CASE STUDY·2021–2022·24-MONTH ENGAGEMENT·3,758 MEDIA HITS
How we made Zapier the most-cited name in small-business automation.
Zapier came to us known for one thing: being all-remote. Across 24 months we pivoted the narrative with a pre-mapped editorial program, three messaging pillars run across four parallel tactics. The result: 3,758 media hits (2.5× the 1,500-feature target), 3,522 referring domains earned at 1.5 domains per word against a 0.2 category benchmark, and Zapier established as the cited authority in small-business automation, no-code, and the future of work.
M01 · KPI
3,522
Referring domains earned
live, dofollow-tracked
M02 · KPI
3,758
Media hits earned
Forbes · BusinessInsider · CNBC · WSJ
M03 · KPI
1.5×
Linking domains / word
category benchmark: 0.2×
M04 · KPI
DR 90+
Top placements
tier-1 business + tech press
EXHIBIT 01
A media darling. For being remote, not for the product.
When the engagement opened in 2021, Zapier was already a category giant by usage and a darling of the business press. But the bulk of that coverage was about being all-remote since day one. Reporters wrote about how Zapier worked, not what they made. Leadership wanted the next chapter: thought leadership for the CEO and CTO, and brand authority around product, automation, and no-code. The PR machine had to shift the bulk of the narrative.
⊘ Status quo
Coverage skewed to remote work. Product authority underweighted.
×01Bulk of press coverage about remote-first / distributed teams
×02Product, automation, and no-code stories underweighted relative to brand traction
×03CEO and CTO not yet established as category thought leaders
×04Underrepresented in best-of-automation listicles where Zapier should have led
→ Mandate
Win the narrative on product, automation, and no-code. Hit 1,500 features + 4 Tier 1 stories in 12 months.
→01Secure top-tier coverage in business + tech press on a regular cadence
→02Increase media hit volume to 1,500+ features in 12 months
→03Garner broadcast coverage on local + national TV and radio
→04Win the listicle battle: out-rank competitors on best-of roundups
EXHIBIT 02
Two report formats. One twelve-month editorial map.
Before we wrote a word, we mapped twelve months of editorial windows against three messaging pillars: small business's secret weapon, democratizing automation, and a forward-thinking company. The plan ran on four parallel tactics: quarterly long-form reports anchoring distinct themes, monthly newsjack surveys riding emerging news cycles, always-on PR pitching across verticals, and rapid response on breaking news.
DIAGRAM · 12-MONTH EDITORIAL MAP
∑
Twelve months mapped before a word was written. Each quarter anchored by a long-form theme; a short-form newsjack survey rides news cycles every month.
EXHIBIT 03
3,758 hits. 3,522 linking domains. Both well over plan.
HEADLINE METRIC
The 2021–2022 plan called for 1,500 media hits and 3,000 cumulative referring domains (375 / quarter). We delivered 3,758 hits (+150% over plan) and 3,522 referring domains (+17% over plan). The pattern: short-form newsjack surveys were not the warm-up act. They drove our two biggest hits and outperformed long-forms on linking-domains-per-dollar.
Cumulative referring domains earned · forecast vs. actual
N=10 reports · Q1'21 → Q4'22
Q1'21
Q2'21
Q3'21
Q4'21
Q1'22
Q2'22
Q3'22
Q4'22
Forecast (board commit)Actual+17% over plan · final
"
Original research can be brief and still drive powerful results.
Ahrefs
Zapier SEO Case Study · #4
EXHIBIT 04
Eight standouts, sorted by linking domains.
EVIDENCE TABLE
Each row shows the report's word count, linking domains earned, total backlinks, and the all-important domains/word ratio. The smallest reports earned the biggest numbers.
