Digital PR & Outreach Tips | Cedarwood Digital

Reimagining E-E-A-T: How Ethos, Pathos & Logos Supercharge SEO Campaigns

29th July 2025

by Amanda Walls Digital PR & Outreach tips Link Building SEO

This week I am in Estonia discussing a topic that has been of interest to me since I was in high school – the concept of Ethos, Pathos, Logos and how rhetoric can be used in a powerful manner to drive performance in marketing.

I have spoken at a number of events on this topic so thought why not pull together a blog which discusses it in more detail.

Introduction

When I first started working in SEO, I quickly realised that it wasn’t just about rankings or backlinks, it was about people, it was about trust, logic, and emotion. In other words, it was all connected.

We often hear about E-E-A-T in SEO—Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. But there’s an even older framework that can help us bring this concept to life: Ethos, Pathos, and Logos.

These three pillars of classical rhetoric are essential to crafting compelling SEO campaigns that drive both traffic and ROI:

Ethos (Credibility)
Pathos (Emotion)
Logos (Logic)

Let’s explore how this trio transforms and builds on E-E-A-T, taking it from a theoretical concept into an actionable SEO and conversion strategy.

Why Trust and Emotion Matter More Than Ever

Today’s consumers don’t just want to buy, they want to believe and as such, before making a decision they research, reflect, and seek validation.

81% of people research online before purchasing.
On average, people spend 79 days researching high-value products or services.
87% of consumers will reverse a buying decision if they read something negative about a brand online.

Your online reputation doesn’t just influence perception, it controls conversion.

In fact, positive internet reputation is the #1 factor influencing consumer trust (according to Trustpilot). In a landscape like this, your SEO and brand perception are deeply intertwined.

Consumers today have more choice and more power than ever before which means it’s no longer enough to simply appear on page one of Google. Your brand needs to stand for something. It needs to resonate emotionally and intellectually with your audience. That resonance is the difference between visibility and conversion.

Trust and emotion work hand in hand and when users feel connected to your brand and see it as credible, they’re far more likely to convert. Whether you’re selling luxury goods, financial services, or educational courses, the foundational element of any strong conversion strategy is belief—belief in your product, your message, and your brand promise.

This is why companies must actively monitor and shape their online perception. Every review, testimonial, media article, and social post contributes to a broader narrative that potential customers absorb and internalise. SEO isn’t just about climbing the ranks anymore; it’s about earning trust in every single search interaction.

SEO Isn’t Just About Rankings—It’s About Persuasion

Great SEO campaigns are persuasive. They build logical arguments, supported by evidence, that make users feel something, that’s where Ethos, Pathos, and Logos come in.

Incorporating these rhetorical elements isn’t just good for branding it has tangible, measurable impacts on user behaviour. When you earn trust (ethos), create emotional engagement (pathos), and offer compelling logic (logos), your SEO content becomes significantly more effective at driving action.

Most SEO professionals understand how to optimise for technical performance and keyword targeting but too often, content creation becomes robotic and formulaic. The most successful SEO campaigns break this mould by connecting with the user on a deeper level and tapping into the same persuasive techniques used by public speakers, journalists, and marketers for centuries.

For example, think of a service page for a mental health clinic. It’s not enough to talk about services and appointment options, the page should express empathy, demonstrate expertise, and clearly explain how their approach logically supports better outcomes. These are real-world examples of Ethos, Pathos, and Logos in action.

Similarly, a product page for a high-end bike brand can use emotional storytelling (Pathos) to connect with avid cyclists, establish brand credibility with expert endorsements (Ethos), and logically walk through the advanced engineering benefits (Logos). The result? A user who not only lands on the page but feels compelled to act.

Onsite SEO: Build Trust and Guide Emotion

When users land on your site, they have an intention—a question or a goal. To match that intent and persuade them to act, your content needs all three rhetorical tools.

Logos: Align With User Intent

Logical, clear content that satisfies the search query builds credibility and drives conversions. Consider:

Content type (e.g., product page vs. guide)
Content format (e.g., video vs. article)
Content angle (e.g., comparison vs. tutorial)

The key to logos is clarity, your messaging should follow a logical progression that answers user questions and addresses objections. This might include detailed feature breakdowns, transparent pricing models, how-to guides, or comparison tables that help users make informed decisions – use the existing SERPs as a guide for the type of content that Google is looking for.

Search engines prioritise content that aligns with intent but they reward content that delivers real value even more. That means diving deep into topics, citing credible sources, and optimising the structure of your page for readability and relevance.

You can strengthen your logos-driven SEO by using structured data to highlight important elements, adding anchor links for easier navigation, and including downloadable assets for users seeking additional information.

Pathos: Appeal to Emotion

Content that explains benefits and not just features helps users feel why your offering matters. Start with a story. Show you understand their pain points.

Simple example:

Don’t say “Our mattress has a cooling layer.”
Say “Say goodbye to sweaty, sleepless nights.”

Emotionally resonant content improves dwell time, social sharing, and brand loyalty. Think testimonials, storytelling, customer success stories, or user-generated content, all of these build emotional affinity with your brand.

You can go further by including lifestyle photography, community involvement stories, or user-generated campaigns that highlight authentic brand experiences. The key is to speak directly to the emotional motivators behind your user’s goals whether that’s feeling safe, valued, understood, or inspired.

Ethos: Establish Credibility

Use authority-driven content that positions your brand as trustworthy:

Expert commentary
Author bylines
Pillar pages
Detailed FAQs
Videos from real professionals

Credibility is one of the most undervalued elements of content marketing. Your website needs to look and feel like a trustworthy source including the design, the structure, and of course, the credentials of the authors.

Highlight awards, certifications, memberships, reviews, and third-party validations to bolster your brand’s trustworthiness. A well-structured About page, media mentions, and in-depth team bios can significantly increase user trust.

You can further establish ethos by adopting a consistent tone of voice that reflects professionalism, empathy, and clarity. Additionally, displaying security badges, money-back guarantees, or accreditations helps lower perceived risk in the decision-making process.

Google’s algorithms, particularly in YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) spaces like finance and healthcare, are increasingly attuned to credibility signals. This makes ethos not just a conversion tool, but a ranking factor.

Offsite SEO: Build Reputation Where It Matters

It’s not just what’s on your site, your brand’s perception across the web plays a critical role in both trust and rankings.

Steps to Take:

Review online sentiment
Analyse media coverage
Identify weak points and address them proactively

Your offsite reputation can be amplified by proactive outreach and strategic PR. By generating high-authority backlinks through trusted media sources and industry-specific publications, you enhance your domain authority and trust profile.

Online reviews, local citations, and social signals also play a role in shaping the broader narrative around your brand. Consider tools like Google Alerts, Brand24, or BuzzSumo to monitor how you’re perceived and identify gaps in your brand communication strategy.

Digital PR as a Trust Engine

Digital PR, when executed correctly, does more than build links—it builds brand equity.

Real Examples:

Road Traffic Accident Lawyer: 60+ high-DA links built around credibility and expertise.
Vaping Retailer: Leveraged media interest to build trust in a highly scrutinised industry.
Loans Provider: Collaborated with external experts to create human-interest-driven content.
Catering Brand: Used quirky angles like “Tiramisu Drawers” to land high-authority links and show industry knowledge.

