However, if the goal of securing digital coverage is to increase awareness and encourage purchases of a product or bookings of a service, then it pays to think like a digital consumer.
On Google, heaps more of us search for ‘best UK spa hotel’ over ‘Dormy House spa hotel’, for example. Therefore, a guide to ‘The Best UK Spa Hotels’ (think listicle or gallery-style, with detailed captions) will get substantially more traffic to it than a standalone ‘Review of Dormy House Spa Hotel’ (written as a full article).
Many more eyes will see the single mention of the hotel in the round-up than the multiple mentions in the standalone.
There are exceptions to all this, naturally. If something has high search potential on its own, or is especially newsworthy and unique, having editorial focus on it makes sense.
Also, I appreciate that the mark of successful press coverage is not only about how many people see it. Encouraging engagement and gaining kudos – and avoiding proximity to competition – are some other considerations.
But given that roundups can often outperform alternative article styles, inclusion within them shouldn’t be assumed second rate.
Another reason? Content such as ‘the best’ guides are updated more regularly than singular-focussed articles, maintaining their relevance and increasing their SEO over time. So, while the mention of your client in them might be briefer, the coverage may be consumed for longer.
