Search engine optimization has become an essential tool that more and more PR professionals are using to boost the effectiveness of their campaigns and, ultimately, drive greater awareness for their clients. SEO is a powerful way to generate awareness because it facilitates higher placement in the results on search engines like Google. We offer here a practical overview of SEO and easy-to-implement essentials of SEO for press releases and Web sites.
PR AND SEO
Good SEO practice in PR is quickly becoming an industry standard. SEO is the process of improving the volume or quality of traffic to a Web site or a Web page (such as a blog) through optimization of the site’s content, text, tags, links and other elements. SEO drives traffic from search engines via “natural” or unpaid (“organic” or “algorithmic”) search results. More traffic means greater visibility for your clients. This is a piece of the search engine marketing (SEM) puzzle, which also includes paid online advertising like display and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising.
As the concepts of both the traditional news cycle and media continue to evolve, the need to make PR materials widely available via search engines is key to reach the appropriate audience and extend the life of your content. In addition to the traditional media, SEO will help client news be discovered by potential customers, bloggers and other key influencers. PR professionals must become proficient with SEO tools and tactics in order to succeed in this space. Luckily, many of the tools are already in the PR toolbelt. Just like PR, SEO is smart, effective copywriting.
UNDERNEATH THE HOOD
SEO is not about tricking search engines; it’s about making the main focus of your content (a press release or Web page) friendly to search engines and readers alike. The concept is not all that different from how one would write press materials.
As PR professionals, we want to make our main point clear to the audience. In SEO, it is important to clearly state the main point using specific words or phrases that people might enter into a search engine to learn more about your topic. These are known as keywords and keyword phrases.
SEO FOR NEWS RELEASES
An optimized news release is a regular news release but with keywords and keyword phrases specifically chosen and sprinkled appropriately throughout the headline, subhead, lead and body to ensure search engines can index it easily for the words your audience will search. Press releases optimized with keywords and linking back to the client’s Web site improves search engine rankings and can lift media coverage.
Keep in mind that SEO efforts in press releases will be just an enhancement to your SEO success. In essence, the best a press release can do is be a strong link back for a bevy of important keywords. Here are some crucial components of an SEO optimized press release:
â– Keywords: Be sure to clearly state the main point of the release using words people actually search. These are your keywords. A press release should focus on one keyword or keyword phrase; too many keywords will clutter the copy and make it harder for search engines to identify the focus. Use keyword tools to determine the best (potentially colloquial) keywords for your news.
â– Title: Headlines and subheads should include the most popular keywords and keyword phrases relevant to the release as these carry the most weight with search engines and potential readers. For example, if your keywords are “new homes” your headline might be, “ABC Builds New Homes in Seattle.” Write like people search and speak.
â– Language: Understand and mirror the language used by the intended audience. This will increase the click-through rate and the effectiveness of the message.
â– Content: Shorter press releases are always better for search engines. Keep them between 300 to 500 words if possible. Keyword-tagged rich media such as videos and images can increase the rankings as well.
â– Links: Make sure to include anchor text (clickable text in a hyperlink) to important keywords and link back to the client’s Web page with a similar SEO strategy. For example, if anchor text is “accounting software,” be sure to link to a page optimized for the keywords “accounting software” in the page content. So “accounting software” will be in the title and the copy will be about your accounting software.
WEB PAGE OPTIMIZATION
For Web page optimization, consider both the quality of content and how the content is presented. Smart, effective keyword-rich copy remains a prime concern. All PR materials should be written with SEO in mind. Pay attention to the following details when advising your client on SEO:
â– Web Site Structure: Search engines can’t see, access or index improperly posted content; thus crawl-ability is foremost on this list. This is an important technical requirement for the Web site. If the site can’t be found, the content will languish despite its high quality.
â– Content: The quality and relevancy of the content attracts interest and compels visitors to share the information elsewhere. Inbound links (links directed to your Web site from other pages) are a key component of Web page success.
â– Web Page Elements: Getting the keyword targeting right in the most important Web page elements (titles, URLs and internal links) provides a big boost in the ability of a page to perform well. For example, in a press release that mentions a product, make sure the key product descriptors are in the title tag, the URL and that your text links to the product.
â– User Experience: An uncluttered, clean and fast-loading site will make it easier for your visitors to find what they want. The easier your Web site is to use and understand, the more likely it is that your visitors will link back to you.
Incorporating effective SEO techniques into your PR campaign can improve your search engine rankings and click-through rates. However, never underestimate the power of the message you create to drive traffic to a client site. A wellthought-out and well-executed public relations campaign will always attract far more links, and results than a bunch of well-placed keywords. PRN
[Editor’s Note: This article is excerpted from PR News’ just-published Digital PR Guidebook, Volume 3 . This and other guidebooks can be ordered here.]
Contact:
This article was written by Devin Davis ([email protected]) senior account executive at Sterling Communications, and Karianne Stinson ([email protected]) account executive at Weber Shandwick.
Want to Dig Deeper Into SEO? Here’s Where to Go
To learn more about search engines and the SEO space, Devin Davis of Sterling Communications and Karianne Stinson of Weber Shandwick recommend the following blogs and SEO experts:
• Search Engine Land —Content provides information about search marketing and how search engines work.
• Search Engine Journal —Topics focus on search engine industry news including search engine optimization and search engine marketing.
• SEOmoz Daily SEO Blog —Provides news and tips on search engine optimization and Internet marketing.
In addition, follow these SEO experts on Twitter:
@brentdpayne
@dannysullivan
@audette
@andybeal
@seosmarty
@greywolf
@leeodden
@randfish
@ravenseo
@katemorris