Growth Engineering for digital publishers
We don't just tell publishers what to fix. We build the tooling that fixes it, and keep it running.
Fewer audits. More shipping.
Most publisher agencies advise. We build the tooling that growth runs on — and stay until it runs without us. Every newsroom runs on workflows nobody wrote down. We find the ones where engineering pays for itself, ship the tool, and keep it running.
From US$7,500
Typical build, fixed-cost and scoped
1–2 wks
To a working pilot in production
100%
Assessment fee credited against any build
Who this is for
✓ For
- Publishers producing 50+ articles/month
- Editorial teams ready to test and iterate
- CMS with API access or developer access available
- Stakeholders who can commit to weekly check-ins
✗ Not For
- Static brochure sites without regular content
- Teams unwilling to test or provide feedback
- Publishers seeking generic web development
- Organizations needing long-term outsourced hosting
The workflows that leak hours
Every newsroom runs on workflows nobody wrote down. Here's where publisher editorial teams lose time and Discover equity today.
Manual tagging & internal linking
Editors spend hours hand-tagging and cross-linking every article. Automated tagging and link suggestions ship in a sprint and pay back in week one.
Discover & Top Stories eligibility checks
No pre-publish scoring means articles go out blind to Discover and Top Stories. A real-time scorer stops the leak before publish.
Platform migrations lose search equity
Moving CMS or domains without protecting canonicals, schema and Discover signals kills eligibility. Technical debt compounds silently.
Generic AI doesn't fit editorial workflows
Off-the-shelf AI tools don't know your CMS or your taxonomy. We build copilots that live where editors already work.
Engineering, tools & past work
From custom CMS builds to AI-powered editorial tools and proprietary SEO technology, we engineer solutions specifically for publisher operations.
Proprietary SEO tools & agents
Discover Audit Tool
End-to-end Discover-led content strategy platform. Scores every article against Google Discover's 9-stage pipeline with predicted CTR analysis.
ExploreAI Visibility Audit & Strategy Tool
Deep audit across AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity with citation-share baseline and prioritised action list.
SEO Agents
Specialized agents for publisher SEO needs: Top Stories eligibility checker, Discover pre-publish scorer, schema validator, Core Web Vitals monitor.
CMS Coding & Reporting Benchmarks
Baked into editorial workflows: automated schema markup, internal linking suggestions, real-time performance tracking against publisher benchmarks.
Publisher platforms, CMS & editorial automation
Kiindred
Baby Names — data mining, trend identification, and database build for baby names analytics.
Imagine Magazine
Internal directory backend for membership directory.
WTSKora
Initial build; later reskinned on Quintype.
Cruise Passenger
Utility to convert cruise schedule content and shipping specifications usually found in PDFs.
Asia Asset Awards
Full rebuild with awards submission workflow.
State of Digital Publishing
Our flagship publication site to incorporate reviews, webinars, course platform hosting and event lead generation.
Lead Generation
Calculator builds and visual product simulators with LLM integration for personalisation, landing page EEAT improvements with CRM and government statistics data ingestion.
CMS Automation Framework
Editorial workflow integrations: automated tagging, content structuring, API-first content distribution.
BenchmarkAI
Pubtech tools benchmarking platform.
Four ways we engineer publisher growth
Every engagement draws on the same four capabilities, sequenced to where your publication is today.
Growth Builds
Scoped, fixed-cost projects: custom publisher tooling, data and CDP engineering, platform migrations that protect your search equity, feature and plugin development, and editorial tooling that surfaces Discover eligibility and pCTR insights inside your CMS in real time.
Tech Care
Maintenance for publisher sites and our builds: small features, page-speed and SEO housekeeping, by a team that knows your stack.
AI for Publishers
AI automation for editorial and content teams: syndication, tagging, summarisation and editor copilots. AI where it saves time, without the hype.
Tech & Vendor Assessment
The same evaluation methodology we use on stateofdigitalpublishing.com, applied to your stack. CMS health, performance, AI-readiness and tooling gaps scored across capability, integration, cost and publisher-fit. Fixed fee, credited against any build.
You own it. All the code and tooling we build for you is yours, with no lock-in to us.
Sample deliverables
Audit → Pilot → Build → Managed
Every stage ends the same way: with numbers in your hands and a decision to continue, adjust, or stop.
Stopping is a real option. The audit map is yours. The pilot system keeps running. Anything we build is documented and handed over — there is no lock-in designed into the work.
Audit
Weeks 1–2Two weeks, fixed fee. You get the ranked opportunity map.
Pilot
6–12 WeeksOne workflow in production with a measured result. The audit fee is credited here.
