Measurement That Matters

PR Is a Business Function — Treat It Like One

Why This Matters

You can’t improve — or prove — what you don’t measure. Tracking the right PR metrics shows stakeholders what’s working and helps you make smarter, faster decisions over time.

Founder's Point of View

As a founder, you need to justify every initiative. PR may feel “intangible,” but the truth is it drives critical outcomes: awareness, traffic, credibility, and leads. The key is focusing on metrics that you can measure and metrics that matter for your business (instead of vanity stats). By tying PR results to outcomes like investor mentions, demo requests, or branded search lift, you can prove PR’s value and make smarter decisions over time.

Overview

The most effective PR measurement goes beyond counting headlines. Instead, it balances quantity (how much coverage you get), quality (where and how you appear), and outcomes (what results follow).

Core areas to measure:
- Coverage volume – number of mentions across outlets
- Coverage quality – prominence of brand in story, sentiment, inclusion of quotes or key messages
- Share of Voice – how your media presence compares to competitors
- Traffic & conversions – referral traffic from articles, demo requests, or sign-ups tied to coverage
- Backlinks & SEO – domain authority gains and search ranking lift
- Branded search & social buzz – increases in people searching your name or engaging online after coverage

Measurement doesn’t need to be complex. Start with a simple dashboard and expand as you grow. The goal is to show a clear line from PR activity to business outcomes.

Key Actions to Take

- Define what “success” looks like for your PR goals (e.g., awareness, credibility, traffic, hiring)
- Track both qualitative (sentiment, quote quality) and quantitative (mentions, traffic) metrics
- Use benchmarks: compare to competitors or past campaigns
- Share insights regularly with your team, advisors, and investors

Metrics

Coverage volume and quality vs goals
Share of Voice against competitors
Direct traffic and referral spikes from earned coverage
Growth in backlinks and domain authority
Lift in branded search and social mentions
Conversion signals (demo requests, sign-ups, inbound investor or talent interest)

Examples

A SaaS startup sees branded search volume rise 20% after a feature in TechCrunch, giving investors a measurable proof point of traction
A B2B company maps Share of Voice gains against its top competitor and uses the data in sales pitches to show market momentum

Tools

Coverage volume & quality: Meltwater, Cision, CoverageBook (paid) + Google News, Sheets tracker (free)
Share of Voice: Meltwater, Brandwatch (paid) + manual competitor tracking in Sheets (free)
Traffic & conversions: Adobe Analytics, Similarweb (paid) + Google Analytics, UTMs (free)
Backlinks & SEO: Ahrefs, Semrush, Moz (paid) + Google Search Console (free)
Branded search & social buzz: Brandwatch, Sprout Social (paid) + Google Trends, native social analytics (free)

Optional Assets

- PR Measurement Dashboard Template
- Sample monthly reporting slide for internal/external updates
- PR → Funnel Impact Map (what role PR plays at each funnel stage)

Pro Tips

Create a quarterly “PR impact snapshot” combining metrics like coverage volume, backlinks, and inbound signals (investor meetings, candidate mentions). Share it in investor updates or team meetings, turning PR into a visible growth driver.

Don't Make These Mistakes

Assuming that every win is instant. PR often creates a ripple effect over weeks or months.