These campaigns succeed not just because of the link metrics, but because they tell a story. They appeal to human interest, tie into topical conversations, and offer unique data or insights that position the brand as a thought leader.

Digital PR can also involve thought leadership opportunities, op-eds, or long-form editorial partnerships. These offer a chance to showcase your expertise (Ethos), provide valuable insights (Logos), and connect to larger cultural conversations (Pathos). The result is not just a stronger backlink profile, but a magnetic brand presence that builds over time.

Integrating Ethos, Pathos, and Logos into Content Strategy

To fully implement this model, it’s important to view content as a layered experience. At every stage of the funnel (awareness, consideration, decision) users are looking for slightly different signals.

At the awareness stage, Pathos helps users connect emotionally with your brand message.
During consideration, Logos becomes critical as users weigh the pros and cons and look for rational justification.
At the decision stage, Ethos reinforces confidence that your business is the right choice.

Here’s how that looks in practical content strategy:

Funnel Stage	Ethos	Pathos	Logos
Awareness	Brand mentions in trusted media	Emotional storytelling	Thought-leadership blog content
Consideration	Expert reviews, testimonials	Pain-point-driven messaging	Comparison pages, product specs
Decision	Certifications, money-back guarantees	Reassuring CTAs	Transparent pricing, FAQs

Use Case Example: A Legal Services Firm

Ethos: Bio pages featuring credentials, media coverage, case study testimonials
Pathos: Blog posts on “What to Expect Emotionally During a Divorce”
Logos: Step-by-step breakdown of the legal process, downloadable guides

Combining these ensures your messaging speaks to different cognitive and emotional needs—reinforcing your position in the search results and in the customer’s mind.

Measuring the Impact: SEO + CRO = ROI

To prove that these techniques work, tie Ethos, Pathos, and Logos into measurable outcomes:

Ethos → Increased trust signals (e.g. lower bounce rate, higher engagement)
Pathos → Higher social shares, increased time on site
Logos → More form submissions, higher conversion rates

Track not only rankings but also:

Goal completions by content type
Engagement metrics for emotionally driven pages
Conversion lift after credibility enhancements (e.g. adding author bios or media mentions)

These allow you to make the case internally that emotionally intelligent and credibility-focused SEO content does more than attract, it converts.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

If you’re trying to integrate Ethos, Pathos, and Logos into your SEO strategy, watch out for these pitfalls:

Over-reliance on logic: Pages that are all data and no story often fail to engage.
Neglecting credibility: Failing to show authorship, awards, or sources damages trust.
Ignoring the user journey: Not all visitors need the same kind of persuasion so make sure you tailor messaging to your funnel stage
Too much focus on links: Digital PR should elevate brand positioning, not just pass PageRank.

Always ask: “Is this content informative, credible, and human?”

Final Thought: The Future of SEO is Human-Centered

Search is changing. Algorithms are becoming more sophisticated, and user expectations are rising. To succeed in 2025 and beyond, SEO professionals must think more like communicators, less like technicians.

Ethos, Pathos, and Logos aren’t “nice to haves” they’re essential tools in the SEO toolkit—helping your content rise above the noise and connect in a way that earns attention, trust, and action.

So ask yourself:

Are we credible?
Are we emotionally resonant?
Are we logically compelling?

If the answer is yes to all three, you’re not just doing SEO. You’re building a brand.

Director Amanda Speaking At SEO Estonia

14th July 2025

by Amanda Walls Cedarwood Digital News Digital PR & Outreach tips home page Lead Generation Link Building Paid Search Paid Social SEO

Last Friday our Director Amanda spoke at SEO Estonia, one of Europe’s leading digital marketing events. Her talk, discussing how Aristotle’s Ethos, Pathos and Logos can help to drive ROI was well-received by the 400 attendees and left them with some thought provoking and actionable takeaways around how they can improve CRO and ROI by tying their SEO approach into ancient rhetoric.

The main focus of SEO Estonia this year was on ROI – how do we get more ROI from our SEO campaigns, taking a step away from vanity metrics to ensure that we are focusing on what really matters. With this in mind, each speaker was tasked with really tying their talk back to ROI and how the approach they are suggesting could drive real change in SEO.

Amanda discussed how incorporating the principles of Ethos, Pathos and Logos can directly impact your ROI in many ways:

Improving your brand credibility and awareness means that when people are looking for you, they will be reassured, making them less likely to drop out of the conversion funnel and more likely to engage with your product/service
How to review online sentiment and media coverage to identify where your gaps are and plug them – ensuring that users see what you want them to see about your brand and if there are areas of weakness that these are addressed and dealt with from a reputational standpoint
Using Logos to align with user intent – making sure that your content and content format matches the audience so they can easily understand why it’s right for them and ensuring that you’re showcasing benefits rather than features to push a more emotional appeal with your audience.
Understanding how these ideas map back directly to ROI, for example that Pathos can improve dwell time on site, therefore making users more engaged, or that Ethos can lead to higher trust signals and therefore a better conversion rate.

Overall, the two day conference invited some of the world’s best speakers to share knowledge and learn from each other – leading to some great overall takeaways!

SEO for Financial Services: How to Win Trust and Traffic in 2025

9th July 2025

by Amanda Walls Digital PR & Outreach tips Link Building SEO

Introduction

Search engines are now a dominant force in the decision-making process for financial consumers. Whether it’s a consumer choosing a mortgage broker, a retiree researching pension options, or a startup searching for a business loan, nearly all journeys begin with a Google search. According to Google’s own data, over 70% of consumers use search during their decision-making journey in the financial sector.

But for financial services brands, ranking highly isn’t just about technical optimization or keyword stuffing. You’re operating in a “Your Money or Your Life” (YMYL) space, one of Google’s most scrutinized verticals and that means your SEO efforts must do more than attract clicks, they need to inspire trust, meet compliance standards, and deliver genuinely helpful content.

This comprehensive guide explores how to build a compliant, high-performing SEO strategy tailored for the financial services sector in 2025.

Why SEO Matters in Financial Services

Let’s be clear: SEO is not a “nice to have” in this sector – given the strong YMYL guidance across finance, adhering to guidelines and following these processes plays an important role in ensuring visibility for your brand while also meeting regulatory compliance.

1. Search Is the First Step for Most Customers

Whether it’s “best life insurance UK” or “can I get a mortgage as a contractor,” the first action people take is searching online. If your brand isn’t visible at that moment, you’ve lost the sale often before you knew the prospect existed.

2. Organic Leads Have High ROI

While paid search can deliver leads quickly, SEO compounds over time and delivers leads at a lower cost per acquisition (CPA). In industries like wealth management or insurance, where the customer lifetime value is high, organic leads can be the most profitable over time.

Additionally, paid search traffic in these sectors can often have an incredibly high cost per click, so being able to attract leads organically plays a key role in being able to keep costs down and within control compared to spiralling PPC costs.

3. Trust Is Earned Through Visibility

Ranking high in Google suggests credibility. In a space where trust is everything, consistent organic visibility reinforces that your brand is authoritative, secure, and worth engaging with.

4. Google Prioritises Accuracy in Finance

Because misinformation can have serious consequences in this industry, Google’s algorithms and human quality raters apply stricter standards to financial content. Your SEO efforts must account for these guidelines, or risk invisibility.

