User Guides
Using ARI for Better Backgrounds
ARI helps your brand integrations by aligning Backgrounds with best practice standards, removing the guesswork for ideal Background submissions.
User Guide
Choosing the Right Brand Integration
Brand Integration decides how strongly your client features in the article.
It affects how the article reads, how prominently the subject (brand or person) appears, how much Background detail Rank Engine needs, and what kind of campaign the article is best suited for.
The simple version:
- Single-section keeps the subject in one focused section
- Multi-section makes the subject a more central thread across the article
Neither is better in every case.
They are better for different goals.
Single-section
Single-section means the subject appears in one dedicated section of the article. The overall piece still reads primarily like an editorial — your subject is present, but the article does not revolve around them.
In practical terms, that usually means:
- One meaningful section focused on them
- A clear explanation of who they are or what they do
- One natural way they connect to the wider article theme
What kind of Background it needs
Single-section is easier to support. You do not need a huge amount of Background material.
One strong angle is often enough:
- One initiative
- One service line
- One area of expertise
- One good outcome or proof point
For multiple placements with Single-section brand integrations, you don’t need unique initiatives for every single placement. Multiple placements can touch on the same initiative. However, we do recommend you provide more initiatives if you want your brand integrations more varied across articles.
Multi-section
Multi-section means the subject is worked into multiple parts of the article. The subject becomes more of a recurring example or case-study thread across the piece.
That usually means:
- The subject is introduced more substantially
- The article returns to them in more than one section
- Different aspects of their work support different points
The article can still feel editorial and balanced. But the subject is much more front and centre.
What kind of Background it needs
Multi-section needs more material. That is the key difference.
If you want the subject to appear across multiple sections without sounding repetitive, the Background needs enough substance to support that:
- Several strong initiatives
- Multiple useful angles
- Clear outcomes
- Enough detail to support more than one section naturally
If the Background only really gives Rank Engine one good thing to say, Multi-section usually will not be the right choice.
Name in Title
There is also an important option tied to Multi-section.
In the Project Builder, you can choose to have the subject’s name included in the article title. That means the subject’s name appears directly in the headline, which is useful when:
- The article itself should work harder for their name in search
- Name association matters
- You want a stronger profile-led result
If you do not include the name in the title, the article may still rank, but it often becomes more powerful as a broader editorial asset linking to your properties.
If you want the article to rank more directly for the name, Multi-section with Name in Title is often the stronger choice.
If you want the article to mainly support other properties, Single-section is often the better fit.
How to choose
When deciding between Single-section and Multi-section, work through these questions:
1. How prominent should the client be?
- Lightly present → Single-section
- Clearly central → Multi-section
2. How strong is the Background?
- One or two usable angles per placement → Single-section
- Several initiatives and outcomes → Multi-section
3. What is the campaign trying to achieve?
- Contextual SEO support → often Single-section
- GEO support through strong editorial assets → often Single-section
- ORM support for other properties → often Single-section
- Brand awareness or thought leadership → often Multi-section
- Stronger name visibility → often Multi-section
4. Does the article need to rank competitively for the name?
- Yes, especially against existing content that already features the name in its title → Multi-section with Name in Title
- Not necessarily — the article’s main job is linking to other properties → either can work, depending on the role you want the article to play
Common mistake to avoid
The most common mistake is choosing Multi-section because it sounds stronger, without checking whether the provided Background contains enough information to actually support it.
More prominence only works when there is enough substance behind it.
If the Background contains one or two initiatives, Single-section gives the better result because it lets Rank Engine do one integration properly instead of stretching weak material across multiple sections.
Final takeaway
Brand Integration is not a cosmetic setting. It changes what kind of article Rank Engine is building.
The right choice comes down to two things: how prominent the subject should be, and whether the Background has enough depth to support that prominence well.
Read More »
User Guides
How to Use the Project Builder
A practical guide to setting up an order in Rank Engine’s Project Builder: from choosing project-wide or per-placement settings to outreach strategy, brand integration, and delivery.
User Guides
Writing Backgrounds for Editorials
Learn how to write Backgrounds that give Rank Engine real material to work with. Covers what to include, how to explain the “how,” and what makes the difference between weak and strong.
User Guides
Article Topic vs Article Brief
Understand the difference between Article Topic and Article Brief, when to use each, and when to leave both blank and let Rank Engine develop the direction from your Background.