Build
Scoped per buildWhat works gets extended across teams and systems, with your people trained alongside.
Managed
OngoingWe run, monitor, and improve the systems for a monthly fee, or hand them over with documentation and training.
Assumptions, risks & what's out of scope
No surprises. Here's what needs to be in place, what could go wrong, and what we don't do.
Assumptions
- You have a CMS with API access or can grant developer access
- Key stakeholders (editorial, tech, product) can commit to weekly check-ins during builds
- You're willing to test and iterate; this isn't a 'set and forget' engagement
Risks
- Platform migrations can temporarily impact traffic if not staged correctly
- AI automation requires editorial trust; change management is critical
- Vendor assessments are only as good as the data you provide: garbage in, garbage out
Out of Scope
- Legal review of licensing or contracts
- Long-term hosting or infrastructure management (unless explicitly scoped)
- Mobile app development (unless part of a platform migration)
- Generic web development unrelated to publisher growth
How we compare
| Feature | SODP Media | Generic Dev Agency | In-House Hire |
|---|---|---|---|
| Publisher-specific expertise | ✓ Deep publisher knowledge | ✗ Generic web dev | △ Requires hiring/training |
| Speed to launch | ✓ 1-2 months | △ typically 3-6 months | △ typically 4-8 months |
| Cost (typical project) | ✓ From US$7,500 | △ typically US$15k-50k+ | △ typically US$100k+ (salary) |
| Ongoing maintenance | ✓ Optional Tech Care | △ Retainer required | △ Internal resource |
| Search/Discover expertise | ✓ Built-in | ✗ Limited | △ Requires training |
| Code ownership | ✓ Full ownership | ✓ Full ownership | ✓ Full ownership |
The methodology behind stateofdigitalpublishing.com
We evaluate publisher technology regularly using a structured framework across capability, integration, cost and publisher-fit. Now we apply that same rigor to your stack.
- Multi-criteria scoring (★★★★★ scale)
- Publisher-specific evaluation, not generic tech reviews
- Editorial oversight: Created, Fact-Checked, Edited
- Real-world testing with publisher workflows
Assessment Dimensions
Capability
Feature depth, scalability, roadmap
Integration
API quality, CMS compatibility, data portability
Cost
TCO, pricing model, contract flexibility
Publisher-Fit
Publisher workflows, editorial needs, support
What we've delivered
B2B Publisher
40 hrs/month
Saved editorial team time with automated tagging and summarisation workflows integrated into their CMS.
News Publisher
3x faster
Platform migration completed without losing search equity or Discover eligibility signals.
Lifestyle Publisher
65% adoption
Editorial tooling with real-time Discover scoring, now used by editors before publishing.
Common questions
How quickly can you start?
Typically within 1-2 weeks of signing. Discovery calls are scheduled within 5 days, and assessment delivery takes 1 week.
What if we're not sure what we need?
That's what the Tech Assessment is for. We'll audit your stack, identify gaps, and provide a prioritised roadmap. You only proceed with a build if you approve the assessment.
Do you work with our existing tech stack?
Yes. We work with most major CMS platforms and can integrate with your existing tools. If you're on a custom stack, we'll evaluate it during the assessment phase.
What happens after the build is complete?
You own all code and tooling with no lock-in. We offer optional Tech Care for ongoing maintenance, bug fixes, and small features, but it's entirely optional.
Can you migrate our CMS without losing search equity?
Yes. We specialise in platform migrations that protect search signals, Discover eligibility, and historical content performance.
Clear, fixed investment
Growth Builds
From US$7,500
Fixed-cost, scoped projects. 1–2 months typical.
• Custom tooling
• CMS migrations
• AI automation
Tech Assessment
Fixed fee
Delivered in 1 week. 100% credited against any build.
• Stack audit
• Vendor eval
• Roadmap
Tech Care
Custom
Ongoing maintenance for your stack.
• Bug fixes
• Small features
• Performance
Payment
50% deposit to start. 50% on launch. Assessment fee upfront, credited in full against any build.
Timeline
- Discovery: 1–2 weeks
- Assessment: 1 week
- Build: 1–2 months
Four steps to your build
Discovery call (30 min)
We confirm fit, scope, timeline, and next steps.
Sign SOW
Kickoff scheduled within 5 days.
Assessment delivered (1 week)
Full tech stack audit. Build only proceeds if you approve.
Build live (1–2 months)
Tech Care and ongoing support available.
Start with one workflow
Tell us where your editors lose hours. We'll come back with a straight answer on whether tooling can help, what it takes, and what it pays.