Google News Inclusion Promotes Brand Awareness

LONDON, August 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

• Consumer electronics website sees traffic increase via natural search and Google News
• Content agency Search News Media work to target trending editorial and increase brand awareness

The consumer electronics website Pluggedin.co.uk has reported a significant increase in traffic to the website over the last 12 months, thanks to the adoption of a targeted content strategy that has benefitted considerably from inclusion in Google News.

Demonstrating the power of content marketing to drive website traffic, brand awareness and engagement, Pluggedin.co.uk worked with specialist online content agency Search News Media to achieve inclusion in Google News and to target specific, relevant trending content.

The strategy, which has been in place since July 2011 and saw the Pluggedin.co.uk website achieve Google News accreditation in September, 2011, has since seen regular monthly visitors to the website increase from 25,000 unique views (June 2011) up to an average of 200,000 per month (June 2012).* Even taking in to account organic growth and referrals from Comet.co.uk, which is a partner to the website, the traffic increase via Google News is impressive.

The Pluggedin.co.uk website, which aims to offer consumers all the latest news on technology products and consumer devices, as well as in-depth buying guides and information from Comet's experts, publishes a number of unique tech related articles to the website each day.

Working with Search News Media to conduct a detailed content audit and analysis of popular content using Google Analytics and additional website tools, the team developed a full content strategy to publish trending news content items related to the tech world onsite.

The strategy has created a strong website proposition, with a Google Page Rank 4, that is doing much to promote Pluggedin.co.uk as an online brand.

Dale Lovell, Publishing Director of Search News Media explains;

"The Pluggedin.co.uk strategy we have worked on just goes to show what can be achieved by brands like Comet when clear content objectives and detailed analysis of popular content is undertaken.

"Google News inclusion has a major impact on websites when it comes to traffic levels, brand awareness and engagement. The Pluggedin.co.uk figures show this clearly.

"Content not only grabs a website visitor's attention, it can educate, entertain and enthral people to a brand too, as well as acting as a conduit to opening up a means of communication between brands and customers via social networks. The message to brands is this; get the content right and you can succeed online."

"The decision to invest in a standalone technology website, offering consumers impartial advice and news is a forward thinking initiative that more brands should consider; all brands can be publishers now."

Andy Cooke, Website Editor, Pluggedin.co.uk, says:

"The addition of Pluggedin.co.uk as a Google News publisher has not only made a positive impact on traffic but also helped to build brand awareness, confidence and transparency. All this means nothing though without top quality content to begin with. This is where Search News Media have been instrumental in producing timely, relevant, interesting, well written content on a daily basis."

Search News Media work closely with brands to develop content marketing strategies. They have a number of in-house tools that they use to analyse trends online, which they then use to create relevant content that generates engagement and traffic. Search engines, particularly Google in the wake of their recent algorithm updates continue to add significant weight in their results to content-rich websites - so the value of creating seo content for practically any organisation is now apparent.  

Notes:

*Google Analytics statistics, June, 2012.

About Search News Media: Search News Media has been successfully working with leading brands, agencies, SMEs and start-ups to develop content strategies since 2010. For more information visit: http://www.searchnewsmedia.co.uk.  

For more information, images and interviews contact Sarah Kerr, Search News Media:
+44(0)845-200-1445. Email: sarah@searchnewsmedia.co.uk