Three Quick SEO Tips to Improve Press Release Visibility

In 2011, integrating well-planned search engine optimization (SEO) into news releases will continue to be critical in ensuring your press release impacts not only media relations efforts, but also becomes a high-impact tactic to boost website traffic.

Today’s top marketers understand that the connection between SEO and public relations is the key to game-changing internet marketing strategies. But SEO isn’t just for marketers -- it’s of great benefit to small business owners as well.

While it may seem daunting to jump into the foray of keywords, content and link building, utilizing effective online techniques is easier than it may seem and can be leveraged by even the smallest of businesses.  By using these 3 quick SEO tips, you can immediately improve your press release visibility:

1. Find the BEST keywords. Keywords are the terms your target audience uses when searching for information/products/services online.

For example, if you are in the real estate business in Atlanta the keywords you should consider using might include: Atlanta Homes for Sale, X neighborhood houses for sale, Atlanta Realtors.

The terms are dependent on what you want to be found for, but you should also understand the sophistication of your audience and their Internet habits as that can influence the keywords you select.

The skill is first thinking like your audience and generating a list of phrases they are likely using. Then, double check your hypothesis with a free keyword tool such as Google’s AdWords tool, which will help you understand which phrases are searched upon most frequently.

Remember that informal words are often most effective because they are part of the language of the target audience. Avoid getting caught up in industry jargon, product or service names and industry acronyms which may not be how the audience will search online.

2. Build priority keywords and anchor text into every press release. After identifying which 1-2 phrases your press release needs to have to become visible online, integrate the keyword phrase in the headline, sub-head and lead sentence.

In addition, the keyword phrase in the first paragraph should be hyperlinked to a relevant page on your Web site.

Additional opportunities that exist for optimization include the ‘About’ section/boilerplate of the press release. This copy is a great place to include additional keyword phrases and an additional hyperlink back to the Website.

3. Leverage Press Release Content on your Website. After dedicating time and resources to drafting press releases, be sure to use the content to its fullest potential.

Post the press release to a News Area or Newsroom on your Website, which will create an additional page the search engines can crawl, index and perhaps show in search engine results.

When creating the new page, don’t forget to leverage the same target keyword phrases in the Title Tag of the Web page.

With these 3 Press Release SEO Tips, you can boost your press release results, understand keyword phrases and integrate them into the copy.  

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