[blog]_[ common SEO myths ]_[Blog Pictures]

Debunking Common SEO Myths

by SEO

At the start of this year, as an SEO beginner eager to learn the ropes, I had no idea how many outdated myths and misconceptions were circulating the industry. At first, I found myself taken in by some of these misconceptions, believing they were essential to ranking success. Fast forward to today, after spending a month working hands-on in SEO, I’ve had my fair share of enlightening moments uncovering just how far off some of these popular beliefs can be. 

If you’re new to SEO, I’m here to share the top 5 myths I’ve debunked during my first month in the field so you can skip the confusion and dive straight into effective strategies that actually work.

Keyword stuffing

Keyword stuffing is probably one of the biggest misconceptions I had when beginning SEO and it’s quite a difficult one to shake off.

Keyword stuffing is just like overwatering a plant. You might think adding more keywords will help your content rank higher, but all it does is kill the quality. Just as a plant that can’t thrive with too much water, your content won’t perform better by cramming in extra keywords; it will only make it harder for search engines and readers to engage with. 

That’s not to say you ignore keywords, but that focusing on naturally incorporating keywords that are valuable to your niche, and appreciating quality and readability is significantly better SEO practice than stuffing those keywords.

Only targeting high-volume keywords

I initially thought that the highest volume keywords were the golden ticket to ranking success. More searches equals more traffic, right? 

But it’s not that simple. 

High-volume keywords are usually quite competitive and often not specific to your offering. 

Focusing solely on high-volume keywords can often leave you competing with a tonne of other content, making it harder to stand out. Meanwhile, targeting more specific keywords (often long-tail keywords) can help you reach a more engaged, relevant audience.

The key is balance. A strategic mix of high-volume and niche keywords allows you to reach people who are truly interested in what you’re offering, giving you better opportunities to connect and convert. Quality over quantity, always.

Keywords need to be exact matches

For a long time, I was under the impression that you had to use the exact keyword phrase repeatedly to rank well in search results. But here’s the thing, search engines have evolved.

They now focus on understanding the context and meaning behind your content, the intent, not just exact word matches. It’s like when someone gets the gist of what you’re saying, even if your wording isn’t spot-on. For example, if you’re targeting “best commercial cooking equipment”, you don’t have to use that exact phrase every time. Phrases like “top kitchen equipment for restaurants” or “best professional cooking tools” will still help you rank because they carry the same relevant context.

By using synonyms, related terms and natural variations, you’re not only making your content more readable but also aligning with how search engines now interpret language. It’s like speaking naturally to someone, rather than forcing every sentence to sound robotic or repetitive. The goal is to sound human for the sake of your users and Google.

Meta descriptions are a ranking factor

Although good practice, crafting the perfect meta description is not a direct route to better rankings. 

What they do help with is encouraging users to click through to your site. The right meta description can act like an engaging headline that convinces someone to visit your page. But when it comes to rankings, it’s your content’s relevance, authority and user experience that matters most.

So, while meta descriptions are important for click-through rates, don’t expect them to boost your rankings on their own.

SEO is all about ranking #1

It’s easy to get caught up in the idea that SEO is solely about reaching that coveted #1 spot in search engine results pages. While a #1 ranking can be great for visibility, it’s not the be-all and end-all of SEO success.

SEO is really about gaining high visibility across SERPs by attracting relevant traffic that’s genuinely interested in your content. Achieving high rankings for your target keywords is important, but the goal should be to attract the right kind of visitors (people who are likely to engage with your site) and not just focusing on reaching the top at all costs.

