OFFPAGE · SEO GLOSSARY
Original Research
Studies, surveys, analyses, or investigations that generate new data or findings not previously available — the highest-converting category of digital PR and link building assets because they create citable primary sources that journalists and bloggers reference with backlinks.
Definition
Original research, in the context of SEO and digital PR, refers to content that presents new data, findings, or analysis that didn\'t previously exist in public form — as opposed to content that synthesises or curates existing information. The distinction matters for link building because journalists need citable primary sources. When you publish the first study answering a question, every subsequent article that cites the finding links to your study. You become the primary source — a position that continues generating links as long as the finding remains relevant and cited. Types of original research for SEO: (1) **Surveys** — polling a defined audience (customers, industry practitioners, consumers) about attitudes, behaviours, or experiences. "We surveyed 1,000 marketing managers about AI tool adoption" creates proprietary data that didn\'t exist before. (2) **Data analysis studies** — analysing a corpus of data (website audits, transaction records, search data, public datasets) to surface patterns. "We analysed 100,000 websites and found that X% of e-commerce sites fail this check" creates a citeable benchmark. (3) **Longitudinal tracking** — repeating the same measurement annually or quarterly to track change over time. "The State of [Industry] 2025" annual reports become reference points that journalists cite every year. (4) **Primary investigations** — original reporting that uncovers new information (investigative journalism approach applied to industry topics). Research design for maximum link-earning: (a) The finding must be surprising, counterintuitive, or significantly more specific than existing data. (b) The methodology must be credible and transparent — journalists check methodology before citing. (c) The finding should be immediately quotable as a specific statistic, not a general observation. (d) The publication should include visualisations (charts, graphs) that journalists and bloggers can use as visual elements in their articles. Evergreen vs trending original research: research tied to perennial questions earns links for years; research tied to current trends earns heavy initial citation but has a shorter effective lifespan.
Why it matters for SEO
Original research is the highest-converting link building asset type because it creates genuine editorial need — journalists need primary data sources to substantiate claims in their articles, and if you created the data, you get the link. Well-executed original research campaigns typically earn 50–500+ backlinks from legitimate editorial sources, with compounding returns as the research is repeatedly cited by new articles covering the same topic.
How DeepSEOAnalysis checks this
DeepSEOAnalysis audits original research publication pages for technical health: Dataset structured data (for data-focused research), Article or ScholarlyArticle schema for the publication page, canonical configuration, and Core Web Vitals. Technical quality on research pages ensures that the links earned from citations transmit full link equity to a well-performing page.
GLOSSARY
Related terms
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Data Journalism
The practice of using data analysis and visualisation as the foundation for editorial content — and as a digital PR and SEO link building strategy, where original data studies earn citations and backlinks from journalists who reference the findings.
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Earned Media
Press coverage, mentions, shares, and links that a brand receives without paying for placement — because journalists, bloggers, or communities found the brand or its content newsworthy, useful, or notable — the primary mechanism through which digital PR builds link equity.
Read definition →offpage
Natural Link
A backlink freely given by an editor or publisher because they found the linked content genuinely useful or notable — without any payment, outreach, or reciprocal arrangement — the highest-trust link signal in Google\'s evaluation of a backlink profile.
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Skyscraper Technique
A link building strategy that involves finding the most-linked content for a target query, creating a demonstrably superior version, and outreaching to the sites linking to the original to request a link update — named for the metaphor of building a taller skyscraper to attract attention.
Read definition →links
Digital PR
A link building strategy that earns backlinks by creating newsworthy content — original research, data studies, surveys, interactive tools, or commentary on trending topics — and distributing it to journalists and publications who cover the story and link back to the source.
Read definition →See how your site scores on Original Research.
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