Average Domain Authority On Coverage Secured For Clients Is On the Up!
By Head of SEO, Marten Lazarus
We are proud to announce that 72Point's average domain authority - for the coverage output we achieve - continues to rise. Throughout April we hit a new high of an average of 67 across our coverage tally.
Adding to our average tally of 46 articles secured per campaign, that DA average is up 15% this year alone.
This is an important metric that points to a commitment to securing quality coverage, that helps move the dial on our client's objectives. In recent years, we have put a considerable amount of focus on taking the quality of our coverage to the next level, so we are delighted with this marked improvement.
Domain Authority (DA) is a search engine ranking score developed by Moz that predicts how likely a website is to rank in search engine result pages (SERPs). Domain Authority scores range from one to 100, with higher scores corresponding to greater likelihood of ranking.
Domain Authority is based on data from Moz's Link Explorer web index and uses dozens of factors in its calculations. The actual Domain Authority calculation itself uses a machine learning model to predictively find a "best fit" algorithm that most closely correlates link data with rankings across thousands of actual search results that they use as standards to scale against.
72Point acquires picture and video agency PinPep
PinPep Media Limited has been acquired by the SWNS Media Group, bringing it together with consumer agency 72Point and its other brands.
PinPep founders James Pinniger (Managing Director) and Joe Pepler (Creative Director) join the 72Point Board, and will assume the roles of Head of Visual and Creative Director respectively. The PinPep brand will remain, and not be consumed into 72Point.
Chris Pharo, 72Point’s Managing Director said: ”I have long admired PinPep’s work and as we build out our range of creative services, joining forces with James and Joe, with their vast knowledge of the power of pictures and video in bringing PR campaigns to life, was a no brainer.”
“We have made great strides in video production in the past few years and James and Joe’s experience will add a new dimension to the work so ably conducted by our Broadcast Director Dan Harding.”
“72Point is regularly commissioned to handle words, video and distribution only to find Joe, or another great PinPep photographer on the same assignment. Now we are one team and I’m really excited to see what the future holds.”
James Pinniger said: ”As soon as we started talking to Chris and his team at 72Point it was clear that they shared our vision and understood the importance of working closely with brands to create high-quality visual content for successful PR campaigns. ”
“We’ve always had ambitious plans for PinPep, and it quickly became clear that joining with 72Point would allow us to accelerate the growth of the business and tackle even more exciting projects. We are relishing the opportunity to work as part of this highly creative team, and can’t wait to get cracking.”
Joe Pepler said:” When we were approached by 72Point, it became very clear right from the start that we were a perfect fit for each other. As a combined force we will be able to offer the complete package to clients at the highest of standards. There simply isn’t any other company that can match that. I’m incredibly excited to get going with the new resources at our disposal...let’s see where it can take us!”
72Point ranked number 37 in PR Week’s Top 150 agencies (and no.8 in the Consumer PR rankings) with a fee income in excess of £10m.
PinPep launched in 2017 and has worked with brands including Asda, Disney, Lego and Virgin Atlantic.
Read more from PRWeek.
Google’s Spambrain: Why Quality Link Building Is More Important Than Ever
Marten Lazarus, Head of SEO
You might remember Google’s announcement back in December 2022, an update to its ever-evolving link spam efforts called “Spambrain”, Google's spam-detection algorithm, designed to find and remove low-quality websites from the search results.
When I fell into SEO over 16 years ago, the techniques we were using to improve our clients’ websites would not even be considered today as it would be both a waste of time and incredibly risky for all parties involved! Google has come a long way in developing its systems and algorithms to, in my mind, try to replace as much of the human review required when determining what is constituted as “spam”.
If you look at what is considered spam today from old backlinks, it is obvious that these pages are not built for humans to read, but purely for links. I still occasionally see examples of this, but nowadays it is far more carefully done. If you look at a bunch of the links pointing to your site and think “I would never read this page” then you might be sitting on a timebomb waiting for Google to bring the match to light the fuse.
As someone who worked in SEO before the Panda (low quality content penalty) and Penguin(low quality backlinks) updates, and can even remember the Caffeine update in 2010, it has (at least in my mind) always been a balancing act when it comes to link building. Something that might provide quick results and shoot your rankings up on Google does often sound very appealing. As the classic saying goes “if it sounds too good to be true”... and you know the rest!
Those that have more of a medium to long term view will already have realised that along with traditional marketing practices, SEO is an ever-evolving practice in which one builds an amazing website upon a strong set of technical principles and foundations.
For PR and SEO, it’s the best ideas executed in the best ways that bring top-class results – something that is true for both disciplines. It is also true that you remember a failed campaign, rather than the great early work that went into it.
When I train or educate people on SEO, it starts with how you think about your business, clients, and current and potential customers. I then branch out into understanding what search engines are built to achieve – the highest possible quality of results based on what the searcher wants. We must first broadly understand the criteria that search engines are using to best match these searches before we can then understand how to adjust things on our websites.
With increasing developments in AI and machine learning, it is a matter of when, not if search engines will be fullyrun by machines. A scary thought? – perhaps this article you’re reading was entirely written by one.