Here’s what really matters in SEO:

  • Quality traffic: attracting visitors who are interested in your content is far more valuable than simply aiming for the highest possible rank. It’s not about pulling in masses of traffic that bounce off your page immediately; it’s about driving people who find value in your offerings. High-quality traffic leads to higher engagement, conversions and long-term SEO success.
  • Multiple ranking factors: SEO success is a combination of many elements. Google’s algorithm takes into account far more than just the keyword you’re targeting. Content quality, relevance to user intent, page experience (such as site speed and mobile-friendliness), website structure and strong backlinks are all key to improving your ranking. So, even if you don’t land in the #1 position, ranking well across multiple keywords can still drive consistent traffic and deliver value.
  • Staying up to date: The world of SEO is constantly changing. Google’s algorithms are regularly updated, meaning the strategies that worked last year might not be as effective today. Focusing solely on ranking #1 with outdated tactics won’t be sustainable. SEO is a dynamic field and to stay ahead, you need to stay adaptable. You should continuously refine your strategies based on the latest updates and trends in search engine algorithms.

If you are interested in more SEO tips, check out the rest of our Cedarwood Digital blog!

[blog]_[4 Digital PR Trends You Need To Be Aware Of In 2024]_[Blog Picture]

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

by 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.

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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:

  1. 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!

  1. 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.

  1. 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

  1. 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.

[blog]_[why is relevancy so important in digital pr]_[Blog Pictures]

Why Is Relevancy So Important In Digital PR? 

by 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.

  1. 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:
  1. 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:
  1. 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.

[blog]_[a guide for e-commerce digital pr]_[Blog Pictures]

A Guide For E-commerce Digital PR

by Digital PR & Outreach tips

There’s no question that e-commerce is thriving; e-commerce sales are forecasted to make up a huge 23% of global retail sales by 2027. We’re seeing social media platforms increasingly integrating shopping features and live shopping experiences gaining traction on platforms like TikTok. We’re certainly in a new era of e-commerce but how can traditional e-commerce sites still ensure they’re getting seen? The answer is link-building. It’s an absolute necessity for e-commerce businesses aiming for growth and brand recognition. 

This guide is going to explain exactly what you’re missing out on if digital PR isn’t yet part of your e-commerce strategy and give you the techniques our experts can’t live without.

Why your e-commerce site needs digital PR

In this saturated market, customers now, more than ever, need to really trust a brand to want to purchase from them. In fact, according to Edelman’s Trust Barometer, Gen Z exhibits the highest need for brand trust, with 79% saying it is more important to trust the brands they buy today than in the past. Digital PR is the key to building that trust and establishing your brand as an authority.

But alongside this, digital PR helps strengthen your brand image, attract relevant traffic and boost your organic search ranking for competitive keywords. When high-quality external sites link to your e-commerce store, search engines perceive your website as more authoritative and trustworthy. This translates to improved rankings for relevant keywords in search engine results pages – bingo.

A well-crafted digital PR strategy will secure backlinks not just to your homepage, but also to product and category pages. This “deeper link building” helps you rank higher for specific products and high-intent pages in the SERPs.

If your e-commerce site has physical stores, digital PR will also work in your favour. Press releases can be outreached to specifically target local publications, building brand awareness in your local community.

Plus, the benefits of digital PR extend to your paid campaigns too, enhancing their performance and maximising your return on investment. This is because digital PR can generate positive brand mentions and reviews online and, by incorporating reviews into your landing pages, you add social proof and enhance the credibility of your paid ads.

Whilst things like brand awareness and credibility are important, what we’re all ultimately after in e-commerce is a boost in sales. Digital PR goes beyond vanity metrics – each link, brand mention, and boost in authority helps an e-commerce site outrank their competitors, and get customers on their side. In other words, you significantly increase your conversions!

How to do digital PR for e-commerce: our tips

🧷Product placements

On the topic of trust, product placements are your golden ticket. If a trusted reviewer (say GQ or Vogue) features your new sandal range in their ‘22024 summer holiday must-haves’ list, that’s a powerful way to earn trust and stand out – in a natural way. These high-authority platforms have thousands of readers, and therefore, just as many potential customers for your products. 

Focus on reaching out to publications and review websites that resonate with your brand values. And remember that product placement isn’t just a transaction – you want to build a relationship. Offer journalists early access to new products, and provide valuable industry insights alongside your product details.