Challenges of SEO in Financial Services

The financial industry brings some unique hurdles that marketers in fashion or e-commerce simply don’t face.

A. E-E-A-T Requirements

Google’s emphasis on Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust (E-E-A-T) hits hardest in sectors like finance. If your content lacks expert attribution, verified information, or real-world credibility, it will struggle to rank no matter how well optimized it is. This is often due to the fact that E-E-A-T isn’t just an acronym in these sectors, it’s a way for Google to see that your website is offering genuine value to a user and not putting them in any potential danger.

B. Compliance and Legal Oversight

Financial services content must comply with regulations from bodies like the FCA (in the UK), the SEC (in the US), or other international watchdogs. This creates friction when publishing blog posts, on-page copy, or campaign landing pages. Legal reviews can delay content for weeks, or require fundamental rewrites so it’s important to have a clear understanding of how compliance ties into SEO to make this process as smooth as possible.

C. Longer Content Production Cycles

Because of compliance and internal sign-off requirements, financial brands often have slower, more complex editorial workflows. This makes agility (such as responding to search trends or news) harder which can hinder link-building and content freshness. Experienced SEO agencies in this sector will know what works best from a links perspective and be able to apply this approach to support your business.

D. Difficult Link Building Environment

Google considers backlinks as a signal of authority, but in finance, acquiring these links ethically can be difficult. Many sites are reluctant to link to financial services due to regulatory fears, or they demand high editorial standards, alternately even just getting content in for reactive newsjacking can have a long sign-off process meaning that you can miss the hook. Effective link building in this sector can be a game changer when it comes to performance due to the trickier nature of it.

Core SEO Strategies That Work for Financial Services

Despite the challenges, many financial brands are winning in organic search by focusing on the right strategies.

1. Building E-E-A-T Into Every Page

To rank well in YMYL categories, your website and content must scream trust and authority.

Ways to Strengthen E-E-A-T:

Showcase Authors and Credentials: Every blog post or guide should be written or reviewed by someone with clear financial expertise and their credentials should be visible.
Third-Party Validation: Include awards, media mentions, and Trustpilot reviews to support your credibility.
Secure and Transparent Website: Use HTTPS, display your regulatory information (e.g. FCA license number), and include a clear privacy policy and terms.
Create a Transparent “About Us” Page: This should explain your company’s mission, leadership team, and experience.

Real-World Example:

NerdWallet includes certified financial experts on all of their content and states when it was last reviewed. This type of content hygiene helps Google trust their information and it’s why they rank well for thousands of high-intent financial terms.

2. Keyword Strategy Based on Intent, Not Just Volume

Most financial brands fall into the trap of chasing broad, competitive keywords like “life insurance” or “pension advice.”

Instead, focus on user intent — and break it into three stages:

Awareness Stage:

“What is income protection insurance?”
“How does compound interest work?”

Consideration Stage:

“Best savings accounts for under 30s”
“Credit card vs overdraft: which is cheaper?”

Decision Stage:

“Apply for a fixed-rate mortgage online”
“Open a stocks and shares ISA with no fees”

Tip: Use tools like AnswerThePublic, AlsoAsked, and Google Search Console to discover long-tail and question-based keywords you can realistically rank for.

3. Content Hubs and Topic Clusters

Rather than publishing one-off blogs, build structured content clusters that build topical authority.

Example Cluster: “First-Time Buyers”

Main Pillar: “Complete Guide to Mortgages for First-Time Buyers”
Supporting Blogs:
- “5 Government Schemes for First-Time Buyers in the UK”
- “What Credit Score Do You Need for a Mortgage?”
- “How Much Deposit Do You Really Need?”

Internal linking between these articles tells Google your site is a trusted authority on that topic, improving rankings across the board. You can also then tailor an effective Digital PR strategy to help build deeper links into these pages, building authority and supporting the overall performance of the cluster.

4. Local SEO: A Missed Opportunity for Many

If you offer in-person services even if it’s hybrid or Zoom-based local SEO can help you reach qualified leads.

Must-Have Elements:

Location Pages: e.g. “Independent Financial Advisor in Bristol”
Google Business Profile Optimization: Use categories, respond to reviews, add Q&As, post regularly.
Local Backlinks: Consider local events, get listed in business directories, build partnerships with community organisations.

5. Technical SEO: The Foundation You Can’t Ignore

Financial websites tend to be large and complex with multiple product pages, calculators, forms, and FAQs. Technical SEO ensures all of this is crawlable, indexable, and performant.

Key Areas to Address:

Core Web Vitals: Ensure fast loading, visual stability, and interactivity
Mobile Optimization: Most users now research on mobile, your site must be flawless here
Schema Markup: Use FinancialProduct, FAQPage, and Organization schemas where relevant
XML Sitemaps and Robots.txt: Keep these clean and updated
Duplicate Content: Especially with rates and regulations, ensure content isn’t copied across pages

Digital PR and Ethical Link Building

Earning high-quality backlinks is critical in building authority but you must avoid spammy or black-hat tactics, especially in finance.

Link-Building Strategies That Work:

Data-Led PR Campaigns: Commission or analyse data and pitch stories to journalists (e.g. “Average UK Credit Score by Age Group”)
Expert Commentary: Offer your advisors as expert spokespeople to react to breaking news
Create Free Tools: Mortgage calculators, ISA allowance trackers, or pension age checkers often earn links
Publish Original Research or Whitepapers: Journalists and bloggers love citing original data

Example:

Comparison websites have successfully gained thousands of high-authority links by creating utility comparison tools, consumer affordability studies, and reacting quickly to news stories with expert advice.

Measuring SEO Success in Financial Services

Your SEO reporting should tie back to business outcomes not just traffic.

Key Metrics to Track:

Organic Visibility: Impressions, ranking positions, and share of voice
Engagement Metrics: Time on page, scroll depth, bounce rate
Lead Metrics: Form submissions, quote requests, downloads
Conversion Attribution: Use GA4 and CRM integrations to connect content to customer actions
E-E-A-T Signals: Number of referring domains, quality of backlinks, author profiles built

Tip: Combine data from Google Search Console, GA4, Semrush, and your internal CRM for a full-funnel picture.

Emerging Trends to Watch in 2025

AI Overviews in Search Results: Google’s AI-generated summaries mean more zero-click searches, so optimise content for inclusion in these overviews
Voice and Conversational Search: More people are searching with natural, question-based queries
Search Personalisation: Rankings now vary more by user location, history, and intent local SEO and behavioural data matter more than ever
Topical Authority > Page Authority: Building deep, useful content around a theme will outperform isolated “SEO blog posts”

Conclusion

SEO for financial services in 2025 is about trust, authority, and helpfulness. You’re not just competing for clicks you’re competing to be the most credible option in a high-stakes decision. That means building a search strategy that balances compliance with creativity, data with empathy, and technical structure with user experience.

Cedarwood Digital Wins Big at the European Search Awards 2025! 🏆

9th May 2025

by Amanda Walls Cedarwood Digital News Digital PR & Outreach tips Paid Search Paid Social SEO

We’re absolutely thrilled to share that Cedarwood Digital has taken home five trophies from this year’s European Search Awards – including all three Agency of the Year categories!

