Original Research and Surveys That Earn Coverage and Links

Journalists love data, and they link to the source. Original research link building turns a survey or data study into media coverage, citations and authority that can keep growing for years. Here's how to do it credibly.

This guide is part of our authority link building series.

Step 1: Choose a newsworthy question

Good research questions are:

• Relevant to your industry and audience
• Interesting to the media and the public
• Answerable with data you can collect
• Timely or tied to a trend or season

Examples: - How are small businesses in Alberta changing their ad budgets this year? - What share of Canadian consumers remember a billboard they saw last week? - How do founders feel about personal branding before fundraising?

Step 2: Gather data properly

Method	Notes
Survey panels	Target the right audience; report sample size and dates
Your own anonymized data	Aggregate and protect privacy (privacy laws)
Public data analysis	Combine government or open data in new ways; cite sources
Expert surveys	Poll industry professionals

Write neutral questions and avoid leading wording. See survey design tips.

Step 3: Find the story

Look for the surprising, the local, the contrasting and the actionable. Lead with the most interesting finding, and make sure it's accurate.

Step 4: Publish a strong research page

• Headline findings up front
• Charts and key statistics
• Methodology (sample, dates, method)
• Downloadable report (optional, not gated if you want links)
• Expert commentary
• Contact for media

This is your linkable asset (linkable assets).

Step 5: Pitch the media

• National, local and trade angles
• Tailored pitches with the most relevant finding for each outlet
• An expert available for interviews
• Local breakdowns for regional media

See digital PR and press release writing.

Step 6: Keep extracting value

• LinkedIn posts and carousels (LinkedIn)
• Talks and podcasts (speaking)
• Guest articles (guest posting)
• Sales presentations and proposals

A simple research timeline

Week	Task
1	Choose the question; draft survey
2	Field survey or gather data
3	Analyze; find three to five headline findings
4	Build the research page and charts
5	Pitch media; publish; promote on LinkedIn
6+	Follow up; repurpose; track links

Credibility rules

• Report methods honestly
• Don't cherry-pick or exaggerate
• Separate facts from opinion
• Correct errors quickly

Credible research becomes the thing people quote when they talk about your industry, which is exactly what authority means.