One editorial shift has become undeniable in recent months: round‑ups, curated “best of,” and seasonal features are being prioritised over traditional stand‑alone reviews. Whilst standalone reviews and features are still an important part of building brand equity, their role now looks different. To better understand what’s driving this change, Palm spoke to Georgia Aspinall, Senior Editor at Grazia, one of the UK’s leading lifestyle titles. Her perspective reflects a wider editorial recalibration across the industry — one shaped by search behaviour, evolving reader habits and newsroom realities.

Whether it’s “Top 10 Brunch Spots in London” or “Best Ski Hotels in the Alps,” these list‑led formats are rapidly becoming the default way publications serve audiences. For brands in hospitality, travel, food and lifestyle sectors, understanding this shift isn’t just useful, it’s essential for visibility, relevance and long‑term press impact.

The dynamics of search behaviour are reshaping editorial thinking. Round‑ups inherently capture a range of high‑intent keywords, matching what people are typing into search engines. Instead of a one‑off review buried on a site, a curated “best of” page is more likely to rank on terms like best restaurants in Shoreditch, top Spanish hotels, or must‑visit ski resorts Europe.

As Aspinall explains, discoverability is now considered from the outset. “We’re thinking about discoverability from the outset,” she says. “Our content strategy is heavily SEO-led, which means our guides and round-ups are designed to be regularly updated rather than published once and forgotten. If someone from our team has visited a property or venue, it stays within that guide and evolves over time — it becomes a living resource rather than a one-off review.”

Round‑ups also benefit from evergreen search potential as they’re regularly updated, seasonally refreshed, and tend to attract organic traffic long after publication. This aligns with the broader shift toward search‑led content strategies; as highlighted in the Palm Insights, brands that thoughtfully integrate SEO and PR see amplified visibility because media content performs both editorially and algorithmically.

“Readers are actively searching for ‘best restaurants in…’ or ‘top hotels in…’,” Aspinall adds. “Round-ups naturally serve that intent. They perform far better in search, and because we update them seasonally, they continue driving traffic long after publication.”

In this context, keyword strategy isn’t an afterthought, it’s central. Press releases and pitches that include clear, searchable terms increase the likelihood of inclusion in round‑ups and improve discoverability for journalists and audiences alike.

The UK media landscape, like its global counterparts, is operating with leaner newsrooms and tighter resources. Editors are tasked with producing more content with fewer hands-on deck, and round‑ups offer a practical solution.

• They allow multiple brands to be covered in a single feature, maximising value for limited editorial capacity.
• They are easier to update throughout the year particularly important for seasonal sectors like travel and hospitality.
• They align with affiliate and commerce‑driven models, where each inclusion represents a potential conversion point.

This editorial efficiency has been evident across UK publications from lifestyle titles in London to regional travel platforms, and is mirrored internationally in outlets that prioritise SEO and traffic performance alongside traditional journalism.

What does this mean for brands and publications practically? Well, inclusion trumps exclusivity. While an in‑depth standalone review can still be impactful, especially for premium or experiential launches, the most consistent wins now come from being round‑up ready.

To improve chances of inclusion in curated content:

• Use clear, searchable language in press materials, think “best seafood restaurant London” rather than subjective descriptors alone.
• Provide strong imagery and concise copy that editors can drop straight into a round‑
• Pitch with editorial hooks tied to seasons, trends and data. For example, “top sustainable hotels for 2026” or “best winter brunches in the UK.”
• Be proactive on keyword insights as understanding what audiences are searching for helps you align press angles with real demand.

These tactics not only make a brand more discoverable for editors but also strengthen performance in digital channels where visibility and reach increasingly matter.

It’s worth noting that round‑ups haven’t replaced all reviews. Instead, they’ve recontextualised them. Stand‑alone reviews continue to thrive in select spaces:

• High‑end and experiential hospitality, where a deep dive into quality and nuance matters.
• Influencer‑led coverage, especially on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, were personal storytelling drives engagement.
• International features, where a single destination or restaurant might be the focus of a bespoke piece.

Georgia Aspinall agrees that while frequency may have shifted, the format still carries weight when the story warrants it.

“We hardly ever do standalone reviews now,” she says. “But that’s not because they don’t have value. They work best when there’s something genuinely exceptional to say — somewhere with a strong narrative or a unique experience that deserves space.”

In many cases, standalone features now work in tandem with broader guides rather than in isolation.

“With smaller teams and tighter schedules, round-ups are simply more efficient,” Aspinall explains. “They give us flexibility — we can add new openings, update recommendations, and keep destinations current. But a strong standalone can absolutely complement that, especially if it feeds into a larger destination or category guide.”

However, even in these cases, alignment with SEO and a broader editorial ecosystem enhances the impact of a review. A standalone profile that can be referenced in content with copy like “as highlighted in our top Paris restaurants” extends reach beyond its original placement.

The shift toward curated editorial reflects broader changes in how audiences discover content: they want choice, context and comparisons. For PR professionals and brands, this means thinking beyond individual placements to category ownership.

A brand that consistently appears in “best of” features, both in the UK and internationally, builds momentum, search authority and top‑of‑mind visibility. In essence, it’s no longer just about getting covered, it’s about being relevant where conversations are happening.

By understanding the editorial logic behind round‑ups, and by aligning PR and SEO strategy accordingly, brands can position themselves not just as options but as leaders within their category.

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