Naturally Fresh Cat Litter
Creative Director, Digital Director, Search & Content Strategist

the new digital playbook for sustainable brands

A computer on a white desk displaying a website for Naturally Fresh odor control cat litter with a green header, blue background, and a package of cat litter. The desk has a white mug, a plant, a brown bottle, and a white picture frame. There is a beige chair in front of the desk.

In 2025, as the Digital Director at Pathfinders Advertising Agency, I led a team in the comprehensive redesign of the Naturally Fresh Cat Litter website, search, and email channels. These efforts included an ‘educational’ content strategy targeted for pet-parents, analytics-informed UI/UX optimizations, and next-gen SEO and AEO tactics

Together, we exceeded the client’s goals to increase digital share of voice and engagement by going beyond to deepen brand equity and drive increased sales.

Laptop and smartphone displaying the website for Naturally Fresh cat litter, highlighting its clay litter alternative, popular formulas, and odor control features.

BEFORE

Logo for Naturally Fresh Walnut Shell Cat Litter, featuring text and an illustration of a walnut with green leaves.
E-commerce website for Naturally Fresh pet odor control, displaying a product package with a cat, the website on a laptop, and a mobile phone interface showcasing the same product and motto.

After

A gray tabby cat being held by a person wearing a gray sweater, with a sign in the background that says 'Naturally' and a green banner with the text 'Make a positive impact on the planet and your nose with the best eco-friendly cat litter' and a yellow button that says 'See Our Impact'.

The Strategy

  1. Lead with Core Brand & Product Value: Sustainability, Odor Control

  • The key brand differentiator for Naturally Fresh is that its walnut-based cat litter is a sustainable and eco-friendly choice. Clay litter, by comparison, harms the environment due to its destructive mining and harvesting processes.
    To ensure sustainability remained in focus, we wove it into our refreshed brand design by emphasizing green and brown colors, developed landing pages that informed consumers about Naturally Fresh’s positive environmental impact, and included comparison charts and facts throughout, ensuring the website’s content would be captured in AI search results.

  • Odor control was identified as the most desired and loved core product benefit in consumer research studies, website and email performance analytics. We presented this key product benefit above the fold so it could be seen without scrolling, consumer testimonials, so it would be pulled into AI search results, and headlines for visual impact.

  • We identified the “right” messages to convey odor control by conducting A/B testing in Paid Media campaigns. Following testing, we went with the winning messages of “Upgrade Your Odor Control” and “Stop the Stink”.

  • Proof points from scientific testing are also prominently displayed throughout the redesigned website as trust signals and AI-favored content. The homepage mentions that Naturally Fresh’s “improved formula eliminates odors 40% more effectively than before,” which adds credibility, and the “#1 Clay Alternative” messaging establishes authority.

Screenshot of a website FAQ page for Naturally Fresh cat litter, featuring questions about litter flushability, pellets, scents, purchasing, odor control, tracking, and cat health. Below are images of various Naturally Fresh cat litter products with their descriptions.

2. Optimize for conversion with structured content that wins AI search, and a user experience that educates and engages

  • The new site navigation structure prioritizes “Products” and addresses common consumer questions with the addition of a new comprehensive FAQ page. Structured content like this is excellent for consumers, but also supports AI search (AEO/AIO) strategy.

  • Consumers tend to use the same cat litter brand for life, known as brand inertia. Calling out “Why Switch?” in the main navigation, and “Why Naturally Fresh” in the product detail page copy, boldly prompts consumers to consider switching to a litter that’s better for their animals and the planet, directly addressing the marketing problem we are trying to solve.

  • The “Impact” page under “Why Switch?” effectively answers this prompt, and highlights the RTB (reason to believe) for the brand, offering up compelling facts and figures on “the sustainable litter that makes an impact,” in an engaging infographic-style layout.

  • Direct and clear calls-to-action (CTAs) on mid-funnel pages to “Shop Now” guide customers who are ready to purchase to the store locator page. We also ensured these appeared above-the-fold on mobile devices.

  • A “Resources” menu offers rich content on pet ownership, helping to capture and engage organic traffic.

  • Each product page includes relevant frequently asked questions and links to blog articles to enhance visitor engagement and retention, boost brand authority, and improve visibility in AI-driven search results.

A marketing image for Naturally Fresh cat litter featuring two cats and a bag of the product. One cat is a tabby with a red and green toy, and the other is a brown tabby near the litter box. The background includes indoor plants, a woven cat house, and a purple wall.
A bag of Naturally Fresh walnut shell cat litter labeled 'Ultra Odor Control' sitting on a blue couch next to a gray tabby cat.
Close-up of a black hairbrush on a brown textured surface, with part of a green and white object visible on the right side of the image.
A webpage displaying three pet-related products with images of cats. The first image shows two cats resting on a colorful woven mat; the second shows a kitten peeking out from under a cardboard box; the third features three kittens cuddling in a basket.

3. Social proof boosts discovery in AI search and increases marketing ROI

  • The updated homepage and product detail pages feature real customer testimonials and reviews (user-generated content), complete with images, that foster trust and validation.

    This approach also helps improve search rankings and engagement as review and testimonial-based content is preferred by AI search engines.

  • We leveraged lifestyle imagery from key influencer partnerships in the updated website and email campaigns, increasing the ROI of these marketing initiatives while also showcasing how “real” people use the product, and what the product looks like.

    Because Naturally Fresh is made from walnut shells, it's brown. Highlighting the product’s natural texture and color online reduces any potential friction following purchase and unboxing.

the results

11.5%

Increase in annual sales

26%

increase in visitors year-over-year

16%

Increase in page views year over year

57%

Increase in average search position

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