Incoming website traffic from media coverage of a technology brand outperforms traffic from other sources, according to a recent report by tech PR agency ARPR.
The report, which analyzed the various types of web traffic technology companies receive, underscores the important role press coverage and media relations play as a means of driving lead generation and, potentially, sales.
 |
ARPR’s report found that referrals to tech brands’ websites from news outlets outperform overall web traffic by 56 percent, resulting in 32.7 percent longer average session duration, 15.3 percent more average pages per visit and a 6.28 percent lower bounce rate.
Paid search still vastly beats out earned media in terms of traffic by sheer volume (clicks from news articles comprise a mere 2.5 percent of what paid campaigns drive to a company’s site). However, earned media coverage outperforms paid search in terms of site engagement, resulting in a 184 percent increased average session duration, a pages-per-session increase of 103 percent and a 24.5 percent lower bounce rate.
The types of articles most likely to result in referral traffic, according to the ARPR study, include data reports, lists, thought leadership bylines and articles mentioning customers (either via a testimonial or case study).
The study also found that press releases, despite generating a low overall volume of referral traffic, provide unusually high quality for the traffic they bring in, resulting in 59 percent longer average session durations and 12 percent higher goal completion rates than traffic from other sources. Visitors originating from a press release also viewed, on average, 56.6 percent more pages than those arriving from elsewhere.
ARPR’s study, “2019 Technology Marketing Report: The Role of Media Relations in the Sales Cycle,” surveyed 115 technology sales professionals in January and analyzed more than 13 months of proprietary data from 15 technology companies across five industries.
Atlanta-based ARPR represents cybersecurity, FinTech, cloud/SaaS and HealthIT brands.
Laura Anderson, who rose to VP/GM of global communications and events in a nearly 20 year stint at Intel, will take on the Americas technology chair at Burson following the completion of the BCW and H+K merger on July 1.
WE Communications has partnered with ROKK Solutions to form the WE ROKK AI service.
In the dynamic world of modern business, effective communication is a pivotal tool for success across various industries. At Communications Strategy Group (CSG®), our expertise in embracing innovation in communication extends beyond traditional marketing strategies, paving the way for transformative industry-specific solutions.
There are two types of tech PR professionals. Which one are you? And are C-suite executives making that decision for you?
While there’s an impulse to grab reporters’ attention with the newest industry-transforming tech product or service, a back-to-basics approach focused on telling the right stories to the right people is a far more successful way to ensure your technology campaign breaks through the clutter of today’s crowded tech landscape.
Have a comment? Send it to 
No comments have been submitted for this story yet.