We leveraged this technique successfully with our garden furniture client, Hayes Garden World. We used a mixture of media monitoring, and proactive outreach to get our products featured. With this approach, we landed over 65 linked product placements in a year, with £47,000 in referral sales generated! Told you product placements work. Make sure to have a Dropbox file of high-resolution images ready to go, so you can jump on trends and turn a product placement around quickly. 

🧷Internal data

Due to the online interactions on an e-commerce site, they have a far bigger pool of internal data compared to traditional stores. This is because e-commerce sites can track every click, search and product interaction, which provides heaps of insight into browsing habits and product preferences. Additionally, e-commerce platforms often collect customer information like their demographics and purchase history.

Why does this matter? Sales data and customer behaviour patterns can be the foundation for compelling digital PR stories that will stand out in journalists’ inboxes and secure you those valuable links. This is completely unique data and analysis that only you have access to and will attract outlets looking for fresh, data-driven content. It’s also worth analysing customer data anyway to help you tailor your digital PR messaging. Internal data can help you understand your audience’s wants, needs and pain points,  which will inform more effective campaigns.

🧷Content marketing

Great content is a magnet for backlinks and serves as a relatively low-maintenance technique to help attract customers and journalists to your site. We call this approach ‘reverse digital PR’ and here’s how it works:

  1. Start by analysing your website to identify areas where you could establish yourself as a data hub. This could be through informative blog posts, buying guides, in-depth industry reports, or even infographics. Consider what information your target audience is after and what content gaps exist within your niche.
  1. Whilst not essential, incorporating data into your content will boost its authority and newsworthiness. You can leverage internal sales data, customer behavior patterns, or commission external surveys, all to produce content that’s unique and engaging.
  1. Present this information in a clear and visually appealing way, then optimise your content with keywords to ensure it ranks well in the SERPs. If it isn’t ranking, how are journalists and customers going to find it!
  1. Now, you can sit back and watch as you attract backlinks naturally, without the need for constant outreach. Journalists and other websites looking for insightful information to add credibility to their articles, will come across your data and (hopefully) link back, boosting your site’s authority and visibility.

🧷Guest-posting

Guest posting allows you to share your expertise and build valuable backlinks to your e-commerce site. The way this works is you contribute an informative article to relevant industry publications with larger audiences. You’ll then ideally receive a do-follow backlink within the guest post, which acts as a vote of confidence, boosting your site’s authority and ranking. Equally, guest posting exposes your brand and products to a wider audience, and this increased visibility leads to more traffic and potential sales.

🧷Keep your eye out for unlinked mentions

Even mentions of your brand that don’t link to you are valuable – identifying them using a tool like Google Alerts allows you to then reach out to the site owner or article author. Offer additional information or propose a content collaboration, and this could potentially lead to a backlink. Even if you don’t secure a link, this mention is still increasing your brand awareness by getting your name in front of a new audience, so don’t discount it!

Whether you sell dog bowls, windshields, or Bakewell tarts, you’re setting yourself up for success by following the steps in this guide. In 2024, prioritising digital PR within your e-commerce digital marketing strategy is a need and a must. Without it, you’re missing out on valuable links, traffic, and most importantly, paying customers!

Cedarwood Digital is an award-winning digital PR agency specialising in landing reputable links and coverage for e-commerce businesses. If you’re looking for a hand with your digital PR, go ahead and drop us a message – we’d love to hear from you.

[blog]_[Core Web Vitals - What Is It & How Do I Find Out If I Pass?]_[Blog Picture]

How To Get Media Coverage For Your Business In Seven Steps

by Digital PR & Outreach tipsLink Building

As a small or start up-business, gaining media attention  is important for growth and gives your SEO a significant boost. But, it can often feel like a daunting, nay impossible task. Where do you even begin? And do you need a big budget to make a difference?

At Cedarwood Digital, we work with clients of all shapes and sizes, with a variety of budgets. So, we know first-hand that you can make an impact, regardless of size or budget.

We’ve rounded up our top tips and broken down the process of  landing coverage for your business, so you can start a media storm. 

