John Lewis Finance sought to increase visibility and traffic for their Lifetime Cover pet insurance product in an increasingly competitive market. By leveraging consumer concerns around rising veterinary costs through strategic PR, we successfully improved search rankings for high-value commercial keywords, secured national media coverage, and drove qualified traffic to their pet insurance category.

The Challenge

The pet insurance market in the UK is highly competitive, with numerous providers vying for visibility. John Lewis offered a premium Lifetime Cover product that provided comprehensive protection, but faced several challenges:

• Limited organic visibility for high-intent, commercial keywords

• Difficulty differentiating their premium offering in a price-sensitive market

• Low awareness of their Lifetime Cover product benefits

• Need to drive qualified traffic that would convert into policy purchases

Traditional SEO approaches were proving slow to gain traction in this competitive sector, requiring an innovative strategy to accelerate visibility gains.

Our Hypothesis

We identified an opportunity: By tapping into consumer concerns around rising vet fees, we could raise awareness of John Lewis's Lifetime Cover product and drive traffic to the pet insurance category using PR as an organic visibility catalyst.

This hypothesis was based on:

1. Growing consumer anxiety about increasing veterinary costs

2. The direct relevance of this concern to insurance purchasing decisions

3. The potential for data-driven stories to gain media coverage

4. The SEO value of quality backlinks from authoritative news sources

Methodology

Our strategic approach consisted of four key components:

1. Consumer Research

We conducted comprehensive research uncovering that many pet owners feel misinformed and overcharged when it comes to veterinary care. The research revealed specific pain points:

• Surprise at the high cost of routine treatments

• Concern about being able to afford emergency care

• Frustration with unexpected costs not covered by basic insurance

• Difficulty understanding policy differences between providers

2. Data Analysis

We combined these consumer insights with detailed data on average treatment costs for cats and dogs across various conditions and procedures. This data-driven approach allowed us to:

• Quantify the financial impact of veterinary care on pet owners

• Identify specific treatments with the highest cost burden

• Compare costs across regions and veterinary practices

• Demonstrate the value proposition of comprehensive coverage

3. Content Development

With these insights, we created an optimised landing page on the John Lewis website that:

• Addressed consumer concerns about rising vet fees

• Explained the benefits of Lifetime Cover in clear, simple terms

• Featured real-world examples of treatment costs

• Included a comparison tool to illustrate potential savings

4. Strategic PR Campaign

We packaged our research findings into a compelling press release that:

• Highlighted the rising costs of veterinary care

• Provided newsworthy data points on specific treatments

• Positioned John Lewis's Lifetime Cover as a solution

• Included expert commentary on responsible pet care finances

Implementation

The campaign execution followed a carefully orchestrated timeline:

Research Phase

• Surveyed 2,000 pet owners about their veterinary cost experiences

• Collected data from veterinary practices on treatment pricing

• Analysed insurance claim data to identify cost trends

Content Development

• Created a comprehensive, SEO-optimised landing page

• Developed supporting content including infographics and case studies

• Prepared detailed press materials with newsworthy angles

Media Outreach

• Targeted national newspapers and lifestyle publications

• Approached pet-focused media outlets and specialist publications

• Engaged with consumer finance journalists and personal finance editors

Amplification

• Coordinated social media support across John Lewis channels

• Engaged with pet influencers to extend reach

• Implemented a follow-up strategy to maximise coverage duration

Results

The campaign delivered significant improvements across all key metrics:

Organic Search Performance

• "Lifetime pet insurance": Improved by 3 positions in search rankings

• "Dog insurance for older dogs": Moved up from position #3 to #2

• Overall improvement in visibility for 12 high-intent pet insurance keywords

Media Coverage

• Secured 4x national media coverage including articles in major UK newspapers

• Generated 27 pieces of coverage across specialist pet and finance publications

• Achieved an estimated coverage reach of 15 million readers

Website Performance

• 42% increase in traffic to the pet insurance category page

• 37% increase in quote requests during the campaign period

• 28% lower bounce rate on the optimised landing page

Link Building

• Acquired 31 high-quality backlinks from authoritative domains

• Improved overall domain authority by 2 points

• Enhanced topical authority for pet insurance-related content

Key Insights

This case study demonstrates several important principles:

1. PR as an SEO Catalyst: Strategic PR can accelerate organic visibility gains for commercial terms in ways that traditional SEO alone cannot achieve.

2. Consumer Pain Points as Content Drivers: Addressing genuine consumer concerns creates more compelling content that earns media coverage and engages potential customers.

3. Data-Driven Storytelling: Combining consumer insights with hard data creates newsworthy angles that journalists find valuable.

4. Integrated Approach: The most effective campaigns align PR, SEO, and content strategies around a unified business objective.

Long-Term Impact

The success of this campaign created lasting benefits for John Lewis's pet insurance business:

• Established thought leadership in the pet insurance space

• Created a blueprint for future finance product campaigns

• Built valuable media relationships for ongoing coverage

• Improved organic search visibility that continued after the campaign ended

By addressing a genuine consumer concern and connecting it directly to their product offering, we helped John Lewis achieve significant visibility improvements for their pet insurance product while providing genuine value to pet owners navigating rising veterinary costs.