Matt: Welcome back to Growth Unleashed, the podcast for pet brands that want to grow smarter without relying on paid ads. I’m Matt, the founder of Bubblegum Search.
Louis: And I’m Louis, SEO Manager here at Bubblegum. And today we thought we’d jump into the topic of backlinks.
Now we’re not talking about your typical spammy, outdated links. We’re talking about one of the most important growth levers for pet brands — trusted mentions and links to your site from other trusted websites.
Matt: Yeah — high-quality, high-authority, trusted backlinks.
Louis: But it’s 2025 — they’ve changed a bit. Backlinks have been around forever. But why do you think they’re still important in 2025, Matt? And what’s changed?
Matt: Yeah, they’re still super important. As you said, links — in terms of Google and the algorithms — have been around since the beginning.
Google has certainly diminished the importance of them over the last few years. But I remember in some of the early agencies I worked in, it was super easy. Links were powerful. You could get a spammy link from any non-relevant site, point it to any page, and by the next day your rankings would shoot up.
If you jump forward — even 10 years ago — that started to diminish. You had to be more selective. The quality and relevancy of the site came into play.
And today? Yeah — if you use low-quality, spammy, non-relevant links, you’re just wasting your time and money.
But high-quality backlinks are still a big ranking factor. The correlation is strong. They drive credibility. They build trust. And they pass link authority from that trusted site through to yours — which helps your rankings.
Louis: Yeah. And I’d add that it’s not just the direct algorithmic benefit that makes backlinks important these days.
I sometimes feel like I missed out on the “good old days” of being able to throw any link at a page and watch it work.
Matt: Yeah, it was the Wild West. It was certainly easier back then!
Louis: But now it’s a more fun challenge.
Matt: Right. SEO today is a skill. You need a strategy and a plan. And that’s where the real work — and value — comes in.
Louis: Yeah. And the wider benefits we see now from backlinks are things like building consumer trust.
That’s something we’ve talked about in past episodes — and it’s becoming even more relevant and important. When users see you linked and mentioned in the right places — places they already trust — it builds legitimacy.
Matt: Definitely.
Louis: And to build on that — the idea that non-linked mentions aren’t valuable anymore? That’s been completely turned on its head.
In the last few years, we’ve seen more correlation between brand mentions and rankings — even more than between backlinks and rankings.
Matt: Yeah, 100%.
Louis: There’s value beyond just getting the link from a newspaper or publication you’ve been featured in.
Matt: Right. It used to be: “We have to get the link — if we don’t, there’s no value.”
But in recent years, Google has hinted that branded mentions can influence the algorithm. It’s been hotly debated, but it looks like that’s the case.
What we do know is that recent studies show a high correlation between brand mentions and visibility in AI-powered search — whether it’s ChatGPT, Perplexity, or AI Overviews.
So if we get a link, great! But if not — as long as we’re contextually mentioned in the right way, in the right places — that still provides real value.
Louis: Absolutely. I think we’re almost moving into the next part of our conversation — which is: where are pet brands going wrong with backlinks?
And I think right at the top of that list is focusing only on follow links.
As you said earlier — life’s easier now because you don’t have to chase every mention and discount it if it’s not a follow. Google treats follow/nofollow as advisory now — not as a strict rule.
Matt: Yeah, exactly. There’s been this fixation — especially within the industry — that not only does it have to be a link, but it has to be a follow link.
But I think it was a couple of years ago now when Google quietly announced that nofollow would no longer be treated as a directive — it’s a hint.
What that means is they might choose to pass PageRank and authority through a nofollow link — or they might not. They decide.
But if a nofollow link is on a high-authority, highly trusted site — like BBC, The Guardian, or The Independent — of course that’s still going to be valuable. It wouldn’t make sense for Google to ignore that.
Sure, if it’s nofollow on a low-quality, irrelevant site — it’ll probably be ignored. But on trusted sites? Definitely still valuable.
Louis: Totally. And I think this whole follow/nofollow debate leads to another big mistake we see: chasing quantity over quality.
Back in the day, you needed loads of links. More than your competitors. But now?
Matt: Yeah — it used to be about numbers. But in 2025, quality absolutely trumps quantity.
Louis: And from what I’ve seen — and heard from others in the SEO world — Google’s not even penalizing for bad backlinks anymore. They’re just ignoring them.
Which in some ways makes it even harder to measure ROI — because those spammy links don’t move the needle at all.
But what we are seeing is that high-quality, super-relevant links still work. Like a backlink from Pet Gazette to your dog food brand? That’s worth far more than 100 low-quality links.
Matt: Exactly. It’s a legacy mindset — the old link-building mentality of chasing numbers. Sure, the number of referring domains still matters somewhat, but it’s not everything anymore.