🥇 Best Small SEO Agency

🥇 Best Small PPC Agency

🥇 Best Small Integrated Agency

Winning these three awards is a huge honour – not only do they recognise our team’s dedication across SEO, PPC and integrated campaigns, but they also position Cedarwood as one of the top-performing agencies in Europe. That’s a huge milestone for us, and one we’re incredibly proud to achieve.

Award-Winning Campaign Work

In addition to agency accolades, we were also recognised for the outstanding results of our client campaigns, winning:

Best Use of Search (FMCG)
Best Use of Search (iGaming)

These awards celebrate the strategic, creative and data-led work we deliver for our clients day in, day out. It’s amazing to see that effort recognised on a European stage.

A Standout Year For Growth & Community

2024/2025 has been a standout year for Cedarwood Digital. Not only have we seen incredible growth as an agency, but we’ve also focused on giving back to the community and helping shape the future of digital marketing talent.

This year alone, we:

Launched Manchester DM, a brand-new digital marketing meetup focused on sharing knowledge and growing the northern digital community.
Partnered with colleges to help students upskill and explore careers in SEO, PPC and beyond.
Delivered talks, training and insights at a range of conferences and events across the UK.

It’s been a year of ambition, collaboration and meaningful impact – and we couldn’t be prouder.

Thank You

A massive thank you to Don’t Panic Events for organising such a brilliant event and to the judges who dedicated so much time reviewing entries – your hard work doesn’t go unnoticed.

And of course, to our team, clients and community – thank you for being part of the journey. Here’s to continuing to push boundaries, drive performance and make 2025 our best year yet.

Cheers to what’s next! 🥂

Director Amanda On The Main Stage @ Brighton SEO

14th April 2025

by Amanda Walls Cedarwood Digital News Digital PR & Outreach tips General Marketing home page Link Building Paid Search Paid Social SEO

For her fourth time speaking at Brighton SEO, Director Amanda took to the main stage at Brighton SEO to deliver a talk on “Reimagining E-E-A-T: Using Ethos, Pathos And Logos To Boost SEO Campaigns” drawing on skills that she learnt when studying philosophy at school, Amanda discussed how the valuable rhetoric of Ethos, Pathos and Logos can be applied to SEO campaigns to not just improve performance, but most importantly to improve conversion rate and drive sales and leads – which at the end of the day is why everyone does it!

At the event which had over 2,000 attendees, Amanda went into detail about how to apply these principles to your SEO campaigns and why doing so plays such an important role in ensuring your maximising your return on investment. Key focus areas included:

Understanding that 87% of people will leave the conversion funnel if they read a negative review or mention of your website – brand perception and awareness is key and building/protecting your reputation plays a key role in this
Showcasing “benefits” not “features” – why should I use your product/service, what benefit does it have to me? Rather than just listing a specific feature it has, appeal to the user’s emotional side by helping them to understand how it could help them
Matching user intent plays an important role in keeping users in the funnel – understanding what type of content best resonates with them is important here, do they want content that showcases experience or expertise? Or sometimes do they want a mixture of both?
Utilising Digital PR effectively to build reputation – how to best use your thought leadership and data-led campaigns to make people find your brand online and ensuring that when people are researching they’re finding what they need to to better understand your brand.

Overall, the outline of the talk focused on how Aristotle utilised “rhetoric” to help persuade an audience to do something – not too different from what we try to do in modern day SEO and provided relatable takeaways that not only help to align E-E-A-T (specifically in YMYL industries) but also help to boost those all important conversion rates.

A big thankyou to everyone who attended the talk – please reach out if you’d like a copy of the deck!

Director Amanda Walls Speaks At The SEO Mastery Summit, Saigon (Vietnam)

17th March 2025

by Amanda Walls Cedarwood Digital News Digital PR & Outreach tips General Marketing home page Lead Generation Link Building Paid Search Paid Social SEO

Our Director Amanda Walls was on stage at the SEO Mastery Summit, Saigon last week discussing “Using Digital PR To Simultaneously Boost SEO And CRO”

The SEO Mastery Summit is one of the most highly regarded SEO conferences in the world with nearly 500 delegates from around the world attending the week-long conference each year & Amanda was delighted to have been invited to speak at the event. The conference is held each year in Ho Chi Minh City and attracts a huge international audience.

“The SEO Mastery Summit is one of the leading SEO events in the world so it’s great to be able to get on stage and share knowledge with as well as learn from some of the world’s best SEO’s,” she said.

Also on stage, were leading SEO speakers including Craig Campbell, Kavi Kardos, SEO Jesus, Christopher Hofman and many more…

Key themes of the conference focused around the rise of AI and how we can adapt it into strategy to help improve efficiencies, as well as looking at personal branding and the rise of this within SEO. There were many cutting-edge talks discussing recent Google algorithm updates and how to stay ahead of the evolving landscape, as well as some great social networking events and a chance to meet SEOs from all over the world.

Overall, the conference had some great actionable takeaways to bring home for clients, in addition to being a great way to learn from and speak in front of some of the world’s leading SEOs.

How to secure product placements in top-tier publications

28th February 2025

by Bella Manson Digital PR & Outreach tips

Product placements are an effective way to increase brand awareness and drive sales. To help you secure product placements in top-tier publications, this blog will outline reactive and proactive tactics, as well as how you can prepare an effective product placement pitch.

Ways to secure product placements

Reactive

Monitor the likes of ResponseSource and Pressflow for journalist requests, seeking product suggestions for a new round-up, an updated round-up, or for a stand-alone review piece. Similarly, be sure to monitor the likes of X and Bluesky for any call-outs on these platforms.

Be prepared to react to trending topics, TV shows or events. For instance, the likes of Closer Magazine, Hello!,Good Housekeeping and Town & Country Magazine have all carried out gift guides to celebrate a new season of Bridgerton. Therefore, it pays to stay in the loop with popular culture and focus on which of your products could be a relevant fit.

Proactive

Contact relevant journalists to see if they’re updating an existing round-up, where you would like your brand to be featured. Proactive outreach is also an opportunity to target review journalists, as well as any journalists which are relevant to your niche, to see if they would be interested in reviewing your product, or featuring it in an upcoming round-up they may have.