 

1. Understand what journalists want to see

When creating a press release, keep in mind that journalists receive countless similar emails each  day. Focus on providing something valuable that they can’t get elsewhere! Create fresh content that either supports established ideas with research or challenges them with new data. Surveys that provide journalists with interesting and topical statistics are a great way to get your business featured in the press. Whilst there are companies that will run surveys for you, these can be costly, so SMEs can benefit from using their own customer databases to conduct surveys and research.

Images are also crucial for a strong press release, as we live in an increasingly visual world. Including a few good  images to support your press release saves journalists time and could be the difference between your story getting picked up and falling flat.

 

2. Know your target audience

Craft a unique angle that makes your story resonate with the publications you’re looking to target. Try not to generalise content and send it across all genres of media – this will be obvious  to the journalist and appear lazy. It’s best to brainstorm and research topical news, upcoming events and  media trends relevant to your brand to ensure your content hits the right mark. Don’t neglect regional press, as a local angle can also be a great hook. Though regional publications may have a smaller audience than nationals, they offer the chance to showcase news on a local scale and can be easier to land  features in than the bigger publications. If you’re offering research and statistics that cover the whole of the UK, try breaking your research down into key city demographics so that it is more relevant to regional publications. 

 

3. Build a comprehensive media list 

Whilst you may already be familiar with some key publications you would like to target, it’s useful to go beyond the obvious and expand your horizons to more niche publications as well.  It’s a good idea to think about your ideal customer, and then pinpoint the media outlets they would be using for their news. There are numerous online tools  to help you build out  a thorough media list – with everything from trade journals to nationals. Tools like Roxhill Media, Muckrack, and Cision offer subscriptions, allowing you access to media databases. Or for those with smaller budgets, websites like Hunter.io allow a limited number of free searches for journalist contacts. Both X (Twitter) and LinkedIn can also be good places to start building connections. Monitor #journorequest and #prrequest on X (Twitter) to find relevant feature opportunities and connect with journalists on LinkedIn.

We recommend keeping your media list nice and organised. Categorise the publications by type, size, and geographic reach to make your life easier when you get to the outreach stage.

 

4. Research the targeted journalist

Once you’ve built your media  list, double check that the journalist specialises in your topic. Ensure you’ve got accurate contact details noted as first impressions count and you don’t want to come across as unprofessional!  

Make sure to stay on top of deadlines and publication dates to ensure timely outreach and avoid interrupting journalists when they’re working against the clock. There’s no problem in getting in touch to ask if a certain topic is of interest, but don’t harass them. If you’ve followed up twice via email and have still not had a response, then unfortunately the journalist may just not be interested in your pitch.

 

5. Design your press release to make an impression

Structure press releases in a way that makes them easily digestible to busy journalists. Generally, try to stick to the following rules:

  • ➡️Use a snappy and attention-grabbing headline; assume the journalist is in a rush and reading it on their phone, it needs to grab them! 
  • ➡️It can be useful to think about your press release as an inverted pyramid. Immediately summarise the gist  of the content in the first paragraph, making sure to answer the 5 Ws (who, what, where, when, why). Then, bring in your additional context below with the information becoming less vital as you move down the page. 
  • ➡️Avoid technical terms which aren’t accessible.
  • ➡️Support your story with evidence or data where possible. In particular, including a shocking statistic in the headline is a good technique to get your release noticed and show journalists that it’s news.
  • ➡️Include your contact information at the end of the press release, and make sure to be available for follow up calls.
  • ➡️A ‘Notes to the Editor’ section at the bottom of the release is always useful. This is where you can include relevant background information that does not feature in your press release, such as an overview of your business’ services, how you conducted your research  or a brief history of your business.
  •  ➡️Then you’re ready to press send!

 

6. Add supporting information & special extras to the press release

To give your press release a bit more zest, it’s worth considering what extra support you could provide to each journalist. Publications often want to get unique angles on stories to avoid duplicated articles, so think about offering a case study, interview or photograph to sweeten the deal.

If you have a larger publication in mind that you are eager to work with, then you could offer them the exclusive on the story first; being featured in one large publication with a significant audience could be more worthwhile than coverage in  multiple smaller publications.

