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UPDATED 6/13: Best practices for writing press releases that can be seen in search engines and shared on social networks. Learn how to craft messages and fine-tune content to deliver ongoing visibility for your organization.
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Public Relations & SEO: Better Together
Press release optimization tactics you can use right now
Sarah Skerik VP Content Marketing, PR Newswire
Public Relations & SEO: Better Together
Press release optimization tactics you can use right now
Sarah Skerik VP Content Marketing, PR Newswire
Search engines are continually changing how they rank web sites. (These are headlines from last month.)
SEO Experts are Focusing on PR
Why?
Because earned media counts.
Search engines evaluate content
in terms of how much people like
it, as indicated by things like:
• The amount of time readers spend on the page
• User behavior – do they click on a related link on the page, or back away and go elsewhere?
• Whether or not they share the content
It’s always high quality & credible.
Earned media mentions
are extraordinarily
valuable: – They trigger highly
relevant social mentions– Which in turn deliver
interested readers – Who in turn read, act
upon and share the content with peers
– … powering search rank Does anything look familiar here?
Earned media generates desirable user behaviors.
The factors search engines value have changed too.
SEO = Good content that people like, read, share, tweet and +1.
That’s it. Really.
(Don’t believe me?)
Let‘s go straight to the authority.
Guidelines from Google for webmasters:
How do press releases fit in?
Earned Media(Journalists,Bloggers, Social Mentions)
Owned Media (Your web site, blog, & other channels)
Press Release
Press release tactics that matter now.
• Focus. One key theme per message, please. • Writing for the audience. It’s about what they want to
hear, not what the brand wants to say. • Encouraging quality interaction.
– Getting reader attention– Getting them to read– Encouraging them to share – Smart linking
• Drive discovery. Make getting your message into the hands (or consciousnesses or news feeds) of connected & relevant enthusiasts & professionals a priority.
What? No optimize-y, tech-y stuff?
X
FOCUSClear & focused messages are more effective.
Focus. Press releases should focus on a central theme.
Unfocused content leads to:
Keyword confusion
Conflicting calls to action
Long and wandering content
Reader drop-off
Zero social shares
Ineffectiveness.
Wasted resource
Risk of search engine penalty
A dummy version of a real release with too many stories
It starts off talking about an event.
Now we’re on to wooden furniture and renewable materials…. And furnaces, automation, entertainment and storage systems.
This snippet touts the benefits of wooden furniture in terms of flexibility in décor.
Company history and heritage, preservation of resources in manufacturing.
Discussion of environmentally friendly finishes and emissions in the home .
Wrapping up with a paragraph about a home storage product.
WRITING FOR THE AUDIENCE
Frame the brand message within the context of the audience’s needs and interests.
Writing for the audience.
No reads =
No shares
No visibility
No results.
Nada. Zip. Zero.
Make the headline & lead about the story the audience wants to read, not what the brand wants to tell.
Put the audience first. Literally.• Highlight the aspect of the announcement that is important to readers:
– The problem the new product solves– The opportunity the new app lets people capture – The time saved or efficiency gained by the new service
PRODUCTEEV BY JIVE BRINGS SOCIAL TASK MANAGEMENT TO BUSINESSES & TEAMS OF ALL TYPES & SIZES – FOR FREE
New App Spans Devices To Transform The Way Work Gets Done Across Networks
“Social Task Management” is a search phrase.
“Free” is very compelling!
The whole headline is short (105 characters) & the key phrase is within the first 65
characters
Subhead adds important detail – it works across devices.
Bonus: After the first paragraph, Jive embedded a link offering direct access to
the free download.
Another good headline
Short headline, features a buzzword
& unconventional POV
Reference to data by using digits
instantly communicates
credibility
Common elements of these great headlines
• The headlines appeal directly to the audience
• They are about things the audience cares about, not the issuers’ businesses.
• Both are short, within the 80-110 character ‘sweet spot’
• Both include recognizable terms/buzzwords
• Subheads add detail and perspective, and the focus remains on the audience.
ENCOURAGE INTERACTION
Make it easy for your readers to scan, tweet, share, like, +1 and otherwise share your content with their friends and peers.
Encourage Interaction: Plain Text is Boring!
• Images catch the eye (and the search engine algorithm.)
• Social buttons engage and encourage sharing.
• Bulleted lists, bold subheads hold the attention of people who are scanning the page
• Links provide distinct calls to action • Create a pathway for
different potential audiences. • For media• For prospects • For enthusiasts
LINKS ARE FOR READERS, NOT SEARCH ENGINES
Use embedded links to provide calls to action or easy access to more information for your readers.
Link from relevant natural phrases, not exact keywords.
NO!
Source: http://explicitly.me/long-tail-link-building
Examples of linking from relevant phrases.
Source: http://explicitly.me/long-tail-link-building
Some other linking tips:
• Use links to guide readers to the logical next step, not for SEO purposes
• Use 1 or 2 anchor text links per story.
• Don’t link to a URL more than once. Repetition = spam, not emphasis.
• Don’t link to the home page. Create a deep link to a relevant product page.
• Provide the full URL for one really important page (e.g. the landing page to which you want to direct readers) within the release. Some sites don’t render anchor links, so this will ensure readers still know where to go for more information.
Too many links!
DRIVE MESSAGE DISCOVERYThink in terms of getting your message to more of the right people.
Driving Message Discovery
Distribute your content.
• Syndication increases footprint. More people will see your message.
• Social reaches relevant audiences
Result: More high-value
user behavior that search
engines notice & more
valuable earned media.
PRNewswire.com
BlogsPRN Widget
NationalNews Sites
Local News Affiliate
Sites
Portals & Databases
Trade News Sites
Mobile AppPartnerships
MobilizedWebsites
Your Website
MediaRoom
Video Portals
MultimediaRelease
PRN Mobile Site & App
Earned Search Results
PR Newswire for Journalists
Media Outlet News Feeds“The Wire”
TwitterSocialPost
EmailMicrolists /Media Lists
Driving discovery: Employ multimedia
• Visuals have their own distribution networks
• Visuals draw eyeballs• Algorithms value
visuals • Better results accrue
Summary: 4 Keys to Building Online Visibility:
Content quality is the priority. • Focus the message. • Create content for the
audience. • Encourage interaction. • Drive discovery.
Thank you!
Sarah Skerik
Vice president of content marketing,
PR Newswire• @sarahskerik • Linkedin.com/in/sarahskerik
Stay up to the minute with our
advice for content discovery best
practices: http://blog.prnewswire.com/tag/seo/