Successful SEO for Your Business Using Press Releases
Search engine optimization (SEO) has been an extremely important part of your social media marketing strategy. That has been the case for a long time and it is still the case. Your business’s rankings on the search engines are critical to your success. Press releases are a great vehicle to make that happen.
Search engine rankings
Not only is it important for you to establish a high-ranking on the search engines but it is just (if not more) as important for you to maintain a high rank in the search engines. Maintaining a high-ranking will undoubtedly take a great deal of effort, time, and persistence. However, it will be worth every bit of the effort. It is very important to remember that you will have a great deal of competition when it comes to your position in the search engines.
The second you achieve a high ranking, another business (a comparable business) will be waiting in the wings to bump you down from your position in order to take over). The competition is absolutely fierce when it comes to SEO. It is extremely important that you are aware that is the situation so that you can do what you need to do to maintain your search engine ranking. The question that you may be asking is what do you need to do to make sure that your competition does not gain the upper hand (or upper ranking)? There are several different tricks and tools that you can use to make that happen.
Try using press releases
A press release can potentially serve many different purposes. It is not only used as a vehicle to announce new information about someone or something. It can also serve as a wonderful vehicle for SEO. Here are several ways that you can use it for SEO:
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You can include keywords in your press release and people will find you easily.
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You can share your press releases on several different social media channels for ultimate exposure.
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You can include backlinks to targeted pages on your website in the press release.
You may ask yourself, considering how effective press releases can be for successful SEO, why there don’t seem to be too many people using them to increase the success of their business. The first part of the answer is that there are many people with varying degrees of knowledge about online activities; however, there are many people who have no idea that press releases are such an effective tool and that they can really improve your marketing strategy tremendously. The other part of the answer is that there is a preconceived notion on the part of many people that they have no idea about how to write an effective press release. In actuality, it is not nearly as difficult as they may think. It will most likely take less effort on their part than they imagine and once they have mastered writing press releases, they will wonder why they ever hesitated to write them in the first place. When it comes to writing press releases, there are several ways that you can approach it.
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You can take a piece of news that concerns your business and write about it with enthusiasm and excitement.
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You can use a template for press releases and you can find the one that is most appropriate for what you have in mind for your business.
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Remember to integrate your keywords into your press release so that you get the most out of it for SEO.
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You may wish to consider integrating a graphic image into your press release. That will make it even more appealing for your audience.
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Your final step is to share and syndicate your press release so that it get maximum exposure.
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There are several important elements in your press release (no matter which type you choose to write) and you need to make sure that you have incorporated all of them. They are the headline, teaser paragraph, graphic image, backlinks, contact information, and social sharing buttons.
Adding keywords
Keywords are essential for your SEO success. However, it is important to understand the balance and not to insert too many keywords. If you use too many keywords, the search engines will let you know that they don’t accept it. Your keyword use should seem seamless and natural. Two keywords in any given press release is appropriate.
Conclusion
SEO is essential to your business’s success and it must be done correctly and appropriately. There are several different ways in which you can bolster your SEO efforts but using press releases is just one way and you should definitely keep it in your SEO tool repository and pull it out often. It is important to remember that you are writing as a way to connect with other people and that is one way of achieving that. Press releases hold value; however, they are just one tool among many that you need to consider using.
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It’s rare to hear someone talking about using press releases as an SEO tool. I appreciate your tips here, do you have any suggestions of tutorials to learn more about writing press releases? How many press releases do you suggest for a company per month? I’d love a follow-up article about distributing them as well.
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Step Into The Spotlight!
Discussion: Do You Use Press Releases in Your Marketing Strategy?
Press releases should be a staple for any brand wanting to step into the spotlight. Compelling content is important too.
Also, the blogosphere is just as effective as press releases. We do blog editor blasts/releases of articles for clients that often receive just as much coverage as releases. But the great thing about blog articles is that the websites they appear on are very relevant to the topic, hence they’re more likely to reach the intended audience.
And finally, adding celebrities to your releases or articles is always a major boost to how many outlets pick up the release or article.
By Toli Cefail
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Brand & Communications Management
Discussion: Do You Use Press Releases in Your Marketing Strategy?
Thanks for sharing, Carolyn. I regularly write and publish press releases for clients and they are very successful — both in terms of visibility in search results and click-throughs. Although some of the free PR sites are effective, I’ve found that paid sites like PR Newswire work best when it comes to distribution.
By Scott Siders – ContentMarketingProgram.com
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Step Into The Spotlight!
Discussion: Do You Use Press Releases in Your Marketing Strategy?
I routinely send press releases whenever I have something news worthy to report. In Februay, I was invited to present to the American Medical Association on my work with “disruptive physicians”. I sent out a press release regarding this presentation and almost immediately began receiving requests from hospitals to present on the same topic. This permitted me to raise e my fees to $5000 for a 45 minuter presentation.
By George Anderson, MSW, BCD, CEAP
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Small Business Web
Discussion: Do You Use Press Releases in Your Marketing Strategy?
I think Press Releases should be a part of everyone’s marketing mix. Even if you use it just for yourself, to say “it was in….” If you hold events, or a launching a new endeavor, it is worthwhile because it is free –
By Lee Munch
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Small Business Web
Discussion: Do You Use Press Releases in Your Marketing Strategy?
Interesting question, as having worked in the media I would say the only way press releases work is if the editorial team are interested in what you have to say or offer.