Top tips for preparing an effective product placement pitch

Reactive

Outline a variety of product suggestions: Be sure to pitch a range of product suggestions, so that journalists can make the right choice for them. For instance, if they’re seeking Christmas trees, be sure to include choices which are pre-lit, unlit, different heights, floor space size and varying price points.
- Pay close attention to further details specified, to ensure that you’re hitting the mark. For instance, if they’re seeking products under £X for a budget round-up, ensure that your suggested products fall within this price range. Similarly, if the publication is in the luxury sector, ensure that you’re pitching products with a higher price point.
Include key product details: Be sure to link out to the product page, in the product name, and include a relevant description below. Clearly signpost the price of the product, including any ‘before’ and ‘after’ prices, if there is currently a sale on the product.
- If you’re pitching a product placement, for the likes of Black Friday, it’s important to include clear information on the date and time when the discounts go live, as well as when they end. If customers are required to use a discount code to shop the discounts, be sure to include the relevant code in your pitch.
Provide accompanying imagery: It’s crucial to provide the journalist with accompanying hi-res imagery, paying particular attention to whether they require cut-out or lifestyle shots. It’s a good idea to link out to imagery, stored in the likes of a Dropbox file, rather than attaching the images to your email or using a link which will expire. Be sure to label your images with a clear product title.
Offer a sample, where required: If the journalist has specified that they will require a sample for testing, it’s important to clearly state that a sample of the product is available. Make a note of whether they are seeking to keep the sample, or if they are looking to test and return the product, so that you can arrange a delivery, and relevant pick-up, accordingly. Sign-posting (SAMPLE AVAILABLE), at the beginning of your subject line, can be a great way to catch a journalist’s eye when they are looking through their inbox.
Include a company bio: It’s best practice to include a company bio in your pitch, so that journalists can find out more. This is a great chance to demonstrate why they should sample one of your products. For instance, if you’re a garden centre, which specialises in BBQs, and you are offering a sample of a BBQ, they may be more inclined to sample one of your products, over a company which does not specialise in this area.
Time is of the essence: Journalists can close their requests for submissions early, if they have received enough relevant responses. Therefore, it’s important to submit your pitch as soon as possible, to increase your chance of success.
Pitch for TV opportunities: Keep an eye on call-outs for props to be included in TV shows. For example, ITV may be looking for products to dress their set for a new dating show. With a primetime audience, this would be a great opportunity to get your client’s product in front of a large audience. They may also thank suppliers with an online credit, which includes a link to your company’s website.

Additional tips for proactive:

Create a comprehensive media list: Search for terms you would like your product to rank for, in the Google news feature, to see what articles have been published. For instance, if you stock affordable standing desks in the UK, search for a number of terms such as ‘Best standing desk’, ‘Best standing desk UK’, ‘Cheapest standing desk’, as well as ‘Standing desk review’ to find out which journalists are covering these types of articles. When recording the top-ranking articles, filter out any publications where your business does not offer delivery to this country.
Personalise your pitch: If you’re pitching to a journalist which has an existing round-up article, it’s important to personalise your pitch as much as possible. Compose emails individually or, if you’re using an outreach platform, such as BuzzStream, you can create a sequence containing key details, which you should then edit to tailor to each respective journalist. Be sure to include a link to their existing article to signpost where you would be interested in being featured, and to clearly demonstrate why this pitch is of interest to the journalist.
Include the ‘why now’: It can be easier for a journalist to understand the ‘why now’ if the product is seasonal. For instance, if you’re pitching Christmas wreaths, it’s a good idea to start your pitches around early October, for online press, as journalists will be looking to prepare their Christmas content in advance. For print, lead times will be longer so you can expect to be pitching Christmas content as early as July.
- If the product isn’t seasonal, such as ink cartridges, find a hook for the journalist as to why they should update their article. For instance, it could be a great time to suggest an update ahead of September, where students will be returning to their studies, and may be exploring their printer and ink cartridge options. Consider using Google Trends data with Glimpse to provide insights on when customers are looking for your product, and pitch around the time that search spike occurs.
Send a follow-up email: Journalists can receive hundreds of emails a day, so do not be afraid to send a follow-up email to bump your pitch up in their inbox. Test changing your subject line, in your follow-up, to maximise the chances of your email being opened.

Securing product placements in top-tier publications can be a powerful way to elevate your brand and drive sales. By conducting both reactive and proactive outreach, you can increase your chance of success.

If you’re looking to secure product placements in top-tier publications, contact our team of specialists or, for further information, check out our case studies here.

Cedarwood Wins SIX UK Search Awards

6th December 2024

by Amanda Walls Cedarwood Digital News Digital PR & Outreach tips Paid Search Paid Social SEO Uncategorised

We are over the moon to announce that we won SIX UK Search Awards at the event last Wednesday – a great way to finish off a record year in 2024! 🎉

On the night we took home:

🏆 Best Small PPC Agency
🏆 Best Small Integrated Agency
🏆 Best SEO Agency (Silver)
🏆 Best Use Of Search (Healthcare) – Patient Claim Line
🏆 Best Low Budget PPC Campaign – Salt Of The Earth
🏆 Best Use Of Search B2C (PPC) – Salt Of The Earth

2024 has been a great year for us as we continue to grow from strength to strength, improving partnerships with our existing clients while growing each of our departments in turn so it’s great to have been recognised in particular for the agency awards which are testament to this.

It was a great evening all round and we are already looking forward to 2025!

BrightonSEO October 2024: Key takeaways

24th October 2024

by Amanda Walls Digital PR & Outreach tips SEO

Last week I spent a few days in one of my favourite places for my first BrightonSEO conference. Along with other team members, I made the 250-mile journey across the country, in the hopes of finding fish & chips and gaining some SEO insights.

As a Digital Content Executive, I had the pick of the litter when it came to the talks and panels, and I went to quite the range. I left feeling very impressed by how actionable and engaging the discussions were (and still dreaming of the Donatello’s Tiramisu).

If you couldn’t make it to the conference or found yourself torn between conflicting talks, this blog is for you. I’ll be summarising my standout talks and sharing the top takeaways and highlights. Read on for a comprehensive overview of my most impactful sessions from BrightonSEO.

I kicked off my first day bright and early with two talks on relevancy in Digital PR….

Liv Day – How To Find The Relevance Gap

Liv opened the conference by highlighting the crucial role relevance plays in a site’s link profile. She offered a clear explanation of why relevancy is a metric we simply can’t afford to neglect. Through a compelling case study, she demonstrated the impact of irrelevant backlinks on traffic and rankings. These links, she explained can contort the topicality of a website, potentially causing search engines to misinterpret the site’s focus.

She then shared her process for identifying and bridging the relevancy gap between a site’s themes and its backlink profile. Her team employs tools like IBM Watson’s natural language processor to identify relevant concepts, analysing both the site and the linking pages to check for alignment.

Liv’s talk underscored the importance of maintaining a relevant backlink profile, and thinking carefully about the subject of your campaigns. Today, shoehorning a connection can do more harm than good but the good news is, there are new tools being developed every day to help us guarantee topical alignment.

Sophie Coley – Audience-centric Planning and Creative Personas: a strategic approach to relevancy

Sophie then followed up with a different, but equally compelling angle on link relevancy. Drawing from her journalism background, she advocated for a persona-driven approach to help brands create more resonant content.

She recommended using platforms like Reddit or TikTok to understand audience pain points, or simply playing around with seed phrases in an incognito browser (e.g. ‘travel insurance when… ‘, ‘travel insurance for…’ etc.’

Sophie then used this travel insurance example to outline a framework for using AI tools like Perplexity to assist with ideation of relevant content ideas. Upon providing a detailed prompt, the tool generated five hypothetical persona examples, complete with first-person statements explaining their experience shopping for travel insurance (including motivating factors, challenges faced etc.)

It became evident that considering these tangible personas makes it significantly easier to ideate creative yet relevant campaigns. As Sophie put it: ‘Having broad boundaries in place makes ideation a lot easier’.

Yasmin Birchall – The Digital Generation is Here: why you’re about to overhaul your online strategy

Later in the morning, Yasmin drew our attention to Gen Z, how they are changing search, and how we can adapt accordingly. She highlighted that we’re now living in a new age of people who’ve never lived without technology at their fingertips – and that this generation now makes up 15% of our population! As a result, we need a holistic, multi-touch approach to guarantee engagement. Some key points I took away were:

–>Users are diversifying away from Google, now it’s TikTok that the new generations are looking to first when considering where to go for dinner, or when planning their holiday agenda.

