M&S bolsters blogger links

Marks & Spencer wants to strengthen its relationship with bloggers and online influencers as part of a strategy to develop its online business.

M and S

M&S aims to boost its search profile with external sites by combining online PR and technical search tools that use its branded online content to build “authoritative links” with opinion formers.

M&S has appointed search agency Propellernet to drive “authentic search” for its clothing and homeware products as part of the retailer’s strategy to increase its multi-channel business from £800m-worth of revenue to £1bn.

The agency will handle strategic planning and build M&S’s link development by distributing brand content to targeted external sites and developing quality in-bound links that will push M&S up the search rankings.

M&S head of online acquisition Rob Freedman says: “This approach to link-building will play a major role in driving incremental revenue through natural search and will help us achieve our growth targets for M&S Direct.”

M&S reported that sales through its online business M&S Direct increased 25% during the three months to 1 January.

The retailer is attempting to integrate its online and offline channels.

Its mobile commerce site recently came top of the second annual eDigitalResearch league table and it has signed up to O2’s geo-location based marketing service You Are Here to send targeted offers to shoppers near its stores.

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