BuzzStream Digital PR and Link Building Podcast

BuzzStream
  • 5.0 (1)
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  • Updated Semiweekly

Join host Vince Nero as he interviews link building, SEO, and digital PR experts to bring you tips and tricks for better coverage and rankings.

  1. 4d ago

    What We've Learned About AI Mentions & Citations w/ Kevin Indig

    Kevin Indig — growth advisor and author of the Growth Memo newsletter — joins the Buzzstream Podcast to break down two of his biggest recent findings: the "ghost citation" problemwhy proprietary research is becoming one of the most powerful levers in AI search and digital PR. We cover why AI mentions matter more than citations, how Google Search Console's new AI visibility data actually works, why search rank is still the "skeleton" of AI search, and how brands can use first-party data and newsjacking to win attention in an AI-first world. ⏰Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro 02:28 – What is a "ghost citation"? 04:19 – Google Search Console's new AI visibility data 05:44 – Citations vs. mentions: which matters more? 08:24 – How should small brands prioritize this? 11:55 – The "traffic prison" mindset problem 13:28 – Is SEO dead? 15:22 – Why digital PR is more important than ever 17:22 – Proprietary research & the "information gain" study 25:00 – Distribution: proprietary data isn't enough on its own 27:47 – Newsjacking and owning the conversation 31:55 – The two biggest brand mistakes in the AI era 🔗Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinindig/https://www.buzzstream.com/blog/kevin-indig-2-podcast/https://www.buzzstream.com/blog/topical-authority-podcast/https://www.growth-memo.com/https://www.growth-memo.com/p/why-proprietary-data-is-your-mosthttps://www.growth-memo.com/p/the-ghost-citation-problem 🐝 ListIQ: https://www.buzzstream.com/listiq/

  2. Jul 15

    Winning SEO Strategies for Chaotic Times with Candour

    Mark Williams-Cook and Jack Chambers-Ward from Candour join the show to dig into what's actually changing in SEO and digital PR right now. They are not the recycled takes, the mechanics underneath them: how AI query fan-outs actually work, why brand mentions might matter more than links for showing up in AI answers, what Google's core updates are really punishing, and why the agencies that share the most tend to win the most trust. ⏰ Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro & welcom 02:38 – Why extracurriculars matter (diving, boxing, comics, podcasting) 07:55 – How Candour decides what makes the Core Updates newsletter 12:31 – Does digital PR actually help you show up in AI answers? 14:37 – Query fan-outs, token probability, and the new mechanics of visibility 19:42 – What "brand" really means in the AI search era 24:36 – Life running an SEO podcast, and the industry's yearly "themes" 33:37 – How closely should you actually watch core updates? 38:37 – Is Google deprioritizing spam-fighting for AI? Black hat vs. white hat, programmatic SEO fallout 44:19 – Do clients know when they've been cutting corners? 48:26 – Why Candour gives away the "secret sauce" 56:49 – Search Norwich XL, and where to find Mark & Jack 🔗 Candour: https://withcandour.co.uk/ 📩 Core Updates newsletter: https://coreupdates.com/ 🎙️ Search With Candour podcast: https://withcandour.co.uk/podcast 📅 SearchNorwichXL — Sept 24, 2026: https://searchnorwich.org/ Full post here: https://www.buzzstream.com/blog/candour-podcast/ Building your own media list for digital PR? ListIQ pulls journalist emails, bios, and recent articles straight from Google News, so you're not doing that research by hand: https://www.buzzstream.com/listiq/

