Original research is often the most effective digital PR strategy for small businesses in 2026, because it can earn journalist backlinks and citations in AI-generated answers.
This guide explains how to plan, publish, and pitch an original research piece, how the journalist-query landscape shifted after HARO shut down, and how to structure your page so AI systems cite it alongside the reporters who do.
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Why Original Research Is the Most Valuable Content Asset in 2026
AI tools can write an article on almost any topic in minutes, but the text they produce contains no original data.
Journalists cite recent studies with links to back up their stories.
According to Backlinko’s link building research, original research and data studies earn 3x to 5x more backlinks than standard how-to content. Early studies on AI Overview citation patterns suggest that pages with original statistics, cited sources, and strong E-E-A-T signals are disproportionately selected as source material by AI systems.
The dual payoff: one piece of content, two high-value outcomes.
What AI Citation Actually Looks Like
When Google’s AI Overviews generate an answer, they pull from web pages they consider authoritative and relevant, and the cited sources appear as small links inside the AI-generated block. ChatGPT’s browsing mode, Perplexity, and other AI research tools surface sources the same way. If your page contains the specific statistic or finding the user is asking about, your site may be the one credited.
The pattern emerging from Semrush’s AI Overviews research and similar analyses is clear: AI systems favor pages with specific, citable data points, identifiable authors with relevant expertise, structured formatting (clear headings, lists, defined sections), and external authority signals like backlinks. Original research checks all of these boxes at once.
How to Create a Simple Original Study on a $0 Budget
Starting in digital marketing or local business research does not require a research firm or paid survey panel. Many widely cited digital marketing and local business statistics originated from simple, free studies. The four most accessible approaches for a small business or agency are listed below.
1. Google Forms Survey of Your Customers or Network
A survey of 100 to 300 respondents is statistically interesting and publishable. Google Forms, Typeform (free tier), and SurveyMonkey (free tier) make the setup easy. The key is asking questions that produce data your industry does not already have.
For a Long Island SEO agency, a compelling survey might ask: “How do Long Island small business owners find new customers?” Survey 200 local business owners, tabulate the results, and you have a publishable data set that journalists covering Long Island business and small business marketing will find genuinely useful.
Distribute the survey through LinkedIn, your email list, local chambers of commerce, and any business Facebook groups you participate in. A response rate of even 2% to 3% on a list of several thousand contacts gives you a solid sample size.
2. Publicly Available Data Analysis
You can produce original research by analyzing existing public data through a new lens. Sources like the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Google Trends hold enormous amounts of raw data that have not been analyzed your way.
Analyzing Google Trends to show which local business categories on Long Island see the highest search volume growth in specific seasons is original research. You apply a new analysis to existing data, and the findings you surface are yours to publish and promote.
3. Scrape and Analyze Public Business Data
Tools like BrightLocal and Google Maps data let you analyze review counts, ratings, and response rates across industries. An analysis of “Average Google review count for HVAC companies across Suffolk County” produces a publishable data set that HVAC trade publications, local business media, and home services journalists would find valuable.
4. Industry Benchmark Studies from Your Own Client Data
If you have client data (with appropriate anonymization and consent), aggregated benchmarks from your own work are highly citable. “Average organic traffic growth in the first 6 months of SEO for Long Island service businesses” is a finding only your agency can produce, and it carries the credibility of real client results.
The HARO and Connectively Replacement Landscape in 2026
HARO (Help a Reporter Out) was the dominant platform for connecting sources with journalists for over a decade. It was acquired by Cision, rebranded as Connectively, and then shut down entirely in early 2024. Several platforms have moved to fill the gap.
The current landscape of journalist query platforms includes:
- Qwoted, a growing platform where journalists post source requests, with a free tier available for sources
- SourceBottle, popular in the U.S. and Australia for connecting experts with journalists
- Featured.com, matches brands with journalists and content creators seeking expert input
- Terkel (now Expert Panel), curated expert contributions for publications
- JournoRequest, monitors journalist Twitter/X requests for sources
For digital PR with original research, the outreach strategy is different from responding to journalist queries. You proactively pitch your data to relevant journalists and publications, which requires building a media list rather than waiting for requests.
