The importance of crafting a public relations strategy for your retail business.
In the ever-evolving world of online shopping, retail brands are constantly seeking ways to increase their visibility and capture category authority in search engine results pages (SERPs). A well-targeted public relations (PR) strategy can be a powerful tool in this quest.
A strategic PR approach for retail brands involves several key aspects. Firstly, optimizing keyword relevance and contextual placement. By integrating brand mentions with strategically placed keywords in press materials, brands can ensure high contextual relevance for their target search terms, thereby improving their presence and relevance around key product categories [1].
Secondly, leveraging earned media to influence SERPs and build trust. Earned media plays a crucial role not only in improving search visibility but also in shaping how brands are perceived in search results. Consistent PR coverage signals to Google and large language models (LLMs) that a brand is credible and trustworthy, which is essential to appear prominently in search and voice-driven results [1].
Retail brands should also be aware of how Google’s SERP features are changing. For instance, the rise of AI-generated summaries and user-generated content in the results. Using PR to maintain visibility and influence in these new spaces is a priority [1].
For retailers with diverse product categories, a PR strategy must clearly define and support category-specific relevance. This helps avoid dilution of authority across unrelated categories and ensures the brand stays competitive for SERP real estate within each category [1].
PR also supports SEO fundamentals through driving authoritative backlinks and brand mentions that reinforce a site's authority and relevance for target keywords [2][3]. While PR is focused on external visibility and earned media, it complements SEO best practices such as keyword research, quality content, and link building.
Moreover, PR strengthens brand reputation and indirectly boosts SEO by increasing consumer trust signals that search engines factor into rankings [1][3]. Building a consistent PR presence can tell search engines that a brand is a credible, trustworthy source.
PR is also crucial for appearing in AI overviews and LLMs, which are influential in the search landscape. Credible, unique data is key to appearing in these summaries, and can be sourced from internal sales data or owned surveys [1].
PR campaigns that drive traffic to key product landing pages reinforce trust signals, helping Google to prioritise shopping listings. To support category relevance and push new categories, targeted PR efforts can be used to hone in on these areas [1].
The video SERP feature, which displays video content relevant to the search query, is another area where PR can help retail brands get visible. PR is key in influencing what customers see when they search, supporting brand awareness, trust, and sales [1].
In today's search landscape, PR is essential for owning moments that matter in the customer search journey. Shopping listings are a new SERP feature that retail brands need to be visible in to compete, and PR can support this visibility [1].
Collaboration between SEO and PR is key for a PR strategy to truly work as part of an organic strategy in the retail sector. A holistic PR strategy, including pitching expert commentary, reactive newsjacking, video creation, hero campaigns, and product PR tactics, can help retail brands perform well organically [1].
Research from Retail Week reveals UK retailers are under-investing in search visibility. With more than a third of product searches happening on Google, investing in a targeted PR strategy could be a game-changer for retail brands [4].
Leveraging experts and creating a platform for them on owned media can help a brand become a credible source. Securing links and citations in relevant and authoritative publications can further boost the credibility of a brand and product pages [1].
Lastly, the What People Are Saying feature on Google highlights user-generated content from various platforms, and strategic PR efforts can help influence it [1]. In the end, a targeted PR strategy for retail brands aiming to capture category authority in SERPs centers on keyword-optimized, contextually relevant media placements, building consistent earned media presence to signal trustworthiness, adapting to evolving SERP formats, maintaining category-focused relevance, and complementing SEO efforts with high-quality backlinks and brand signals [1][2][3].
References: [1] Marketing Week. (2021, March 18). How PR can help retail brands capture category authority in the search engine results pages (SERPs). Retrieved from https://www.marketingweek.com/seo/pr-retail-brands-search-engine-results-pages/
[2] Forbes. (2021, August 19). The Role Of PR In Boosting Organic Rankings. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2021/08/19/the-role-of-pr-in-boosting-organic-rankings/?sh=6e2040a92f5d
[3] Search Engine Journal. (2020, November 2). The Importance Of Building Brand Reputation For SEO. Retrieved from https://www.searchenginejournal.com/importance-of-building-brand-reputation-for-seo/363066/
[4] Retail Week. (2021, September 28). UK retailers are under-investing in search visibility. Retrieved from https://www.retail-week.com/technology/uk-retailers-are-under-investing-in-search-visibility/7038618.article
- To establish category authority in search engine results pages (SERPs), retail brands can optimize keyword relevance and contextual placement by integrating brand mentions with strategically placed keywords in press materials, focusing on key product categories.
- In addition, PR strategies should leverage earned media to influence SERPs and build trust by ensuring consistent PR coverage, signaling to Google and large language models (LLMs) that a brand is credible and trustworthy, essential for prominent search and voice-driven results.
- Retail brands with diverse product categories must also clearly define and support category-specific relevance in their PR strategies to avoid dilution of authority across unrelated categories and maintain competitive SERP real estate within each category.
- PR complements SEO fundamentals by driving authoritative backlinks and brand mentions that reinforce a site's authority and relevance for target keywords, ultimately increasing consumer trust signals that search engines factor into rankings.
