The UK PR metrics that matter in 2026: quality-weighted placements (by DA and audience match), new referring domains, branded search volume, referral traffic, share of voice vs competitors, sentiment, inbound enquiry attribution, and specific commercial outcomes attributed to PR activity.
Core PR KPIs for UK businesses
- Placements × DA score (quality × quantity).
- New referring domains month-on-month.
- Branded search growth % (Google Search Console).
- PR-attributed referral traffic.
- Share of voice vs named competitors.
- Sentiment (positive/neutral/negative).
- Inbound enquiries citing PR coverage.
- Commercial outcomes (fundraises, hires, signed contracts).
Metrics to ignore
- AVE (advertising value equivalent) — discredited.
- “Reach” — usually inflated and unverified.
- Impressions — meaningless.
- Placement count alone — quality matters more than quantity.