 

7. Build relationships with journalists

To establish long-term media relationships, provide journalists with a steady stream of good content, stick to deadlines, and be readily available for interviews and commentary.  This way, you’ll create a great reputation for yourself as a useful contact and build a lasting relationship with the press. 

 

Land media coverage with the help of professionals


With these tips under your belt, you should now be in the best position to get out there and secure coverage for your business. Need a hand getting started? Our digital PR team here at Cedarwood Digital have a proven track record. We deliver campaigns that land you 100% earned links and coverage from top publications because we know what the journalists want to see, and how to execute it.

We’ve achieved excellent results for both SMEs and large international clients alike. Get in touch today to get your brand in front of its target audience.

[blog]_[ Valentine's Day Search Data: Key Trends For Your Marketing Campaigns]_[Blog Picture]

Valentine’s Day Search Data: Key Trends For Your Marketing Campaigns

by General MarketingSEO

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and for many businesses this is a crucial time to get your products or services noticed by potential customers. Whether you’re offering a romantic dinner location, a flower delivery service, or even hosting a singles event, the high amount of interest in February needs to be utilised. 

 

Needless to say it’s important to plan your digital marketing strategy in advance – but when is the best time to push your campaigns? 

 

We dove into the heart of the matter, exploring data from sources like Google and TikTok to unearth the golden nuggets of Valentine’s Day search trends. After all, who doesn’t want to be the cupid of commerce?

 

Using this historical data, you can get into the mind of the consumer, and try to get your business in front of them at a time when they’re willing to spend. 

 

Valentine’s Gifts Galore

 

Flowers? Chocolates? Or just some inspiration for something less cliché? If you’re looking to promote gifts for Valentine’s Day, it’s important to dive into the minds of potential customers by understanding the top-searched terms. 

 

From a list of the top searched Valentine’s related queries in the UK in 2023, we examined popular gifting keywords including ‘Valentines gifts,’ ‘Valentines day card,’ ‘Valentines flowers,’ ‘Valentines chocolate.’

 

Our journey through the UK’s Valentine’s Day queries revealed a fascinating surge in interest towards the end of January, hitting its zenith between the 7th and 9th of February: 

 

‘Valentines Gifts’

 

In 2023, interest around the general ‘valentines gifts’ query picked up momentum towards the end of January and had the highest interest between the 7th-9th February. 

 

 

‘Valentines Day Card,’ ‘Valentines Flowers,’ ‘Valentines Chocolate’

 

For more specific gifts, we can see that there was a rise in interest at the start of February, increasing in the days leading up to the 14th and peaking on the 14th for flowers and cards likely due to last minute shopping and the ease of next day delivery.

 

 

To make things more interesting, we decided to go deeper into this keyword data and assess which UK cities are searching the most for these popular Valentine’s queries. 

 

Which UK city can be crowned ‘Most Romantic?’ And, which UK city is most likely to buy a certain kind of Valentine’s gift? Maybe there’s a target audience for your business that you’re currently missing out on!

 

City Love Showdown: Which UK City Is The Most Romantic? 

 

Using Google Trend’s top 73 Valentine’s Day related keywords searched in the UK between January and February 2023, we’ve taken a look at which UK city is the most romantic based on searches per capita. 

 

Our results show the following… Leeds emerged as the UK’s most romantic city with an overwhelming interest in Valentine’s Day!: 

 

1. Leeds (3,579 searches per 100,000 people)

2. Bradford (2,206 searches per 100,000  people)

3. Liverpool (2,064 searches per 100,000 people)

4. London (2,024 searches per 100,000  people)

5. Bristol (1,870 searches per 100,000  people)

6. Sheffield (1,632 searches per 100,000 people)

7. Birmingham (1,508 searches per 100,000  people)

8. Nottingham (1,257 searches per 100,000  people)

9. Newcastle (1,093 searches per 100,000 people)

10. Manchester (683 searches per 100,000 people)

 

Not only does Leeds take the top position as the UK’s most romantic city based on their Valentine’s search behaviour, they also claimed the top position for ‘Most Likely To Send’ the following gifts: 

 

💟 A Valentine’s Day Card  

💟 Valentine’s Chocolates 

💟 Valentine’s Flowers 

💟 A Valentine’s Poem!

