Niche Pursuits Podcast: Find Your Next "Niche" Business Idea! · Spencer Haws: NichePursuits.com

How Bart van der Meer Drives 5M Monthly Page Views with Digital PR

·50 min·4 clips

Bart van der Meer explains how changing just the subject line transformed a zero-response campaign into 50 links overnight.

This episode of the Niche Pursuits Podcast features host Jared Bauman interviewing Bart van der Meer, an SEO expert and Director of Search at Leadz. Bart shares his journey from founding an agency at age 20 to managing websites generating up to 5 million monthly visits. He argues digital PR should extend beyond targeting news outlets to include links from government sites, universities, and non-profits. Bart's first successful digital PR campaign in 2016 for a locksmith client generated 123 links in the Netherlands. He emphasizes the critical importance of email subject lines in outreach, noting a single change can turn zero responses into 50 links. A key tactic is using on-site surveys via tools like Hotjar to gather original data on divisive topics, which can then be pitched to journalists. For government links, Bart advises creating content aligned with civic issues like elderly safety or environmental impact, regardless of search volume. He cites a Dutch guide on safe video calling for the elderly that earned over 100 government links. His company uses a scalable content template, creating numerous pages following the "Is X Bad for the Environment?" format to consistently attract links. Bart reveals original data is their primary weapon for earning featured snippets and standing out against AI-generated content. He suggests small teams can run effective campaigns by niching down, like surveying 130 dog shelters over three days to earn 10 links. A surprising insight is that successful content often addresses topics with very low search volume but high relevance to authoritative linkers. He recommends using AI to brainstorm outreach subject lines and tools like ChatGPT's Deep Research to find public datasets. The tone is highly educational and conversational, focusing on practical, actionable strategies. Listeners interested in advanced link-building and data-driven content creation will find immense value. Those seeking quick, easy wins or basic SEO fundamentals might find the discussed processes too resource-intensive.

As heard by us

A practical, numbers-first look at digital PR that stays close to the work.

This episode follows Bart van der Meer as he walks through digital PR in plain terms, from the agency he started at 20 to the sites now pulling a combined 500K to 5 million monthly visits.

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Hear how a first digital PR campaign for a locksmith earned 123 links.

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