You could have ten high-authority, relevant links and outperform someone with 100 mediocre ones.
And that leads to the tactical side too. Tactics like low-quality directories, low-effort guest posts — they’re mostly dead.
Louis: Ah yes — the era of the “mommy blogs.”
Matt: Haha, yep. I still think there’s a place for guest posting. But only if you’re doing it for the right reasons.
If you’d want that article on that publication even without the link — that’s the test. If it earns a brand mention or builds trust, great. See the link as a bonus.
Louis: Totally agree.
Matt: There’s also the whole conversation around paid link placements.
This was always controversial — should we pay for links or not? And look, it happened. It still happens.
Louis: It worked — for a while.
Matt: Yeah. And I’m sure some people still do it and see results. But from our side — especially since we transitioned to digital PR — we saw diminishing returns from those tactics.
It became unclear which links were moving the needle, it was expensive, messy, and in some cases just stopped working altogether.
If you’re still doing paid link placements in 2025 — and seeing diminishing results — it’s probably time to stop.
Google’s too smart now. At best, you’re wasting money. At worst, there’s still a risk of a penalty.
Louis: Another pitfall: going too far the other way. Creating great content — but not outreaching at all.
Matt: Oh yeah. That’s a big one. So much effort goes into content creation — but without distribution, it falls flat.
Louis: There’s a “don’t ask, don’t get” element here. People often assume if the content is good, links will come. But it doesn’t work that way — not quickly, anyway.
So instead of obsessing over on-page SEO — try emailing a few relevant sites to ask for a mention or feature.
Matt: Exactly. Some marketers still prioritize the old quick wins — metadata tweaks, tags, title changes. Those still matter, but they’re not enough.
The best strategies now are integrated: content, technical SEO, outreach, and digital PR all tied together.
Louis: You can’t silo them anymore.
Matt: Yes! That siloed approach — “Our PR team handles X,” or “Our content team does Y” — it doesn’t work anymore.
You need integration. Your outreach should align with your content priorities. And your link strategy should support actual SEO goals.
Louis: Otherwise you get stuff like anchor text pointing to the wrong place. Or links always going to the homepage.
Matt: The homepage one’s a biggie. If you get a link from The Guardian, and they’re writing about one of your services — you should be linking to that service page, not your homepage.
Louis: I get why people do it — spreading “link juice.” But users want to land on the page that’s relevant to what they just read.
Matt: Exactly. And look — sometimes with digital PR, you lose control of where the link points. That’s okay.
But if you’re proactively shaping the story, pitch, and content — try to steer links to the most relevant, impactful pages. That’s how you move the needle.
Like — let’s say your campaign is about “The Greatest Hamster Escapes of All Time” (which would be an amazing read, by the way)…
Louis: I’d read that.
Matt: …and you sell hamster cages. Then yeah, link to your hamster cage category page — not just your homepage.
Louis: So the real takeaway here is: don’t isolate your teams or your tactics. Build an integrated strategy that connects content, PR, outreach, and SEO.
Matt: Totally. And if you’re a pet marketer in 2025 — and you’re wondering what to actually do this week — here’s where I’d start…
First: pitch to industry publications with roundup ideas. Most niches have sites that do product or trend roundups. If you sell dog treats, pitch to someone doing “Best Dog Treats for Summer.”
Even if it’s just a brand mention, that’s still a win. And if you time it right, and show value — there’s a good chance they’ll include you.
Louis: Yep. And you can even frame it as you helping them — which makes it easier to get featured in future roundups too.
And building on that: partner with local organizations — like rescue shelters or pet events. Sponsor a dog show. Get involved.
Matt: Regional press loves that kind of thing.
Louis: And they’re usually easier to land coverage in. Especially when you pitch a feel-good story, offer prizes, or volunteer help.
Matt: And if your business serves a specific location — say, London — those regionally relevant links are even more impactful. Google picks up on that local context.
Louis: Definitely.
Matt: So, to sum up — backlinks are still one of the most powerful growth levers for pet brands.
But in 2025, you’ve got to earn them — contextually, strategically, and with relevance.
Louis: And we’ll just say it now — the biggest winner when it comes to earning those links and mentions?
Both: Digital PR.
Matt: We’ll go deeper into that next time.
Louis: It takes more thought, more effort — but it’s 100% worth it.
Matt: For sure. And hey, if you’re not sure where your brand could be featured — or what kind of campaign to run — head over to our website and request your free PR campaign ideas.
Louis: Otherwise, drop any questions in the comments. And don’t forget to subscribe.
Matt: That’s it for today — we’ll catch you next time. See ya!