 

Move over Shakespeare, Leeds is in the house! 

 

In fact, Leeds took the top spot for most but not all… 

 

Gifts Across The UK Cities

 

Liverpool stole the spotlight as the city Most Likely To Buy Valentine’s Day PJs with the most searches for ‘Valentine’s jammies’ and ‘Valentine’s PJs,’ celebrating the day in comfort and style. Here, Liverpool were searching 220% more than runner up Leeds!

 

Meanwhile, London and Bristol secured positions two and three for cities most likely to send a Valentine’s Card and Chocolates.

 

UK Cities With A Funny Bone … 

 

They say laughter is the key to the heart, and many UK cities seem to wholeheartedly endorse this sentiment, evident in their spirited searches for ‘Valentines Meme’ and ‘Valentines funny quotes’.

 

The top three cities where humour takes centre stage when it comes to Valentine’s included (per 100,000 people): 

 

1. Leeds (159 Searches) 

2. London (86 Searches)

3. Liverpool (75 Searches)

 

Anticipate receiving a card brimming with memes from these humour-loving cities.

 

These cities are not just looking for love; they’re looking for a love story sprinkled with humour. So, if your brand is looking to spread joy, consider infusing a touch of humour into your Valentine’s Day campaigns.

 

Gifts For Him vs Gifts For Her 

 

Two of the highest searched queries included: ‘Valentine’s Gifts For Her’ and ‘Valentine’s Gifts For Him.’ 

 

In the realm of gift-giving, our exploration across every UK city on our list reveals a distinct preference for ‘Gifts For Him’ over ‘Gifts For Her,’ but when are people generally searching for inspiration?  

 

The prime dates for those searching for ‘Gifts For Her’ emerge on February 9th and February 11th, while those in pursuit of ‘Gifts For Him’ hit their peak on February 4th!

 

Those hunting for the perfect gift for her exhibit early interest, yet show a penchant for last-minute decisions, so it may be worth running a longer marketing stretch if you’re promoting gifts for females compared to gifts for males. 

 

 

 

Timing is everything, and capturing the attention of those searching for inspiration is an art. Make sure your brand stands out during both the early explorations and the eleventh-hour searches. 

 

Most Organised and Least Organised Valentine’s Shoppers In The UK

 

In our research, we noticed a rising trend of peaks closest to February 14th where interest was highest. Having already found out which UK city is the most romantic when it comes to Valentine’s Day, we also wanted to find out which UK city is most likely to leave their Valentine’s shopping until the last minute.

 

We took a combination of gifting queries, prefixed by ‘next day delivery’, that were searched for in February 2023 and checked how each UK city performed here:

 

And the results were as followed (searches per 100,000 people): 

 

1. Leeds (90 searches)

2. Bradford (48 searches)

3. London (45 searches)

4. Bristol (41 searches)

5. Sheffield (32 searches)

6. Liverpool (31 searches)

7. Birmingham  (30 searches)

8. Nottingham  (21 searches)

9. Newcastle (21 searches)

10. Manchester (14 searches)

 

Leeds may be the most romantic, but they also topped the charts as the city most likely to embrace next-day delivery for Valentine’s gifts. On the flip side, Manchester emerged as the most organised, showing low searches for ‘next day delivery’ terms.

 

 

Google Search Trends: Valentine’s Dates 

 

Other popular searches surrounding Valentine’s Day revolve around date-nights and more specifically: restaurants. 

 

If you’re in the hospitality industry, understanding when people begin to plan and book their Valentine’s dates is key. Our analysis delves into popular searches such as ‘romantic restaurant’ and ‘valentine’s day restaurant,’ offering a snapshot of when people initiate their quest for the perfect dining experience.

