How FOI campaigns landed a .gov link for a vaping brand
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We gained links from
Overview:
An online tobacconist supplying e-cigarettes and vaping supplies to UK customers.
Services
The brief:
The client approached us with the aim of improving their organic search performance. Specifically, they wanted to improve their link acquisition velocity - something they had previously struggled with due to the nature of their business.
Alongside link volume, our objective was to:
- Increase their domain rating (DR) to build overall site authority.
- Grow the volume of high-quality referring domains to diversify their backlink profile.
Operating within the highly regulated vaping sector, the brand required a partner with proven expertise in delivering authoritative, compliant link building strategies.
Our strategy:
Gaining high-value coverage for tobacconists and vaping brands can be challenging, especially in the UK, due to the highly regulated nature of the industry. To overcome this, we turned to Freedom of Information requests, or “FOI-led digital PR”.
Freedom of Information requests provide access to authoritative and unique government data that journalists trust, increasing the likelihood of powerful coverage.
We submitted Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to every Fire and Rescue Service in the UK to uncover vape-related fire hotspots and identify regions with rising incident numbers. To add depth, we asked for the reported cause of each fire, distinguishing between improper use and equipment faults.
Timed with the June 1st, 2025 disposable vape ban, the campaign positioned our client (a leading online vape retailer) as an authoritative voice on safe vape use and disposal.
To maximise campaign value, we secured expert commentary from Fire and Rescue spokespersons, removing the need for journalists to source additional voices and boosting coverage potential.
Targeting high-authority national, regional, and public safety publications, we tailored multiple angles spanning property, lifestyle, and social affairs - using the FOI data and expert insights. The combination of exclusive data, strong timing, and credible commentary underpinned the campaign’s success.
Results:
Some of our favourite links:
Ahead of the disposable vape ban, social listening highlighted ongoing frustrations around the improper disposal of vapes and fears around vape stockpiling. From our experience working closely with vaping brands, we knew that this risky behaviour could lead to an increase in fires.
By tapping into this topic, we positioned Electric Tobacconist as a responsible retailer and credible voice in a highly regulated industry. Using official data obtained through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, we secured coverage in high-authority national publications such as the BBC, as well as trusted outlets like Local Government Association (.GOV.UK) and the International Fire and Safety Journal.
This approach secured 26 unique links, not only enhancing the client’s visibility and reach but also strengthening their backlink profile with credible, high-impact coverage. In the age of AI and fake experts, credible data and genuine expertise that journalists can trust have never been more important - not only for securing powerful coverage, but also for signalling key trust signals to Google and boosting E-E-A-T.