Building a Media Outreach Strategy Around Your Research
Once your research is published, the outreach process follows a clear sequence. First, identify the journalists and publications that cover your topic area. For a study about Long Island small business marketing habits, your targets would include Long Island Business News, Newsday’s business section, local business journals, and national small business publications like Inc., Entrepreneur, and Small Business Trends.
Second, write a pitch email that leads with the most interesting finding from your research. Not “we published a study,” but “our survey of 200 Long Island business owners found that 67% still rely primarily on word of mouth, despite 89% having a website.” Lead with the data, and offer exclusivity or an embargo window if appropriate.
Third, follow up once, briefly, five to seven days after the initial pitch. Journalists receive hundreds of pitches weekly, and a single short follow-up is acceptable and often productive. Beyond that, move on and pitch the next outlet.
According to Moz’s digital PR research, studies with specific, counterintuitive, or locally relevant findings earn significantly higher placement rates than studies that confirm what most people already believe. Design your research questions with an eye toward potentially surprising answers.
How Should You Structure Your Research Page for AI Citations?
Make the page well structured so journalists and AI systems can cite it more often.
Open with the most striking finding, stated as a specific data point. Include a clear methodology section explaining how the research was conducted, the sample size, and when it was fielded. Break findings into clearly labeled sections with H2 and H3 headings. Include a downloadable version of the raw findings (even a simple PDF increases perceived credibility). Close with an author bio that establishes the researcher’s expertise.
Add Dataset schema markup to the page. This structured data type tells search engines and AI systems explicitly that the page contains a data set, which increases its eligibility for inclusion in AI-generated answers.
Measuring the Dual Return: Backlinks and AI Citations
After publishing and pitching your research, track both types of return separately. For backlinks, use Ahrefs or Semrush to monitor new referring domains and the domain authority of the sites linking to your research. Set up a Google Alert for your key statistic so you are notified when it is cited online.
For AI citations, periodically search for questions your research directly answers in Google (to check AI Overview inclusion), Perplexity, and ChatGPT with browsing enabled. Check whether your site appears as a cited source in the AI-generated answers. This is still an emerging area of measurement, but direct testing is currently the most reliable method.
What Is a Practical Timeline for Your First Original Research Piece?
Week one: define your research question and design a 5 to 10 question survey using Google Forms, then distribute to your email list and professional networks. Week two: close the survey, tabulate results, and identify the three most compelling findings. Week three: write and publish the research page on your site with full methodology, structured data, and author bio. Week four: build your media list and begin outreach. Weeks five through eight: follow up with media, monitor for coverage and citations, and begin using the findings in your regular content marketing.
The entire process can be completed by one person working a few hours per week. The asset it produces, a citable, authoritative research piece on your site, earns value for months and sometimes years after publication.
Grow Your Authority With a Digital PR Strategy That Delivers
At NewSunSEO, we help Long Island businesses build the kind of content authority that earns links, earns AI citations, and earns the trust of both search engines and customers. Whether you want help designing original research, executing media outreach, or building a comprehensive content strategy for 2026, our team is ready to help.
Contact NewSunSEO today to explore how digital PR and original research can become your highest-ROI marketing channel this year.
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FAQ
Why does original research win both backlinks and AI citations?
Original data is uniquely linkable because journalists need fresh statistics to support stories, and it is uniquely citable because AI systems favor pages with specific data points, identifiable authors, structured formatting, and external authority. According to Backlinko’s research, original studies earn 3x to 5x more backlinks than standard how-to content, and the same characteristics make the pages attractive source material for AI-generated answers.
What replaced HARO and Connectively in 2026?
HARO was acquired by Cision, rebranded as Connectively, and shut down entirely in early 2024. Platforms that have moved to fill the gap include Qwoted, SourceBottle, Featured.com, Terkel (now Expert Panel), and JournoRequest. For digital PR with original research, the recommended approach is proactive pitching to a media list rather than waiting for inbound queries.
How long does it take to produce a first original research piece?
The eight-week plan described in the guide covers survey design and distribution in week one, tabulation and finding selection in week two, page publication in week three, media list building and outreach starting in week four, and ongoing follow-up and monitoring through weeks five through eight. The entire process can be completed by one person working a few hours per week.
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