 

The graph below unveils peaks on February 9th and Valentine’s Day itself!: 

 

 

It’s A ‘Galentine’s Day’ Affair

 

One topic we noticed an increase in was the interest in ’Galentine’s Day’ on TikTok! Interest around this sensation peaked between the 12th and 18th of February in 2023, with a rising interest starting as early as January this year:

 

Last 12 Months:

 

 

Last 30 Days: 

 

 

So, whether you’re already in full marketing swing or just gearing up for the love fest, 2023’s trends hint at last-minute shoppers and high interest nationwide. Get ready to spread the love and watch your brand steal the spotlight this Valentine’s Day! 💕

 

If you’re eager to elevate your SEO, Digital PR or PPC campaigns and strategies in the midst of the Valentine’s Day frenzy or ahead of the next seasonal trends, get in touch to find out how we can help!

 
[blog]_[How to use dynamic features in Google Ads]_[Blog Picture]

How to use dynamic features in Google Ads

by Paid Search
Are your ads lacking creativity? Then it’s time to embrace dynamic features in your Google Ads campaigns. In this blog, we cover how you can implement two popular dynamic features into your campaigns – dynamic keyword insertion and countdown timers.

What is dynamic keyword insertion?

Dynamic keyword insertion allows you to automatically update ads with the keywords in your ad group that trigger ads to show. For example, If you are advertising men’s watches you can use the keyword insertion code Headline: Buy {KeyWord: Mens Watches} to automate this advert displaying. Google Ads will try to replace this bracketed section with one of the keywords in your ad group such as “gold men’s watches”, “men’s black watches” & “men’s silver watches”. If the keyword can’t be replaced then it will just use “men’s watches”.

How can you use dynamic keyword insertion for Google Ads campaigns?

If used correctly, dynamic keywords can lead to an improved Click-Through Rate because the ad has been dynamically updated to match a users search enquiry. A user is more likely to click on an ad that closely matches what they are searching for. This is also a useful tactic if you want to target long-tail keywords that have a good search volume. Compile a list of search terms and if there are any that have a good amount of impressions and clicks then you might want to target these using keyword insertion. It is important to ensure that the number of characters doesn’t exceed 30. If you have a campaign for your competitors, it is vital that you do not use dynamic keyword insertion in your ads. Whilst it is legal to bid on your competitors brand term, you cannot use the brand term in your ad copy.

What are countdown timers in Google Ads?

This feature can highlight the end date of a sale and can create a sense of urgency amongst customers. Timers countdown by day, then by the hour, then by the minute. Furthermore, countdown timers can be used to improve the click-through rate of an ad – for more information about how to improve your Ads CTR, read this blog here.

How can you use countdown timers for Google Ads campaigns?

Countdown timers are another great dynamic feature available on Google Ads. they can be used as part of the ad copy and are ideal for e-commerce businesses that want to create excitement around sales. Countdown timers can be created when you create an ad in Google Ads and they are fully customisable. They can be set to a specific time and date for either the time zone where the business is based or where the customer is based, therefore if the retailer sells products worldwide then the timer can be set to different time zones. Note: It is important to make sure that your ad copy allows for the additional 8 characters that the countdown customiser code generates.
[blog]_[6 ways to improve your Google Ads click through rate]_[Blog Picture]

6 ways to improve your Google Ads click through rate

by Paid Search

Is your latest Google Ads campaign not delivering the results you were hoping for? Then it’s time to increase your click-through-rate. In this blog, PPC Executive Anna Simpson explains how to enhance your CTR, and why it’s so important.

What is click-through rate & why is it an important metric?

Click Through Rate (CTR) is the percentage of total ad views that result in clicks – this, therefore, gives good top-level insights into the campaign and can help to identify any issues.

CTR is also a factor which is taken into consideration in Google’s Quality Score formula as Google uses “expected click-through rate” as one of the criteria which determines your ad position and cost per click (CPC). It’s important to maintain a good CTR because this not only means more traffic to your site, but also will help to increase your keyword quality score. In turn, this will give your ads the maximum potential to rank higher whilst lowering your CPC – a clear example of an effective campaign.

