Worth knowing
Three rules that catch energy firms out.
Your name is on the story, so these fall on you as well as on whoever wrote it. This is a plain summary, not legal advice.
Sustainability claims have to stand up
The CMA's Green Claims Code says environmental claims must be truthful, clear and backed up.
It also says they mustn't hide important facts, that comparisons must be fair, and that they must consider the full life cycle. It covers all businesses making such claims to consumers. So a line like “the greenest installer in Yorkshire” needs evidence behind it. That's a real sustainability risk for a sector that talks about little else. How a firm avoids greenwashing in its sustainability stories is a fair thing to ask.
Paid features have to say so
The CAP Code says advertorials must be clearly marked as marketing, for example with the heading “advertisement feature”.
If a trade title charges for the feature, it's an advert. Budget for it and treat it as one.
Press releases aren't a link-building trick
Google's spam policies list keyword-rich links in a press release as link spam, along with paid articles whose links pass ranking credit.
Paid links are fine if they're marked nofollow or sponsored. So a release is for getting a story told. If someone sells you one as an SEO shortcut, walk away.
