Matt: Welcome to the very first episode of Growth Unleash, 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, an SEO Manager here at Bubblegum. And today, we want to talk about the number one reason your product or service isn’t selling as well as you’d like in the pet care industry—and that is trust.
Matt: Yes. So, Louis, before we get tactical, why do you think trust is especially critical for pet brands?
Louis: I think for pet brands, ultimately it comes down to the fact that owners absolutely love their pets and they see them as a member of their family. That puts pet care in the same sort of ballpark as your money or your life content. People shopping in this space really need to trust your brand. They want to be able to verify that your product does what it says it’s going to do, and they want to read what other people think about it.
Louis: Trust is crucial. People don’t like being sold too heavily, especially in this industry.
Matt: Yeah. Whether it’s a product or a service, it’s an emotional buy, right? It’s more about safety before value in that sense.
Louis: Exactly. And I think the second part is that search is evolving. The way people discover and learn about brands is changing. They won’t necessarily go to your website to figure out whether to trust you—they’ll Google you. They’ll look for reviews, discussions on forums like Threads or Reddit. They’ll check what’s being said on YouTube or social. They’ll form their opinions before they even get to your website.
Matt: Yeah, absolutely. So it’s like there are two sides to it. You’ve got the audience—the pet parents—and as we’ve said, they’re already in an emotional buying state. So trust is paramount for them. But at the same time, we’re seeing this shift in Google and AI search platforms like Gemini and ChatGPT. With the rise of AI overviews, those systems are increasingly surfacing brands that are trusted across a wide range of signals—not just what’s on your website.
Louis: Exactly. So if we’re talking about building trust for your pet brand, there are two crucial sides to it: the off-site side and the on-site side. Let’s start with off-site—how do you build trust with your audience through those channels?
Matt: Yeah. So, traditionally, links were always the big thing—links meant trust and authority. And they still are critical. But there’s been a shift from just links to also including branded mentions. Media placements still matter, and so do mentions in niche pet publications. But with the rise of AI search and large language models, those brand mentions are becoming just as important—maybe even more important—than links alone.
Matt: And then there’s the distribution of those mentions. It used to be all about media outlets. Now, it could be Reddit forums, YouTube channels—anywhere trustworthy, really. All these third-party platforms are being picked up as signals of trust, both by people and by search engines.
Louis: Yeah. And if someone Googles your brand because they’re thinking about buying from you, they expect to see you on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, review sites, and in independent pet blogs. The more niche and relevant, the better.
Matt: So really, you’ve got to show up where your audience is already influenced. If they follow a particular podcast or a YouTube channel within the pet space, they already know, like, and trust that content. So the goal is to be featured in those places—whether that’s through sponsorship, guest appearances, or just getting organically mentioned.
Matt: Whatever the tactic, it’s not enough anymore to only have a strong website. You need visibility where your audience is hanging out, because if you don’t show up there, your competitors will.
Matt: So let’s say you’ve built some trust, you’re seeing branded search increase, and people are clicking through to your site. What actually makes them stay, versus bouncing?
Louis: For me, the number one thing that makes someone stay on your website is, again, trust. You need to reflect your brand’s values clearly. You want reviews to be high up on the page. Basically, everything they think they’ve learned about your brand—you need to verify that as soon as they land.
Louis: User-generated content is especially valuable in the pet care space. This is an emotional purchase. People want to see that other customers trust you with their pets. So, for example, if you sell dog food and you’ve got a review right at the top of the page with a picture of someone’s dog enjoying your product—that’s massively powerful.
Matt: And it ties right back into what Google’s always said with E-E-A-T—Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust. If you’re showing real people using and loving your product, you’re ticking all those boxes.
Louis: Exactly. And it goes beyond user-generated content. Pages like About Us or Meet the Team are great places to build an emotional connection with your customers. Someone might see that one of your team members has the same kind of pet they do, and that builds a personal bond.
Louis: And it’s still surprising how many brands don’t take advantage of this. They hide behind stock photos instead of showing the real people behind the scenes. A quick video in your warehouse or a photo of your actual team can make a big difference.
Matt: Yeah, absolutely. It’s a quick win. It humanises your brand. Whether it’s a team shot by the vans for a service business, or a behind-the-scenes warehouse shot for e-commerce—it reinforces the trust signals like reviews and testimonials. As a whole, it adds up to a brand that feels trustworthy and authentic.
Matt: So, if we’re talking about the first 30 days of your journey to build trust—where would you start?
Louis: First thing I’d say is, building trust is a long-term thing. It doesn’t stop after 30 days. But there are some simple, immediate steps you can take.
Louis: On the site, start by making sure you’ve got delivery details, returns, refunds, and contact pages. You’d be surprised how many sites leave those out, and it’s an instant red flag.
Louis: Then, make sure you’ve got reviews visible above the fold. If you’re using WordPress, a widget makes that easy. Even if you don’t have user photos yet, just getting your star ratings visible is a strong start.
Louis: Then, on the off-site side, spend time putting together a list of ideal publications, forums, or channels you want to appear in. Then just focus on one to start with. If you can do outreach to one of those targets in your first 30 days, you’re already on the path.
Matt: Yeah, I like that. Small steps—especially when there are so many platforms your audience might be on. Just pick one, get visibility or a brand mention in that space, and use it as your springboard.
Matt: Beyond that, things like branded mentions or getting backlinks from major media will take longer. That’s where digital PR comes in, and that’s something you build up over time with campaigns. But getting the ball rolling early makes a huge difference.
Louis: Exactly. Just take that first step.
Matt: Cool. So we hope you’ve enjoyed this episode and found it insightful. We’re going to dive into more of these topics in upcoming episodes.
Louis: If you liked what you heard, subscribe to the channel—we’ll be sharing loads more on this series.
Matt: Thanks for listening, and we’ll catch you next time.