Digital PR agency for founders and growing brands

You just got featured in a great article. Then your boss or your client asks one thing: “So what is that worth?” I built this free media value calculator so you can answer in about 30 seconds.

It estimates the earned media value (EMV) of your press coverage. That means what the same exposure would cost if you paid for it as ads, plus the value of any backlink the article gives your site. Pick the type of publication, the placement and how many articles you earned. Your number updates right away.

How I work out your number

Earned media value puts a dollar figure on coverage you did not pay for. I split it into two parts. The first is an ad value for the readers who see your article. The second is the value of the backlink.

Ad value = (article views ÷ 1,000) × CPM × placement weight × number of placements
Total value = ad value + (backlink value × number of placements)

1. Pick the publication type. This sets the usual CPM, which is the cost to reach 1,000 views. It also sets the views you can expect and what a link from that kind of site is worth.
2. Pick the placement. A full feature is worth more than an expert quote. A quote is worth more than a brief mention. So I gave each one a weight.
3. Change the views. If you know how many people read your article, type that in. Your result will be more accurate.
4. Say if it has a link. Editorial backlinks help your search rankings, so I show their value on a separate line.

Let me show you an example

Say you earned one expert quote in an industry publication, and it links to your site. I’ll use the default settings. That is 6,000 views ÷ 1,000 × $20 CPM × 0.6 quote weight, which gives you $72 of ad value. Add $350 for the backlink, and your estimated earned media value is $422.

The numbers I used

These are average benchmarks. They are not quotes from any publication. Use them to compare campaigns, not as an invoice.

What this number can’t tell you

EMV is a guess at what your coverage would cost to buy. It does not tell you what the coverage earned you. Groups like AMEC have said for years that ad equivalency should not be the only way to measure PR. So treat this number as one clue, not the whole story.

To see the real impact, I track a few other things too. These are referral traffic from the article, growth in branded search, and leads and sales that mention the coverage. I also look at your share of voice against competitors, and whether AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity now name your brand. Want to learn more? Read my guides on what digital PR is and how digital PR works step by step.

Questions you might ask me

What is earned media value?

It’s an estimate of what you would pay to get the same exposure as your press coverage, but as ads. I base it on audience size and ad rates.

Is earned media value the same as ROI?

No. EMV estimates the value of exposure. ROI compares your results, like leads and revenue, to what you spent. You can have a high EMV and still get very few customers.

How do I find the views for an article?

You can ask the publication for the page views. You can also check your own referral traffic in Google Analytics. Or you can use a traffic tool for the outlet and divide by how many articles it publishes. If you can’t find the number, start with my default for that publication type.

Why does a backlink add value?

Links from trusted publications tell search engines that your site is an authority. That helps your rankings. I use a typical market price for a link of that quality, so I show it apart from the ad value. Want to know what PR costs? See what digital PR actually costs.

Can I use this to report to clients?

Yes. It’s a simple way to show how big your coverage is. Add traffic, leads and brand search too, so your report shows results and not only an ad equivalent.