    Winning SEO Strategies for Chaotic Times with Candour

  3. Jul 8

    PR for the Topics Everyone's Afraid to Pitch

    There's a narrative in PR that sensitive health topics — fertility, hormones, menopause, infant health — are just harder to pitch, full stop. Irina Karelina, founder of Fungi PR, has spent a decade proving that's not quite right. In this episode, Irina breaks down how her agency turned a hormone-literacy campaign for Mira into over a billion media impressions and six awards — without ever putting the product at the center of the pitch. We get into why journalists ignore evergreen problems, the counterintuitive data insight that outperformed the obvious one, and how she navigates the privacy line when pitching real user stories on deeply personal topics.If you work in digital PR, link building, or content marketing and you've ever struggled to make a "boring" or sensitive topic newsworthy, this one's for you. ⏰ Timestamps 00:00 - Intro 04:48 - What actually makes these topics hard to pitch 08:37 - Case study: Carrot Fertility & Evvy's "Equal Research Day" 13:19 - Tactical breakdown: awareness weeks, the hormone tester stunt 14:42 - Quick-turn campaigns: COVID vaccine and GLP-1 drugs 16:53 - Finding trends through social listening 18:48 - The biggest mindset shift 21:14 - Common mistakes PRs make with data pitches 24:19 - Handling sensitive topics without exploiting sources 28:47 - Bridging the gap between PR and marketing teams 30:41 - Building trust with client teams as a freelancer 😀 Connect with Irina Karelina: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karelina/?locale=en-USFungi PR: https://fungipr.com/🐝 Try ListIQ (AI-powered media list building):https://www.buzzstream.com/listiq/ — get free credits when you sign up 🔗 See the full episode: https://www.buzzstream.com/blog/sensitive-pr-podcast/ 🔔 Subscribe for more conversations with digital PR and link building practitioners.

    PR for the Topics Everyone's Afraid to Pitch

  4. Jul 1

    AI Citation Ranking Factors with Cyrus Shepard

    Cyrus Shepard is back on the BuzzStream Podcast to break down his AI Citation Ranking Factors study, a deep dive into dozens of research papers on what actually gets a brand cited by AI. We talk through why URL accessibility still trips people up, why domain authority barely correlates with AI citations, why llms.txt has zero evidence behind it (yet), and why your "About Us" page might be more important than ever. ⏰ TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 – Intro 2:06 – Citations vs. mentions: which one actually matters? 7:03 – Ranking factor #1: URL accessibility 9:00 – Search rank and "fan-out" rank explained 11:15 – Query answer match and intent format match 13:00 – The truth about llms.txt 16:29 – Writing for AI vs. writing for people 19:46 – The "skyscraper" reversal and Gemini's citation budget 22:07 – Why your About Us page matters more than ever 25:16 – Domain authority barely correlates with AI citations 27:41 – Will Google crack down on mention spam? 29:30 – Trust as the new SEO currency 32:42 – Cyrus's elevator pitch for showing up in AI 🔗 LINKS: Read Cyrus's full study on Zyppy Signal: https://signal.zyppy.com/p/ai-citation-ranking-factorsCheck out ListIQ, BuzzStream's media list building tool: https://www.buzzstream.com/listiqConnect with Cyrus on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cyrusshepard/See the full post: https://www.buzzstream.com/blog/ai-citation-ranking-factors-podcast/ If you found this useful, subscribe for more conversations on SEO, digital PR, and AI search — and drop any questions for Cyrus in the comments; we'll get them answered.

    AI Citation Ranking Factors with Cyrus Shepard

  5. Jun 11

    How SEO and Digital PR Work Together | Kevin Gibbons & Darren Kingman

    In this episode, SEO veteran Kevin Gibbons (founder of Resignal) and digital PR expert Darren Kingman (founder of Root Digital) share why they joined forces and how SEO and digital PR work better together. Discover practical insights on tying campaigns to products, proving ROI through revenue, building link reputation, and avoiding vanity metrics in the modern search landscape. ⏰ Chapters [00:00] Introduction [01:24] Why Resignal Expanded Into Digital PR [05:46] Why Root Digital Joined Forces [06:45] The Synergy Between SEO and Digital PR [09:17] Surveying Clients: Why Digital PR Was the Fit [11:17] Links for Links' Sake vs. Brand-Led PR [14:54] Should Campaigns Be Tied to Specific Products? [17:28] Commercial Angle, PR Hook & SEO Value [18:43] Vanity Metrics and Client Pushback [20:57] The Paris Syndrome Campaign: A Case Study [23:07] Drawing the Through-Line From PR to Rankings [27:36] Why Revenue Is the KPI [32:02] The "1,000 Links a Month" Problem [34:11] When a Brand Doesn't Need Links [38:50] Merging Two Agencies: Navigating Differences [44:47] Where to Find Kevin & Darren 🔗 Links Resignal - https://resignal.com Root Digital - https://rootdigital.co.uk ListIQ Media List Builder - https://buzzstream.com/listiq

    How SEO and Digital PR Work Together | Kevin Gibbons & Darren Kingman

  6. Jun 3

    Why Your PR Campaigns Flop Outside the UK (And How to Fix It)

