• by Ray Schultz , April 26, 2021

The most valuable channels for PR people seeking media placements are BBC, CNN and Reuters. But those are also the hardest to place a link in, according to Moz's Domain Authority.

Both the BBC and CNN have a domain authority of 96, and Reuters has 95. But all three get the top score in difficulty: a five.

The Washington Post and The New York Times each enjoys a 95 in authority, and four in difficulty.  

Of course, most of the top 25 score at least a 94, and a difficulty rating of four. 

“Links from top media publishers are extremely valuable, from both an SEO and digital PR perspective,” the state states. 

But “not every high-authority site is attainable for the everyday link builder. Some sites are the white whales of link building, while other authoritative sites publish a surprising amount of content.

Here are the top scorers in authority among news verticals: 

Global News

1. BBC—96 
2. CNN—96 
3. Reuters—95 
4. The Washington Post—95 
5. The New York Times--95

Business News

1. Forbes—95 
2. The Wall Street Journal—94 
3. Bloomberg—94 
4. The Financial Times—94 
5. Business Insider—94 

Technology News

1. Wired 
2. CNET 
3. Gizmodo—83 
4. The Verge 
5. Engadget

Entertainment News 

1. BuzzFeed—93 
2. Mashable—93 
3. Variety—93 
4. Hollywood Reporter—93 
5. Rolling Stone—92

Science News

1. National Geographic 
2. Psychology Today—93 
3. Science—93 
4. Science Daily—93 
5. Nature—93

In addition, “veteran link builders know that certain institutions outside media publishing — particularly those with .gov and .edu domains — deliver significant link equity,” the study notes. 

The top five in this realm are:

1. National Institute of Health (NIH)—95 
2. Centers For Disease Control (CDC)—94 
3. National Aeronautics & Space Admin. (NASA)—94 
4. National Oceanic & Atmospheric Assoc. (NOAA)—93 
5. The White House—93

In addition, the Library of Congress and Privacy Shield also score 93 apiece. 

The best link-building targets by vertical (and their domain authority scores) are:

General News

1. The Oregonian—88 
2. Connecticut Post—75 
3. USA Today—96 
4. Digital Journal—86 
5. New York Post—91

Business News

1. Forbes—95 
2. Business Insider—94 
3. CNBC—93 
4. The Motley Fool—91 
5. Inc—91

Local News

1. Patch—90 
2. Business Journals—91 
3. CBS Local—92 
4. FOX News affiliates—varies 
5. NBC News affiliates—varies

Entertainment News

1. Daily Mail—94 
2. Lifehacker—93 
3. Bustle—96 
4. Bro Bible—69 
5. Radass—41

Technology News

1. Site Pro News—55 
2. PC Mag—92 
3. ZDNet—93 
4. Digital Information World—58 
5. Tech Republic—97

Career/HR News 

1. Confessions of the Professions—38 
2. The Ladders—71 
3. Human Resources Online—53 
4. HR Daily Advisor—65 
5. Benefits Pro--63 

Here are the toughest link building targets by vertical: 

General News

1. CNN—96 

2. BBC —96 

3. The Economist—93 

Business News

1. Reuters—96 
2. Bloomberg—94 
3. Harvard Business Review—91 

Entertainment News

1. Rolling Stone—92 
2. Thrillist—87 
3. BuzzFeed—93 

Technology News

1. Wheat—94 
2. Tech Crunch—93 
3. Ars Technica—91