Boosting “Best Of” Rankings: A Local PR & Editorial Outreach Strategy
Client: A boutique hotel in a popular tourist city.
Challenges We Faced
The client was a hidden gem but was losing bookings to big chains because they weren’t listed on local travel guides:
Invisible in “Best Of” Lists
They weren’t featured in any “Best Hotels in [City]” articles.
Low Domain Authority
They had very few links compared to the Hilton and Marriott.
No Local News & PR Outreach
They had never pitched their unique story to local media.
Missed Unlinked Local Brand Mentions
Local blogs had mentioned them but never linked back.
No Editorial Trust Signals
Google saw competitors cited by local publishers and travel editors, while the hotel lacked authoritative editorial links validating its popularity and credibility.
Get Featured Locally
“Want to be in your city’s ‘Best Of’ guides? Our Local News & PR Outreach service gets your business featured in local media.”
Our Approach – How We Solved These Challenges
Unlinked Local Brand Mentions
We used Ahrefs to find 15 local travel blogs and news sites that had mentioned the hotel’s name but didn’t link.
We reached out and successfully converted 8 of these into dofollow backlinks.
Local News & PR Outreach
We pitched a story about the hotel’s “historical renovation” to the city’s main newspaper and lifestyle magazine.
This resulted in two high-authority feature articles with backlinks.
Niche-Specific Local Directories
We identified and got listed in city-specific “Visitor Guides” and “Convention & Visitors Bureau” sites.
Local Content Promotion
We created a “Best Weekend Itinerary in [City]” guide on their blog and pitched it to travel influencers, earning 5 more local links.
Results
| Metric | Before | After | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Referral Traffic (from local blogs) | <50/mo | 1,200/mo | +2,300% |
| Direct Bookings (Organic) | 20/mo | 85/mo | +325% |
| “Best Hotel” Keyword Rankings | Not in Top 50 | Page 1 (#6) | +44 spots |
Free PR Opportunity Audit
“Do you have unlinked mentions? Book a Free Link Audit and let our local seo link building company reclaim your lost links!”
Advice for Marketers & Brand Owners
- Reclaim your mentions. Unlinked Local Brand Mentions are the easiest links to get. You’ve already earned the mention; just ask for the link.
- Local PR works. City newspapers and lifestyle magazines are always looking for good local stories. Pitch yours.
- Get on the “Best Of” lists. Being listed in a “Visitor’s Guide” is a massive trust signal for Google and potential guests.
Extra Factors That Made It Work
- The Unlinked Brand Mentions strategy provided quick, early wins.
- The Local PR story about the renovation was unique and newsworthy, making outreach easy.
- The “Visitor’s Bureau” link was a super-high authority signal that boosted their overall domain trust.