Countdown timers

Countdown timers allow you to let potential customers know about current sales or booking deadlines within the ads, all for the same CPC. Adding this feature to your ads can create a sense of urgency, as the customer will be able to see how long is left until the end of your sale or before a deadline is met.

Countdown timers are a dynamic feature, so they’re automatically updated each day until the end of the countdown – meaning no manual work is required once these have been set up. Creating this urgency means that people are more likely to click on the ads because they don’t want to miss out on the limited offer, giving a higher chance of improving both click-through and conversion rate.

Ad extensions

There are many different extensions that you are able to include on your ads, including:

  • Call extensions – adding a phone number to encourage interaction
  • Sitelink extensions – creating additional links to other relevant pages of your site
  • Callout extensions – adding short text to your ads to highlight business USPs
  • Structured snippet extensions – highlighting specific aspects of the products/services your business provides

The great thing about ad extensions is that they are of no extra cost; Google automatically shows your chosen extensions if they believe that it will improve the performance of the ad. Having extensions also gives you greater ad visibility as it will show up more prominently in the search results, meaning greater chance of CTR – what’s not to love?

It’s important to assess what the main goals for your business are, as you can match relevant extensions to boost your chances of generating your required action. If you want more store visits, location extensions would be ideal so that potential customers know where to find you from the outset. If you provide many different services that you want to mention at a first glance, then structured snippets would be a perfect way to highlight these and may be the difference between a potential customer clicking on your ad over a competitor. The possibilities are endless!

Call to actions (CTA)

You may be using call to actions already in your ad copy without actually realising the positive impact that these can have on the performance of your ads. Call to actions are short phrases usually at the very end of the ad that encourage potential customers to take a certain action such as ‘Find Out More’ or ‘Book Today’.  Doing this means that customers are given a direct instruction after viewing your advert. By making the next step for the customer clear, a well-placed CTA can be the difference between your ad receiving a click or being scrolled past.

A/B Ad testing

A/B ad testing is a great way to gain insights into how your ads are performing and which ad copy works better than others. By doing this, you are able to test different combinations of headlines and descriptions to see which work well together, giving you a better understanding of what information makes potential customers want to click on your ads.

It’s also important to use this to trial different styles of ad copy to see how this affects the CTR. Different businesses have different audiences and this is a key factor in creating successful ad copy. This is dependent on the type of business and the conversion action that you want customers to take – some customers may want to see credentials and awards, some may want to see USPs to choose you over competitors, and some may want more descriptive ad copy. Giving customers what they’re looking for is critical to increasing CTR.

Regular bid adjustments

Ensuring that you regularly monitor and adjust your bids is key to CTR. Bidding too low on keywords will see your impressions suffer due to your ads being in a lower position, and consequently, your CTR will be negatively impacted a because your ad isn’t being seen as much as it could.

The best way to review and adjust your bids is most importantly making sure that you’re bidding high enough to appear on page one of the search engine results. This gives great exposure for the ads, as most users only browse the first page. Although it may be tempting to implement first position bids so that your ad appears right at the top of search results, this isn’t always the best practice.

You need to ensure that your ads are cost-effective and being in position one doesn’t always equate to high CTR/conversion rate. It’s important to bear in mind that users often “shop around” and browse between the top 3 advertisers rather than solely clicking on the top ad. Therefore by bidding effectively, you are able to gain essentially the same amount of exposure as the first position advertiser – but for a lower CPC.

Expanded text ads

Expanded texts are a great new addition to Google Ads, allowing you to create ads with 3 headlines and 2 90-character descriptions. This means that you now have the space to give more detailed information within your ad copy to portray the correct messages to your target audience. It’s also important to note that having more text means greater visibility because these ads will stand out to potential customers over other short standard text ads.

The additional headline allows you to highlight your business’s USPs, promote special offers or create a call to action to give that extra persuasion to get your customer to click-through. One last benefit of expanded text ads is that due to the additional text, you can to target long-tail keywords, giving more chance of appearing for related search queries that may have a lower CPC due to the smaller search volume.