Did we overdeliver—or are we undervaluing what that’s really worth?

When a leading online interiors retailer approached us, they had a clear goal:

“We want more than just coverage—we want visibility and SEO value.”

They’d already built a strong e-commerce presence in the heating category, but what they needed was editorial credibility. They wanted to be featured in places their audience actually reads—from design-savvy glossies to high-authority national media. And they wanted backlinks. Real ones. From quality sources.

We agreed a 12-month plan: structured outreach, a press office presence, and a promise of 100 dofollow editorial links from trusted, relevant publications.

What happened next was one of our favourite types of outcome.

100 Links Promised. 200+ Delivered.

By the end of the campaign, we’d not only met our backlink goal—we’d more than doubled it.
In total, we secured:

• Over 200 editorial backlinks from national and niche titles
• 1,000+ total new inbound links to their domain
• Coverage in Ideal Home, The Sun, Daily Express, MSN, Yahoo, Scottish Sun, Independent, and many more
• Consistent monthly PR output that drove SEO and brand recognition

All through a strategy built on editorial value first, with SEO baked in from the beginning.

What Did We Actually Do?

This wasn’t a one-size-fits-all link-building campaign. It was press office PR—delivered properly.

📬 Monthly Media Mailers

We tied product collections and expertise to timely editorial trends: brass finishes, bathroom styling, money-saving heating tips, and more. Distributed via a curated journalist list and 24/7 via Press Loft.

⚡ Expert Commentary at Speed

We actively monitored media requests from national outlets and supplied expert insights under tight deadlines—on everything from frost settings to mislabelled radiators.

🧰 A Fully-Stocked Press Office

We managed an online newsroom with 700+ lifestyle images, expert bios, product roundups and downloadable media assets—making it easy for journalists to feature the brand, again and again.

Open rates hit 80%. Journalists kept coming back. Coverage rolled in.

So—What’s the Problem?

None, really. Except maybe this:
We promised 100 links. We delivered 200+.
So… did we overdeliver—or did we undervalue what that delivery was worth?

Because this isn’t just a pat on the back. It’s a real question about how we price, and how PR’s value is perceived in the broader marketing mix.

These backlinks aren’t random vanity metrics—they’re powerful, measurable SEO assets. The kind that, if you paid for them via traditional outreach or digital PR agencies, could cost hundreds per link.

So if PR is consistently delivering this kind of impact—should we be pricing differently? Should we be talking about value, not volume?

And What About the Bigger Picture?

In the race to “prove” PR through metrics, it’s easy to focus on hitting targets. But there’s a balance. When we frame overdelivery as a bonus, we risk undervaluing the strategy, time and editorial judgment that made it happen.

Because PR is not just media relations.
It’s brand visibility.
It’s SEO authority.
It’s trust-building.
And increasingly, it’s the differentiator in a market where Google is gamed, ads are skipped, and consumers want brands they recognise.

So—Did We Overdeliver? Or Underprice?

We’d love to hear what you think.

Is overdelivering good business—or bad pricing strategy?
When you hit results like this, do you celebrate—or recalculate?

Let us know your take. We’re opening up the discussion—and we’re listening. We are still retained and working for the same client. At time of writing it’s April and we are 50% through their goal for the year.

Want PR that earns backlinks, visibility and trust?
We’re JWC. We work exclusively with interiors brands, and we deliver big-agency results without big-agency overheads.
📩 Let’s talk about what’s possible.