Award-winning eCommerce SEO agency Re:signal has acquired digital PR specialist Root Digital, in a move designed to give eCommerce and consumer brands a stronger edge in the battle for online visibility and trust. The deal marks Re:signal’s evolution from a single agency into a group of specialist businesses built to support every aspect of SEO, content performance, digital reputation and AI discovery.
Known for its focus on organic performance, Re:signal works with leading eCommerce brands including ASICS, Under Armour, N Brown, Vivobarefoot and Jollyes. The agency helps retailers stay ahead of shifting search algorithms, AI-driven discovery and intensifying competition. Root adds creative firepower with high impact, award-winning digital PR and content marketing campaigns for clients such as Radical Storage, Icewear and StandoutCV – including a “Disappointing Masterpieces” study that sparked global coverage and led the Louvre to reposition the Mona Lisa.
Root will operate as a distinct company within the Re:signal Group, under the name Root, part of Re:signal. The deal grows Re:signal Group’s revenue by 30 per cent and also sees headcount increase by a third.
The new senior leadership team comprises Kevin Gibbons (CEO), Darren Kingman (CEO, Root Digital), Elizabeth Rowe (COO), Callum Lockwood (Head of SEO), Khushal Khan (SEO Partner), Shannon McGuirk (Digital PR Director) and Ruth Barrett (Head of PR Communications).
Together, the group offers clients an integrated approach to search, combining technical SEO, content and digital PR, at a time when online discovery is being reshaped by AI-powered search, social commerce and visual discovery.
Kevin Gibbons, CEO and Founder at Re:signal, said:
“The way people find and choose products online is changing fast: AI search, social commerce and visual platforms are rewriting the rules. To stay ahead, brands need technical excellence and creative PR working hand in hand. Recent listening research with our clients showed digital PR as a top priority, and Root’s high-impact, data-driven campaigns are the perfect complement to our SEO and content expertise. With a shared culture and commitment to talent, we’re ready to deliver exactly what the market needs.”
Darren Kingman, CEO of Root Digital, added:
“Root has always focused on creative, news-led campaigns that spark conversation and build trust. Re:signal brings world-class SEO and content strategy. We can now offer clients a complete service blending creativity, data, AI-driven insight and the kind of digital PR that boosts authority, reach and AI visibility.This move is about pushing new ideas and helping brands seize opportunities in a changing digital landscape.”
Miles Welch, Partner at Milestone Advisory, who advised on the acquisition said:
“We’re proud to have advised on bringing these two agencies together. Re:signal has built an outstanding reputation for technical SEO and organic growth, while Root has set a high bar in delivering data-driven digital PR campaigns. In a market where many agencies are retrenching, this deal positions them firmly for expansion in the fast-moving eCommerce sector.”
The acquisition comes at a time of strong industry engagement for Re:signal, following its annual Re:commerce Conference. The event brings together over 200 leading eCommerce brands, SEO specialists and marketers, with previous keynote speakers including Not on the High Street founder Holly Tucker and advertising guru Rory Sutherland. Discussions covered AI search, social commerce and changing consumer behaviour, topics that also underpin the strategic rationale for bringing Root on board.