–>Gen Z prioritise authenticity and individuality – they’ll respond well to tailored content, rather than being ‘creeped out’ by how well the ads are aligned with their online behaviour.

–>Price is as, if not more, important than sustainability – Yasmin drew on a Mintel survey to highlight that for 51% of Gen Z, managing their finances is their biggest priority.

Yasmin’s insights provided a valuable glimpse into the minds of Gen Z consumers and reminded us not to get comfortable with our strategies. Brands and marketers must evolve their approaches to meet the changing expectations of our younger audiences.

Nathan Height – Diversifying Beyond Google

Nathan’s talk similarly discussed how search is changing, but focusing on the search engine landscape. Whilst Google still undeniably dominates the market, we’re seeing a greater number of competitors than ever before. He even highlighted that Google and OpenAI themselves are turning to Reddit to inform their generation of information.

So, what can SEOs do to cater for these changes? Nathan shared some practical advice, including the importance of creating content for conversational long-tail queries. He pointed out some good ways to build an understanding of these specific searches (Quora, Reddit, TikTok keyword insights etc.) that I’ll be factoring into my keyword research going forwards.

This talk offered a persuasive case for SEOs to broaden their horizons beyond Google. My overall takeaway was the importance of diverse content creation and understanding user intent across multiple platforms. The online search scene is increasingly fragmented and it’s important to stay ahead.

Carla Dobson-Elliot – Is SEO killing curiosity

How many times a day do you find yourself reflexively reaching for your preferred search engine when a question pops into your head? For many of us, this habit has become all too frequent. Carla opened her talk with the now-familiar scenario of “going down an online rabbit hole”, highlighting how search engines have become the go-to source for satisfying our curiosity.

Carla emphasised that brands need to tap into this curiosity as well, rather than letting search engines monopolise our inquisitiveness. She argued that traditional demographics like age and gender are no longer sufficient for understanding audiences. Instead, she proposed a new framework based on “curiosity cohorts” – five distinct modes by which people search for and consume information and advertisements.

These cohorts should inform content strategy. For example, an “exhilaration hunter” might be drawn to Uber’s random promotion spinner, while a “novelty seeker” could find a Spotify playlist as a call-to-action more appealing. Carla urged marketers to identify their audience’s curiosity type and create fresh, engaging content tailored to these preferences.

I found this a really innovative approach to content creation, and will definitely be taking Carla’s curiosity quiz to discover which category I fall into.

Chris Meabe – 100% Evergreen Articles To Survive Search Updates

Now, while this title sounds a bit too good to be true, Chris delivered a practical guide for creating content resilient to algorithm changes. By analysing a set of evergreen articles, he’d uncovered several suprising commonalities:

📌Most articles began with ‘what is’, or at least opened by defining key terms

📌Introductions typically ranged from 100-150 words, with overall word counts between 1,200 and 3,000.

📌The number of backlinks was less crucial than internal links. Successful articles contained at least 10 outbound links to authoritative sources, often citing statistics.

📌Total word count mattered less than the depth and quality of information provided.

📌Lastly, Chris cautioned that while these articles were evergreen, they were not just left to their own devices, but were refreshed annually to maintain relevance.

📌This was a super actionable talk, giving me some clear Do’s and Dont’s to keep in mind when content-writing.

Sabine ljunggren – How To Maximise Your Search Visibility On Social Media

The final track I attended before sadly bidding Brighton farewell focused on social media, beginning with Sabine’s guide to maximising visibility on social.

Continuing a recurring theme, she emphasised TikTok’s emerging role as a new search engine. She cited a 2024 Adobe survey revealing that “new recipes” and “DIY tips” are among the most searched keywords on the platform. A particularly striking statistic showed that over 90% of TikTok users use the search function within 30 seconds of opening the app. So, if you’re not capitalising on this evolution of search behaviour, you’re missing out on some hefty search volume.

To capitalise on this trend and increase brand visibility, Sabine offered a few key tips:

Prioritise creating optimised content that will improve click-through rate and maximise the time users are spending on the platform.

Implement ‘pattern interrupts’ – unexpected frames or different camera angles.

Develop ‘comment-friendly content’ that encourages interaction and debate in the comment section.

In summary

If I was to distil everything I learnt from the conference, the overarching themes were:

💡Understanding your target audience is more important than ever, and go beyond basic demographics

💡Like it or not, TikTok has evolved to be a significant search platform and ignoring it potentially could mean missing out on engagement opportunities

💡The quality and relevance of your links matter more than quantity. Irrelevant or low-quality links can potentially harm your SEO efforts more than they help.

Need a hand with your performance marketing strategy? Whether it’s SEO, link-building, or paid advertising that you’re looking to enhance, we’ve got you covered.

Cedarwood Digital are an award-winning digital marketing agency, based in Manchester but working with SMEs and large multinationals internationally. Get in touch today to chat about how we can improve your online visibility.

The Value Of External Link Building In Enhanced E-E-A-T

29th August 2024

by Amanda Walls Digital PR & Outreach tips

Even in 2024, with Google’s algorithm boasting over 400 ranking factors, the concept of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) continues to hold significant weight in the SEO realm. This framework emphasises the importance of content created by experienced sources with demonstrable knowledge and a strong reputation for accuracy. By prioritising E-E-A-T, Google aims to deliver search results that users can confidently rely on for trustworthy and valuable information.

While on-site optimisation is crucial for building E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness), its reach extends beyond website elements. Discussions surrounding E-E-A-T often emphasise on-site tactics like testimonials, author profiles, and internal linking. However, for websites in the Your Money Your Life (YMYL) category, leveraging external link building strategies effectively can significantly enhance E-E-A-T. By acquiring high-quality backlinks from reputable sources in your niche, you demonstrate your website’s authority and trustworthiness to search engines. This comprehensive approach to E-E-A-T ultimately leads to a stronger SEO foundation.

How Do I Build E-E-A-T Friendly Links?

While building E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) friendly links might seem straightforward, the focus should remain on acquiring high-quality, genuine links through effective digital PR. Digital PR campaigns, when executed well, naturally contribute to E-E-A-T by securing placements on reputable websites that acknowledge your website’s expertise.

However, if your goal is to strategically strengthen your E-E-A-T, particularly when paired with on-site improvements, consider focusing on these specific digital PR tactics:

Thought Leadership

Thought leadership is a powerful tool for establishing E-E-A-T. By sharing your expertise externally through insightful content or interviews, you demonstrate your website’s knowledge and credibility. This knowledge-sharing approach effectively builds trust and positions your website as an authority in its field.

Thought leadership initiatives can be implemented in various ways. You can leverage interviews with your clients or internal subject matter experts to showcase their experience and insights. Providing strong biographies highlighting their credentials strengthens their authority in the eyes of journalists. Additionally, staying updated on industry news and proactively seeking opportunities (newsjacking or event participation) increases your chances of securing media placements. This comprehensive approach to thought leadership ultimately contributes to a stronger E-E-A-T foundation for your website.

