Taylor Swift’s SEO playbook
- Michelle Tansey
- Feb 11
- 5 min read
How celebrities shape search results to control their narrative.
If you’re like me, and have been a little bit obsessed with the ‘It Ends With Us’ controversy, you might have noticed how Taylor Swift keeps appearing in the conversation.
Since being brought into the discussion, her team has strategically leveraged major events like the Grammys and the Super Bowl to shift not just the news cycle but also the Google search results associated with her name. There’s a critical SEO lesson here.
Most businesses focus on keywords and site speed, but they overlook - what I believe, is the most important factor, Offpage SEO. This is doubly important as search expands into multi-channel, social search, and AI.
From headlines about her Grammy’s dancing to strategic public appearances, Swift’s PR team knows how to shift attention and search results. Google no longer just ranks websites, it ranks narratives. If you’re not shaping yours, the algorithm is doing it for you.
Let’s break down what businesses can learn from her team's strategy and how to apply it to your own brand. In this post, we’ll cover:
Why off-page SEO shapes your brand’s reputation in search
While technical performance and keyword relevance matter, Google evaluates a brand’s authority and reputation based on external signals, just like Swift’s reputation isn’t just shaped by her music.
Key components of Offpage SEO:
Brand reputation – how your name is mentioned in media and across the web
Entity recognition – what Google understands about your brand and its associations
Press and backlinks – quality of media mentions and inbound links from authoritative sources
Sentiment and social proof – customer reviews, social media discussion, and industry perception
This means that what others say about your brand online is just as important as what you say on your website.
Swift’s PR team understands this better than most businesses. By managing external narratives strategically, they shape not just headlines but Google’s perception of her brand, which in turn influences what comes up in search results. Let’s explore how her strategy works.
Her strategy in action.
The Jets game and search engine dominance
Swift’s private jet use became a significant controversy.
She attends a high-profile Chiefs vs. Jets game.
Instead of “Taylor Swift private jets,” searches began suggesting “Taylor Swift Jets game.”
News articles covering her private jet usage also started mentioning the Jets game, redirecting the narrative from environmental concerns to her appearance at the football game.
Many speculated that her decision to attend this specific game was deliberate, using media coverage to dilute negative search results and redirect attention. While there's no confirmed evidence, the shift in search trends at the time suggests how strategic event attendance can influence online reputation.
The Grammys, the Super Bowl, and shifting the focus from 'It Ends With Us'
During the It Ends With Us controversy, Swift’s name has been heavily associated with Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni due to the lawsuit.
During the Grammys her dancing and fashion choices dominated the headlines.
Speculation about 💍 at the Superbowl has also become an early topic
The search impact has been that the internet and media shifted focus away from her name being tied to the lawsuit.
The key lesson? When there’s a risk of negative sentiment taking over, a well timed PR distraction can shift the focus and reshape search rankings.
How brands can apply this to their own SEO and PR strategy
Own your narrative
Your brand’s reputation isn’t only what you say, it’s also about perception. Ensure your messaging is clear and consistent across PR, social media, and search.
If your company is known for sustainability, make sure that’s reinforced everywhere, in your press releases, website content, external profiles, and where possible media coverage.
Control the key themes and associations around your brand before others shape the conversation for you.
Leverage PR to shape branded search results
Search engines don’t operate in a vacuum. If a negative story gains traction, you need to proactively shift the focus because people will be able to see the story when they Google your company.
Publish expert thought leadership pieces, PR features, and interviews that get picked up by authoritative sources.
Create data or reports that are newsworthy and naturally attract links from reputable media.
Be strategic with your press outreach. Try not to allow for negative sentiment or fear mongering - sometimes brands go for scary stories or data points to be provocative, if it doesn’t sit right, don’t do it for the sake of coverage as it can hurt your brand.
Optimise for entity recognition
Help Google define who you are before it makes its own assumptions.
Claim and optimise your Google Knowledge Panel to ensure Google associates your brand with the right topics.
Use tools like Diffbot’s Knowledge Graph to monitor how Google understands your brand and what entities it connects you with.
Ensure your brand name, category, and key associations are consistent across Wikipedia, LinkedIn, business directories, and major publications.
Send the right signals with backlinks, social engagement, and associations
Who you associate with online impacts your credibility, just like Swifties boosting Taylor Swift’s reputation through real engagement and advocacy.
Backlinks should come from reputable, relevant sources because who links to you matters.
Be a point of reference for authoritative websites by providing high quality, insightful content and stories that earn natural backlinks.
Social signals and engagement do matter. Genuine mentions, shares, and interactions help reinforce credibility.
Be selective about affiliate sites. Google is picky about who you associate with, so ensure your partnerships reflect quality and trustworthiness.
Break down silos: integrate PR, social, and SEO teams
In many organisations, SEO, PR, and social teams work in isolation. But with search becoming more interconnected and multi-channel-driven, bringing these teams together is crucial.
Search marketers should have a seat at the table in PR and brand discussions.
Social, content, and PR teams should understand how their efforts impact search rankings.
Multi-channel strategies are strongest when teams work together to shape one clear, authoritative brand narrative across platforms.
Your brand’s reputation is already in the Search Results. Are you controlling it?
Every brand, big or small, has a digital footprint that extends beyond their website. The question is: are you shaping it, or is it shaping you?
Some questions to consider when assessing your Offpage SEO:
Are you being positioned as an authority in your space?
Are the right keywords and associations linked to your name?
Are search results reinforcing the narrative you want to own?
Ignoring these factors means letting the algorithm define your brand. Just like Swift shapes her own narrative, businesses must actively manage their search presence or risk Google and competitors doing it for them.
What you can do:
Audit your search presence - Google your brand and industry. What comes up? Identify risks and opportunities.
Unify PR, SEO, and brand messaging - ensure every channel reinforces the same story to strengthen visibility.
Build trust and authority - audit and secure high-quality backlinks, media placements, and content that positions you as a leader.
If this feels overwhelming or you’re not sure where to start, you don’t have to figure it out alone. At Red Queen Marketing, we help businesses take control of their search presence with SEO, digital PR, and content strategy. Let’s chat about how we can support your brand.
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