track engagement such as likes, comments, and shares to understand whether the content is sparking conversation.

In some cases, coverage can lead to follow-up inquiries from journalists or editors, or even new media opportunities, which we also track to capture extended PR value. These signals provide further insight into what’s resonating—and help shape what we do next.

Share of voice

Share of Voice (SOV) is a critical metric that puts your PR performance in context by measuring how visible your brand is compared to key competitors in your industry. Rather than looking at your coverage in isolation, SOV reveals what percentage of the overall conversation you own versus your competitors, giving you a clearer picture of your relative market position.

We work closely with our clients to identify 3-5 of their most important competitors. What makes SOV particularly valuable is its ability to show where you’re leading (or lagging) in specific verticals or markets, and also help spot emerging competitors gaining momentum in your space.

Referral traffic

Referral traffic can provide one of the most tangible connections between PR efforts and business outcomes. By tracking where your website traffic originates, we can directly attribute visitor engagement to specific media placements and measure how effectively your PR is driving audiences—and often qualified leads—to take action. This allows us to further refine our strategy and focus on placements that deliver the greatest impact.

Amplifying PR with digital marketing insights

PR doesn’t operate in a vacuum, nor should it. By layering in insights from digital marketing efforts, we’re able to amplify the impact of earned media and sharpen our overall strategy. Tools like Google Analytics, SEO platforms and keyword trend trackers provide valuable data about audience behavior, search interest, and site engagement, all of which can inform smarter content development for PR and related strategies.

We frequently collaborate across disciplines to make sure our PR content is not only relevant, but also discoverable. Using SEO insights, we identify high-value keywords and trending topics that help boost visibility and strengthen alignment between earned and owned media. This means that a strong media placement doesn’t just drive awareness, it also supports long-term search performance and strengthens your brand’s digital footprint.

Just as PR can help inform what messages to prioritize in paid and organic channels, digital marketing data gives us a clearer sense of what topics are gaining traction, where content is resonating, and how to adjust in real time. By closing the loop between PR and digital, we help our clients build strategies that are not only measurable—but also continuously optimized for greater relevance, reach, and results.

Bottom line

By adopting a more sophisticated measurement framework, moving beyond counting headlines and actually digging into what those mentions are doing for your brand, you can start to see the complete picture. When PR works together with digital, owned content, and business strategy, it stops being a siloed function and starts becoming a real driver of brand momentum. Suddenly, that feature article isn’t just something nice for the company newsletter—it’s driving qualified traffic to your site, shifting sentiment in your favor, or helping you gain ground against competitors.

Because this information is tracked in near real time, it enables us to act quickly—whether that means amplifying what’s working, refining messaging, or seizing a timely opportunity. For instance, if a particular media mention sparks a surge in referral traffic or engagement from a new audience segment, we can immediately tailor follow-up content, target complementary outlets, or even adjust campaign priorities to capture that momentum and convert it into tangible business value.

Interested in taking a more strategic, measurable approach to PR? Let’s talk. Contact us to learn how our team can help you elevate your brand and reach the audiences that matter to your business.