To find out more about how effective thought leadership can be, check out our case study for client Little Loans where we achieved some great coverage in a traditionally tricky vertical.

Newsjacking

Newsjacking presents a valuable opportunity to build external E-E-A-T for your brand. It involves capitalizing on trending news stories and offering insightful commentary or unique perspectives from your resident experts. This strategy allows you to showcase your website’s expertise on relevant topics while potentially securing placements in high-quality publications.

Newsjacking doesn’t require complex or time-consuming efforts. For instance, we created a successful piece with our client Hayes Garden World, leveraging their resident gardening expert Angela Slater’s knowledge. The piece focused on the impact of lockdown on houseplants, providing a simple yet engaging angle on a trending topic. This approach resulted in acquiring high-quality backlinks, demonstrating the effectiveness of newsjacking for E-E-A-T building.

Data-Led Campaigns

Data-driven campaigns offer an excellent opportunity to demonstrate your E-E-A-T. By analyzing relevant industry data or your own data sets, you can create valuable resources that showcase your expertise and provide journalists with compelling insights. This approach fosters trust and positions your website as an authority within the industry.

Data campaigns can be implemented in various ways. Consider creating data-driven guides or reports addressing industry trends or consumer behavior. A well-executed example could be a guide titled “How Much Energy Do Your Household Appliances Consume?”. This type of informative content, especially when relevant to your industry (e.g., energy providers), establishes your website as a credible source and has the potential to attract long-term backlinks from journalists who reference it repeatedly.

Each of the approaches above will really help you to hone in on building that E-E-A-T through each of your external link acquisition campaigns which, when paired with a solid on-site strategy, will improve your website visibility in no time.

Product Reviews & Placements

If you’re an ecommerce agency, then chances are you will be looking to build external trust through visibility for products. Top 10 lists and product round-ups are a great way to get exposure for your products and brand and they also help to build those all-important external trust signals which are a great way to build key E-E-A-T signals here.

To find out more about how our Digital PR and Link Building service can help your SEO efforts, or to enquire about our white label digital PR services you can contact us here.

4 Digital PR Trends You Need To Be Aware Of In 2024

28th August 2024

by Amanda Walls Digital PR & Outreach tips

In 2024, digital PR is bigger than ever. 9 out of 10 PR professionals send their pitches to digital media, an increase of 14% since 2022. This growth is largely due to the increasing importance of online visibility for businesses and brands – driven by the rise of social media and online news outlets.

Today, digital PR should be factored into every digital marketing strategy to increase brand awareness, provide high-quality backlinks and increase search engine rankings.

We are now over half-way through the year, so have a strong sense of how the digital PR landscape is looking. It’s now clear to see which trends are here to stay, which campaign styles have been gaining traction, and the new techniques that show long-term potential.

This blog will be looking at the trends we’ve been seeing in 2024 and our predictions for suspected future trends still to come this year. If you’re a digital PR professional or a business owner hoping to land online coverage, staying informed about the latest trends will ensure you’re staying relevant, so read on.

What are digital PR trends?

Firstly, let’s check you’re up to speed with what digital PR is all about. In 2024, it’s no hot take that we’re living in an online-centric world; as a result, traditional PR has had to adapt. It’s the art of building visibility online through pitching press releases to online journalists, providing quotes for online articles, and guest posting in blogs.

And what’s the point of all this? Well, digital PR has a whole array of benefits, all ultimately feeding into increased brand awareness and visibility online – at the end of the day, increasing conversions. It improves SEO by earning high-quality backlinks, it will help to establish your company as an authority in its industry, and can even help with crisis management.

Digital PR trends, then, are the shifting behaviours and techniques defining the digital PR industry. This can include new softwares, audience preferences, and particular styles of campaign that are landing with journalists. Below, we take you through the 4 trends you should be aware of this year which are here to stay in 2024.

The top trends for 2024:

We’re increasingly seeing new tools automating aspects of digital PR

AI isn’t going to steal our jobs, but it’s certainly making them easier. Every week there’s another software on the market to help with a different task in digital PR. In a study by Prowly AI came in as the top trend prediction from respondents, with 36% predicting it would be a primary trend in 2024 – they weren’t wrong!

AI tools and platforms are playing more and more of a significant role in digital PR campaigns. A couple of our new favourites are:

Sourcee: This tool acts as your own personal Journo Request lookout, with the slogan: ‘Letting you know about relevant requests, straight away.’

Midjourney: This can be used to create imagery for your campaign, or to provide inspo for your ideation.

AI technology can help you analyse large amounts of data to create a story, automate tasks like media monitoring, and provide sentiment analysis about a brand on social media. Have a browse at what’s on offer, your boss and clients will thank you!

TikTok as a research tool

I don’t need to tell you that the popularity of this platform continues to grow. And, more and more, brands and agencies are using it in digital PR as a research tool. It’s surprisingly valuable for gaining insights into consumer preferences and trends. Tiktok can also be used to identify viral trends and popular hashtags – helping brands stay relevant to their audience.

A good digital PR campaign addresses an issue or topic of interest of your target audience; where are customers most vocal and transparent about products they’re using? TikTok! Have a look for yourself when ideating your next campaign.

A shift in metrics

If you haven’t got the memo, links are out and relevancy is in. Quality over quantity is what matters now – PRs are digging deeper than surface-level metrics, focusing on how their campaigns can put a brand in front of the right people and drive conversions.

Metrics like brand mentions, relevancy of links, and sentiment analysis are increasingly being paid more attention. Hundreds of links at face value is no longer impressive, but hundreds of links aligned with the brand, in a credible and relevant publication, is.

So, in 2024:

✔️Ensure your campaigns and placements are consistent with your brand’s messaging

✔️Shift away from link-building tactics, focusing instead on creating content that’s genuinely valuable for your audience

Impact of the cost of living crisis

We’ve all seen the price of a Tesco meal deal these days – the cost of living crisis is unfortunately continuing to rise and people are feeling the pinch. In light of this, journalists are looking for tips and stories on how to save money. In our work, we’ve noticed a pattern of good coverage for campaigns like ‘where to find the cheapest school uniforms’ or ‘best deals this bank holiday weekend’. For example, if your brand is in the automotive industry, could you provide tips on fuel efficiency, to save money on petrol? Or, tips for getting the best deal when buying a used car? If you work in the entertainment sector, could you create a guide to a DIY home theatre?

Equally, the cost of living crisis is just one of the many things making our news very negative in 2024. Considering this, any light-hearted and optimistic content is increasingly popular with journalists – they know it’s what readers want to see, to brighten their day a little.

What future trends can we expect to see?

➡️We’re seeing a surge in data-led digital PR campaigns, with journalists increasingly looking for fresh and fact based stories. PRs that can create a narrative from client research or survey data will stand out in a busy inbox. Raw statistics can be turned into attention-grabbing headlines, especially with the help of…

➡️AI. You guessed it – expect to see AI filtering into more and more areas of digital PR, automating routine tasks and freeing us up to concentrate on strategy and client relationships.

If your digital PR strategy could do with a bit of a spruce up, why not get some professional help? Cedarwood Digital is an award-winning digital PR and SEO agency based in Manchester – drop us a message to get the ball rolling.

Why Is Relevancy So Important In Digital PR?

