To build a comprehensive measurement framework, you need to track a variety of metrics that, together, paint a complete picture of your PR performance.

Here are the core metrics every communications professional should be tracking in 2026:

Media Mentions & Quality

While the sheer volume of media mentions is a starting point, the quality of that coverage is far more important. A single, in-depth feature in a top-tier industry publication is worth more than a hundred brief mentions in irrelevant blogs. When evaluating media mentions, consider factors such as the publication’s authority, the prominence of the mention, the inclusion of key messages, and the overall tone of the article.

Share of Voice (SOV)

Share of Voice measures your brand’s visibility in the media compared to your competitors. It’s a powerful metric for understanding your position in the market and identifying opportunities to increase your influence. A comprehensive SOV analysis should not only track the volume of mentions but also the quality and sentiment of that coverage. This allows you to see not just how much you’re being talked about, but also how you’re being perceived in relation to your competitors.

Reach & Impressions

While we’ve cautioned against relying solely on these metrics, reach and impressions still have a place in a modern measurement framework. They provide a broad indication of the potential audience size for your message. However, they should always be analyzed in conjunction with more meaningful metrics like engagement and website traffic to understand the actual impact of that reach.

Sentiment Analysis

Sentiment analysis uses natural language processing (NLP) to determine the emotional tone of media coverage. This allows you to quickly gauge whether the conversation around your brand is positive, negative, or neutral. Advanced sentiment analysis can even identify specific themes and emotions, providing a more nuanced understanding of public perception. This is particularly crucial for managing brand reputation and identifying potential crises before they escalate.

Website Traffic Attribution

One of the most direct ways to measure the impact of press coverage is to track the referral traffic it drives to your website. By using UTM parameters and analyzing your website analytics, you can see exactly which articles are sending visitors your way. Studies show that organic traffic driven by PR efforts is 3x more likely to convert into leads than traffic from paid ads, making this a critical metric for proving ROI.

Backlinks & Domain Authority

High-quality backlinks from reputable news sites are a valuable asset for SEO. They signal to search engines that your website is a trusted source of information, which can significantly boost your search rankings. Tracking the number and quality of backlinks generated from your press coverage is a tangible way to measure its impact on your digital presence.

Lead Generation

Ultimately, all marketing and communications efforts should contribute to the bottom line. By tracking lead generation from your PR activities, you can draw a direct line between your media coverage and revenue. This can be done by including calls-to-action in your press materials, tracking downloads of gated content, and monitoring demo requests that come from referral traffic.

Brand Sentiment

Beyond the sentiment of individual articles, it’s important to track overall brand sentiment across all channels. This includes social media, review sites, and forums. A positive brand sentiment can have a significant impact on purchasing decisions and customer loyalty. Monitoring brand sentiment allows you to understand how your PR efforts are shaping public perception and identify areas for improvement.