I also work for a number of organizations which have used press releases. I was approached by a PR company who explained what I should write and who to send it to – My colleague was already following this advice – and guess what – nothing. Not one news story ever got out there.
By Penny Ling
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Small Business Web
Discussion: Do You Use Press Releases in Your Marketing Strategy?
I agree with Lee Munch that one should incorporate Press Releases from time to time. From the SEO perspective, if your press release gets picked up and published on a number of authority sites then the link back to your website may be an asset. The problem though is that not everyone including myself is good in writing press releases but then they can be outsourced.
By Reuben Oyeyele
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Small Business Web
Discussion: Do You Use Press Releases in Your Marketing Strategy?
I think the way we write press releases needs to change. Much of the time they are an ego stroke, announcing how the company is winning awards, or they are used as an invitation to their event. Really, most press releases I’ve read or boring.
We need to start writing valuable messages that the customer can use to better inform their sales decision. Editors know when they have a good story on their hands, and when they have a bunch of advertising hooey. Press releases should be written with a little more of a journalists mind, and a little less of a salesman’s mind.
By Joel Arndt
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Small Business Web
Discussion: Do You Use Press Releases in Your Marketing Strategy?
Press release sites got hit hard by google updates so less emphasis has been placed in getting links just in case google doesn’t like it tomorrow. We are focusing more on making new items and social networking.
By Tony Hisir
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Small Business Web
Discussion: Do You Use Press Releases in Your Marketing Strategy?
I would have to disagree Neil. Those methods are still relevant, they just have to be utilized in different ways. The problem, as with all advertising, comes when the message becomes more about the business than the prospect. As long as the advertising content is created with the customer in mind first, you can make a fortune off of any method.
For example: Article marketing is only effective if the readers deem the content valuable. You can write as many articles as you want and never be dinged by Google and maintain a pleasant reputation with your customers if your focus is on giving quality content. However, I believe that the campaign would fail if the primary goal became link building.
By Joel Arndt
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Small Business Web
Discussion: Do You Use Press Releases in Your Marketing Strategy?
Press releases, article marketing, directory listings – all over exploited channels that now represent little worth beyond very limited exposure. Sure, you may get some direct traffic and editorial ‘kudos’ but these tactics have past.
By Neil Willis
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Small Business Web
Discussion: Do You Use Press Releases in Your Marketing Strategy?
Dr. Marc, with the RIGHT advertising, you can have a HUGE ROI; it’s all about strategic positioning. You work with video, then you know Google paid over a billion dollars for YouTube to monetize it with ads. Why? Because ads work and that’s why Google is where they are today.
The main idea with my comment earlier is that making statements like: “Press releases or articles is a great way to drive traffic” is known by most to be a REAL loser. It wastes time and money and when giving advice to others, “experts” need to take into consideration that for many businesses starting out or struggling businesses, they don’t have a lot of funds to waste on poor, antiquated advice. Bad marketing advice is the fastest way OUT of business.
Your main website video has 77 views. Most of the other videos on your website have less than 10 views. And your blog posts have only a couple of Facebook shares. Figure out how to make that over a million hits and you’re a rock star and you separate yourself from all the thousands of “Video Boss” type disciples out there.
The Xmas Jammies video in eight days has nearly 12 million hits; that’s effective video and marketing. 🙂
(Too bad they didn’t have a link to sell the actual Jammies as they did a wonderful job of selling them with the video. They could have actually made some money with their endeavor, instead they’re pushing video production IN their jammies and what company would want to be represented in that way? Not many I suspect.)
By Apex Training
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Small Business Web
Discussion: Do You Use Press Releases in Your Marketing Strategy?
Sorry, Apex. But I can’t fully agree with you on this one. The searching public is savvy enough to know the difference between paid ads on Google and organic search results. If you are looking to make a quick sale, then I’m with you. Go for the ad. Be straight up with your audience because you’ve identified that YOUR audience is made up of shoppers.
But… if you’re looking to build relationships, establish your authority within your niche, then advertising becomes the waste of money. Ads don’t establish you as an expert, just as a salesperson. Nothing wrong with that, but let’s be clear that it’s a very different kind of positioning.
So, if you’re looking to position yourself as an expert authority because your audience is not made up of immediate shoppers, then you have to play the long game by building great organic content.
You can STILL go with ads to supplement and buy some traffic if you craft your ads with care. But authority comes from the center column of the page and content is the only way you can claim that space.
By Dr. Marc Kossmann
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Small Business Web
Discussion: Do You Use Press Releases in Your Marketing Strategy?
@Joel Arndt – Apologies, I should have made myself clearer. As a component of SEO effort (link building) these tactics are over. As for article marketing per se I believe that list building via exceptional content (blog) creation creates a far better ROI while simultaneously helping the SEO effort. We removed all article marketing from our mix over 12 months ago.
By Neil Willis
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Small Business Web
Discussion: Do You Use Press Releases in Your Marketing Strategy?
It’s only a waste of time if you’re wasting your prospects time. However, if your prospects are feeding off your content and it’s being used to help prospects into a more comfortable position when buying from you, then you absolutely CAN measure the ROI on articles, blogs, and even social media.
You said it yourself, Apex, it’s about positioning. How are you positioning yourself as a solution to the customer’s needs and how are you positioning the customer to ready them for the next step in your sales process. I completely agree that it is all about strategy, and good, educational content can be used (and measured) in precise, tactical ways.
By Joel Arndt