20th August 2024

by Amanda Walls Digital PR & Outreach tips

Relevancy – you’ve probably heard this term buzzing around LinkedIn recently and may be wondering: is it just another industry fad, or does it actually matter? Surely any coverage is good coverage?

We’re here to break the news that, as a PR, links aren’t the only metric you should be tracking and it’s no lie that the majority of digital pr companies are now also looking at relevance as a key metric of campaign success. To see real growth, a business needs campaigns that are relevant, in publications that are just as relevant. We know how tempting it can be to jump on any old topic that’s trending and exciting, but if it doesn’t resonate with your target market, it can be harmful.

This blog will get into the details of why this is, explaining what exactly relevancy is when it comes to digital PR, why you should care about it and our tips for creating relevant but still newsworthy content. We’ve even shared some examples of our recent and relevant campaigns to give you a bit of inspiration.

But, if you prefer to skip the ramble, here are some key takeaways:

👉Quality over quantity: aim to secure placements that align with your brand, even if it means fewer links

👉Relevant campaigns put you in front of the right people and increases visibility, driving conversions

👉To create a relevant but newsworthy story, you need to understand your audience, and have a close eye on your industry’s trends

What is relevancy in digital PR?

In 2024, the phrase ‘they’re not relevant anymore’ is tossed around in pop culture, as a jab at former Love Islanders or child actors who haven’t survived the cutthroat cycle of mainstream popularity. In fact, it offers an interesting parallel to digital PR, but whilst both brands and celebrities must continuously work to stay connected to their audience – there’s a key difference.

In digital PR, relevancy isn’t about chasing fleeting trends or viral moments; it’s creating lasting, meaningful connections that align with your brand’s core values and resonate with your target audience.

So when we talk about relevancy, in practice this means asking yourself “does it make sense for my brand to be mentioned in this particular article and this particular publication”. Securing a feature in a prestigious magazine like GQ might seem like a big win, but if your business has nothing to do with fashion, it’s not a strategically relevant placement.

It’s time for us to move away from the outdated numbers game of link building that characterised the early days of SEO. Today, the best marketers are focusing on quality and brand relevancy, steering clear of spammy tactics.

Relevancy is about ensuring that every mention, every link, and every campaign reinforces your brand’s identity and speaks directly to the audience you’re trying to reach. This approach has a whole host of benefits….

Why is it important to make DPR campaigns relevant to the brand?

There’s a growing consensus in the world of digital marketing that relevancy isn’t just important – it’s crucial for the success of a digital PR campaign, and growth of a business. Here’s why:

➡️Visibility

When your digital PR efforts are relevant, you’re more likely to appear in publications and platforms where your target audience is actively engaged. This targeted visibility not only increases your chances of being seen but also ensures that you’re reaching the people who are most likely to be interested in your products or services. Each mention drives relevant traffic back to your site, boosting what we all ultimately care most about – conversions.

➡️Brand alignment

When your PR activity is in sync with who you are as a brand, it creates a more cohesive narrative for your audience – strengthening your brand image and helping to build trust. From a messaging perspective, you don’t want to confuse your customers by having your brand linked to campaigns that say drastically different things.By prioritising relevancy, you’re building a consistent image that resonates with your core audience.

➡️SEO

A handful of highly relevant links provide far more SEO value than hundreds of non-relevant ones. This is because when a link comes from a source closely aligned with your brand, it carries more weight in the eyes of the search engines. Google is getting increasingly good at understanding context and it now evaluates the relevance of the linking site to your content; when you secure a link from a highly relevant publication, you’re sending strong signals about your site’s authority and relevance in your niche.

➡️E-E-A-T

This is partly because relevant coverage plays a huge part in enhancing your website’s E-E-A-T signals. When you consistently appear in relevant discussions within your industry, you’re demonstrating your expertise and building authority. This improves your standing with Google, boosting your rankings and also positioning your brand as a go-to resource to your audience.

➡️Why the journalists should link to your page

Aside from anything else, relevancy increases the likelihood that a journalist will want to use your content in the first place. Relevant content enhances their article and offers the journalist genuine value. You want the connection to be plain as day, so that it’s no question that they include your content to enhance their article.

Examples of relevancy in our work at Cedarwood

The best way to explain a relevant campaign is just to show you one! Here are three examples in our work recently where we’ve crafted a story both relevant to our client, and newsworthy – resulting in lots of coverage.

A super relevant campaign that went viral just last month across national papers is our newsjacking piece for a printer toner client. We aligned our client’s products with the peak in summer holidays through identifying essential documents to print before boarding your flight. This transformed a mundane product into a timely solution and landed our client widespread coverage:

For our new DIY supplies client, we launched a newsjacking piece where we jumped on a topical trend (apprenticeships) to provide relevant data that appealed to their target audience. We outreached the campaign to outlets in their industry and landed a number of hyper-relevant niche links to the website:

There’s no hiding the fact that you have to be a little more creative in some industries than others when it comes to crafting relevant digital PR campaigns. The vaping space is a great example of this – there’s certainly a less exhaustive list of related topics. So, to get round this, we thought outside the box and submitted FOI requests to local councils to identify how many illegal vapes had been seized over time. With this data, we then created an infographic showcasing the UK’s vape raid hotspots, outreaching it as an asset for journalists.

The outcome was over 150 relevant and targeted links that enhanced E-E-A-T signals across the brand:

How to create relevant but newsworthy content

🔈Audience understanding

Your first step should be getting a deep understanding of your target audience, their interests, and problems they’re facing. But the insights from tools and AI aren’t really enough, so how can you go about this? First, have a clear contact page and form so that people know how and where to go to send you their feedback.

Secondly, platforms like TikTok are a great way to get a better sense of the thoughts and feelings of your audience. Search your product or service keyword and have a look at what the main discussion points are – is there opportunity for you to provide data or expertise that solves an issue they’re having? For example, searching ‘printing’ into TikTok reveals viral videos surrounding the idea of DIY- printed t-shirts. Therefore, a campaign looking at this new gen-z trend of upcycling our clothes at home, and an expert how-to guide, would be a relevant campaign for a printing company.

🔈Timely, trending content

Relevancy is time-sensitive and journalists don’t want stories that are yesterday’s news. To create relevant stories, you need to be constantly monitoring the emerging trends and events within your niche and create content that offers unique insights on these. Content calendars are a great way to do this, marked with key dates and relevant events. With this, you can then brainstorm ideas in advance, allowing you to newsjack quickly. To return to our printing example, key educational dates like the dissertation submission period or GCSE exam period would be worth marking in advance as this allows you to create timely content surrounding printing dissertations or practice papers.

🔈Keyword research

Whilst often overlooked in digital PR, this shouldn’t be left to the SEOs! In fact, keyword research should be one of the first steps of a digital PR ideation process, as it guarantees that you’re narrowing in on genuinely relevant ideas. Looking at these terms guarantees that your campaigns are going to align with what your audience is actively searching for. Plus, by incorporating these keywords into your pitch, you’re hitting two birds with one stone – speaking the language of your audience, and increasing the likelihood that your content is discovered organically in the SERPs.

Cedarwood Digital is an award-winning SEO, digital PR & PPC agency based in Manchester. If relevancy isn’t your forte or your campaigns just aren’t landing, how about getting some expert help. Contact us today to find out what we can do for you.