#
Report title
Format
Words
Domains
Backlinks
Ratio
01
Side Hustle Report: 1 in 3 Americans Have a Side Hustle
SHORT
920
844
1,364
0.92
02
Side Hustle Report 2022: 40% of Americans Have a Side Hustle
SHORT
980
468
860
0.48
03
2021 State of Business Automation
LONG
3,800
438
662
0.12
04
How Office Workers Spend Their Time
SHORT
850
195
250
0.23
05
The Future of Work
SHORT
880
167
267
0.19
06
The Rise of No-Code
LONG
3,400
111
183
0.03
07
Automation Makes Workers Less Likely to Quit
SHORT
760
94
184
0.12
08
Marketers Lead the Pack in Automation at Work
SHORT
720
54
130
0.07
Σ Total · 8 reports · 12,310 words
2,371
3,900
0.19
EXHIBIT 05
Operating model. Four tactics, all running in parallel.
The plan ran on four streams of activity, all kept in motion every week. Quarterly reports anchored authority around the messaging pillars. Monthly newsjack surveys fueled timely news. Always-on PR ran continuous outreach across verticals. Rapid response capitalized on breaking stories within hours.
Pillar studies · 4 / yr
PHASE 01
Quarterly Reports
Long-form pillar data studies anchoring the messaging calendar. 2,000-person panels paired with Zapier's internal usage data, packaged as printable PDFs, blog longreads, and full press kits. Each report became the seasonal headline.
Outputs
→ 3,000–4,000 word PDF + blog
→ Press kit + graphics suite
→ Tier 1 pitch list
→ Long-tail repurposing
Monthly · 12 / yr
PHASE 02
Newsjack Surveys
600 to 1,000-person rapid panels delivering tight, timely findings. Built to ride news cycles within days. Short-form formats with headline-ready stats and pre-vetted angles, broken down by state, role, or vertical for local pitches.
Outputs
→ Short-form blog write-up
→ Headline data points
→ Vertical + geo-targeted pitches
→ Press kit
Weekly · ongoing
PHASE 03
Always-On PR
Continuous pitching across business, tech, marketing, IT, real estate, law, and e-commerce verticals. Hand-built listicles. Branded broadcast b-roll. Geo-targeted local stories. Every angle laddered to one of the three messaging pillars.
Outputs
→ Tier 1 / 2 / 3 pitch lists
→ Listicle pitches
→ Broadcast b-roll kits
→ Local geo pitches
On-demand · hours
PHASE 04
Rapid Response
When a story broke on automation, no-code, competitors, or partners, we pitched within hours. Pre-built expert commentary from CEO + CTO. Triggered repackaging for journalists already on the story.
Outputs
→ Trigger keywords + competitor list
→ On-call CEO / CTO commentary
→ Repackaging templates
→ Hours-not-days response
EXHIBIT 06
Three SOWs. No bundling. No surprises.
$ INVESTMENT
One annual PR retainer with 4 dedicated team members, plus two as-needed data report packages. Long-form reports billed individually as commissioned. Short-form same.
SOW · 01 · RETAINER
Always-On Mass Media PR
$15K / month
Weekly · 4 dedicated team members
Consistent outreach to media gatekeepers
Timely article, interview, and op-ed pitching
Editorial calendar mapped to Zapier launches
Includes: rapid response + data analysis
SOW · 02 · AS NEEDED
Long-Form Data Report
$20K / each
Quarterly
Internal data + industry data + 2,000-person survey
3,000 to 4,000-word printable PDF + blog longread
Full graphics suite for press kits
SOW · 03 · AS NEEDED
Short-Form Data Report
$5K / each
Roughly monthly
600 to 1,000-person survey
Short blog write-up + headline data points
Fast-turn, ride emerging news cycles
∑ Annual investment · $180K retainer + 2 long ($40K) + 8 short ($40K)
~$280K / year
EXHIBIT 07
Independently validated by Ahrefs.
Ahrefs broke down Zapier's organic-link strategy into a five-item case study. Item #4 was our data report program, and the example they led with was one of our short-form surveys, validating that brevity drove the link economics.
Screenshot · Ahrefs blogSection 4 of Ahrefs' Zapier SEO case study, citing one of our short-form survey hits as the lead example.
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Boost drove more media in a year than we thought possible. Every forecast we set, they blew past. The team was floored.