    International digital PR is something I don't have much experience with, so this was a fun one to record. I sat down with Libby Windle and Eirini Theodoridou of Connective3 to dig into what it actually takes to run digital PR across borders. We talk building a team, ideating for different markets, and pitching to journalists who all work differently depending on where they are. We also get into why native speakers are non-negotiable, why the city-index campaign is running out of road, what content lands in Europe versus the US, and how to keep up with trends across a dozen different media landscapes.🔗 Links and resources Check out Connective3: https://connective3.com/ Connect with Libby and Erini on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eirinitheodoridou/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/libby-windle-9497b486/ Try List IQ, our AI-powered media list building tool: https://www.buzzstream.com/listiq/ ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Intro 02:16 – How Connective3 got into international PR 08:09 – Building a team with native experts 12:19 – Ideating & pitching for different markets 16:54 – The tactical differences between countries 25:30 – Starting from scratch: team & content strategy 33:32 – Are city-index campaigns played out? 39:18 – Where to expand first from the UK 43:45 – Keeping up with trends across markets 48:53 – Final advice for going international Like, subscribe, and share with your colleagues 🙏

    Why Your PR Campaigns Flop Outside the UK (And How to Fix It)

  7. May 27

    What Can Digital PRs Learn From Journalists? W/ Jade Denby and Sam Forrester

    Most digital PR professionals have never sat inside a newsroom. That gap in understanding is where many great campaigns quietly die. In this episode, Vince sits down with Jade Denby (Head of Digital PR, Marketing Signals) and Sam Forrester (former news editor at Reach PLC, now acting Head of Content at Marketing Signals) for one of the most honest conversations we've had about the journalist-PR relationship — and what digital PR teams can do differently. Sam spent over 15 years inside Reach PLC, one of the UK's biggest regional news networks. Jade has been leading digital PR teams on the agency side for over 15 years. They now work together — and the insights that come out of that combination are the kind you really can't Google. ⏰ Timestamps 00:00 — Introduction 01:42 — Meet Jade Denby and Sam Forrester 04:06 — Sam's 15 years at Reach PLC 06:14 — What digital PRs misunderstand about newsrooms 10:32 — How Jade has adapted her digital PR strategy 17:43 — A day in the life of a news editor 22:23 — How to be more strategic with your pitching 30:35 — The fake expert problem at Reach PLC 35:30 — Should digital PRs be doing more localization? 40:49 — Do newsrooms understand SEO? 49:01 — Where journalism and digital PR are heading 🔔 Subscribe for more digital PR tips, newsroom insights, and outreach strategy every week. 🛠 Try List IQ — our AI-powered media list builder: https://www.buzzstream.com/listiq/ 📩 Connect with Jade Denby on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jadedenby 📩 Connect with Sam Forrester on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-forrester-62836493/ 📩 Learn more about Marketing Signals: marketingsignals.com 📩 Check out the full episode: https://www.buzzstream.com/blog/digital-prs-vs-journalists-podcast/

    What Can Digital PRs Learn From Journalists? W/ Jade Denby and Sam Forrester

  8. May 20

    Beauty PR Masterclass: How to Build Real Relationships and Get Coverage

    If you're in the beauty industry and want to get coverage, listen up! In this episode, Claire Coleman, a seasoned freelance editor and journalist in the beauty industry, shares insights on PR strategies, relationship building, pitching techniques, and the evolving media landscape. Discover how to craft compelling stories, understand media rhythms, and leverage relationships for successful media coverage. ⏰ Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:35 A Day in the Life of a Freelance Journalist 05:48 The Shift from Print to Digital Media 09:50 Challenges in the Beauty PR Industry 11:56 Understanding Effective Pitches 17:05 The Importance of Storytelling in Pitches 20:55 Building Relationships with Journalists 27:02 Effective Communication Strategies 31:31 Consultancy and Substack Insights 🔗 Links and Resources: https://www.buzzstream.com/blog/beauty-pr-podcast/ https://www.clairecoleman.com/ http://beautygeekery.substack.com https://www.buzzstream.com/listiq/

    Beauty PR Masterclass: How to Build Real Relationships and Get Coverage
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Join host Vince Nero as he interviews link building, SEO, and digital PR experts to bring you tips and tricks for better coverage and rankings.

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