CREATIVE HITS & MISSES - Dan Harding & PRWeek
Daniel Harding, broadcast editor at 72Point, analyses this week’s creative offerings for PRWeek, read the article here.
Vacancy: Senior Creative Account Manager - Maternity cover
Employer: 72Point Ltd
Title: Senior Creative Account Manager
Employment type: Full time maternity cover
Start date: January/February 2023
Location: Bristol
Who we are:
72Point is the market-leader in content creation.
We generate, produce and deliver top quality news stories, pictures, videos, visual puzzles and animated infographics to the national news media and beyond.
Our client list includes a string of huge global brands, as well as some of the biggest names on PR Week’s Top 150.
We land coverage every day in print, online and via social platforms.
We are part of the SWNS Media group. SWNS proudly brings the heartbeat of Britain to life for our biggest news brands. Every day, hundreds of our stories, images and videos are published and broadcast across the national media.
SWNS content spans breaking news, court cases, amazing human interest stories, consumer issues, health studies, scientific breakthroughs, opinion polls, and stunning imagery and viral videos.
We distribute to the biggest news publishers in the world – from the Sun, Mirror and Daily Mail to the Times, Telegraph and New York Post.
Who we’re looking for:
We're after a senior creative account manager to join our team in Bristol as maternity leave cover – who will have at least 3 years’ experience working in a PR agency.
You will be ambitious, super-keen and a fast learner, and able to hit the ground running.
You must have a keen interest in popular news content across digital, social and print platforms, a fascination with how the industry works and a hunger to soak it up.
A minimum of an A Level in English and / or Media Studies is desirable.
You must also be calm under the pressure of tight deadlines, brilliant at juggling multiple pieces of work, and be able to build a rapport with our clients with your friendly and warm telephone and email communications.
The role:
Based at our Bristol HQ, the role will involve overseeing projects for clients from the idea stage to the subsequent issue to the national news media.
The successful candidate will generate strong creative concepts, contribute to brainstorms, pitch to clients, write up ideas, compile survey questions, write tight, engaging news copy and attend meetings / calls regularly.
They will also liaise with the digital, video, design and social teams to ensure projects run seamlessly.
This role will give you a unique understanding of all parts of our business and the wider news and PR industry.
The successful candidate will have the flexibility of working from home once a period of training has been concluded. However, all staff are currently required to work from the office for a minimum of two days per week.
All applicants will ideally have:
3 years working in a PR agency
A qualification in English A Level / be able to demonstrate excellent written skills
Be confident and personable with the ability to quickly strike a rapport with people, both in person and on the phone
Have an understanding of, and interest in, how news stories are presented in the digital environment
Benefits:
SWNS has a generous and growing list of employee benefits, including:
- 25 days annual holiday plus eight Bank Holidays
- Company pension scheme with employer contribution
- Hybrid working policy
- Enhanced maternity and paternity packages
- Life assurance scheme
- Shopping discount scheme, tech benefit scheme
- Gym membership discount, Cycle to Work
- Savings on childcare
Please apply to adminnewsgen@72point.com with a CV and cover letter.
Why your email media pitches are ignored - Chris Pharo tells all to PRmoment
"I'm constantly asked to explain how creating content for wire distribution is different to crafting press releases, and what we mean by page-ready content."
Read Chris Pharo's piece on PRmoment here.
Sunday for Monday - Jay Williams tells PRCA why they are a win for clients
"Why do so many PRs rule out ‘Sunday for Mondays’? We routinely get pushback from clients when the slot is suggested. I don’t understand it. It seems that it has somehow become ‘received wisdom’ – perhaps on the basis of a project that failed to launch. But rejecting it out of hand is actually evidence of the disconnect between PR and the media. A misunderstanding of what the media wants".
Read more about how Sunday for Mondays are a win for clients here.
Katie Earlam - Creative Q&A with PRWeek
Katie Earlam, 72Point's Campaigns Director spoke to PRWeek on how she got to where she is, her career highlights, and many more. Read the full article here.
WE'RE HIRING - CAMPAIGN DIRECTOR
72Point was the fastest rising agency in the PRWeek Top 150 2021 - we are now hiring a whole new department to bring new levels of creative thinking to the business.
As Campaigns Director, you will own the creative process and roll out of work for hundreds of stellar projects a year - from brief to coverage and evaluation.
- You will be responsible for a trio of brand-new recruits, and will work with the established 72Point team, to articulate crisp, visually captivating PR campaigns for household names in the FMCG, consumer, health and beauty sectors.
- You'll be confident and hands-on in pitching, as well as being commercially astute.
- Reporting to the Creative Director, you'll lead your team and workstream, as well as deputise where needed.
- As a senior in the team, you will be given the freedom and scope to spread your wings.
- Leverage your experiences as a creative and commercially driven PR.
- 8-10+ years agency experience - a trophy cabinet full of accolades is a bonus.
- A consumer generalist able to find the right insights to deliver standout work.
- Putting together decks and pitching to clients will be second nature.
- Culturally tuned in.
- Thorough understanding in the role social media plays in the PR mix.
- Energised and inspiring.
Please send CV's through to: campaigndirector@72point.com
