How to Make a Splash
Online
Perhaps no industry has been changed more dramatically by the Internet
than the news media and, by extension, public relations. The news
delivery process, once disseminated through defined channels, has
evolved into a frenzied stream of information that flows through
websites, blogs (web logs), online conferences, chat rooms and message
boards.
Reaching the web-surfing consumer has become a priority for Fortune
500 firms and small businesses alike. The best way to make your
business stand out on the web is to engage in what is known as Search
Engine Optimization (SEO), which has become an essential component
of the marketing mix and helps your client material or press release
appear at the top of Internet search listings pertinent to your
industry.
Approximately 98% of journalists go online daily to generate story
ideas and access information, according to a recent survey by Middleberg/Ross.
A 2004 Harris Poll revealed that eighty percent of adults say that
they have used the Internet to read some kind of news in the last
seven days.
“To reach your target audience on the web, a blend of search
engine marketing techniques with traditional PR tools offers an
unprecedented opportunity to build a company’s image and maximize
visibility,” said Bill Parkhurst, President of Parkhurst Communications
in New York, NY and author of How to Get Publicity (HarperBusiness).
Optimizing websites and press releases generates web traffic, leads,
and invaluable publicity that can translate into increased sales.
PR professionals can tap the same techniques used by search engine
marketers to influence online results and ensure that the right
message is being delivered to the right audience.
Achieving consistently high rankings in search engine results requires
persistence. Placement of the final results are based on criteria
controlled by the respective search engine. According to Joanna
Cali, President of Calico Systems Inc., North Salem, NY, a web-design
firm that specializes in SEO, “The benefits of optimization
aren’t realized overnight. Although we usually see results
in Yahoo relatively quickly, it can take many additional months
for Google to acknowledge the work. But patience and persistence
can pay off big time, with natural search engine rankings accounting
for over 90% of sales or lead generation on some sites over time.”
SEO involves two components - - “on site” (changes
to the website itself) and “off site” (i.e., online
news articles about the Company). Writing “searchable”
websites is an established practice; the new trend is writing effective
press releases that will make a big splash on the Internet.
Here are some basic tips to make a press release more searchable
and improve your rankings on search engine results:
1. Optimize your company website. Seek a professional
search engine optimizer who will help your website appear at the
top of the list of websites during a search around your targeted
terms.
2. Conduct keyword research to identify relevant
search terms or phrases. Use them in the headline and in several
places throughout your release. Substitute these terms for the words
“it,” “its” or “their.”
3. Provide a link from a news release to a relevant page
on the Company website. Embed a complete link in your release (http://www.yourdomainname.com
instead of yourdomainname.com).
4. Send the press release through PR Web’s
(www.prweb.com)
database of more than 65,000 media outlets.
5. Distribute the release through wire services
such as BusinessWire or PR Newswire. This is costly but often yields
pages of Google results.
6. Send the press release directly to Yahoo News, Google
News, AOL News, and other Internet media outlets.
7. Focus on the search engines that generate the most “referral”
traffic. To get content in, email the appropriate editor
of your topic.
8. Post items to newsgroups. Treat this process
like a press release and put keywords in your subject line and in
the message you post. Word of caution: Do not randomly post items
to newsgroups, as this is considered “spamming” and
will generate negative responses. Be careful to only post items
to newsgroups that would genuinely benefit from your information.
9. Take advantage of paid search opportunities,
including paid inclusion and pay-per-click advertising, particularly
with breaking news or a timely topic.
10. Monitor optimization’s effects and measure your
promotion’s results, including the number of leads
from Google, Yahoo and other major search engines and the number
of qualified prospects who join an email list.
It is important to remember that SEO is not a magic bullet and
that all Internet strategies should be reinforced by tried and true
PR practices. “The fundamentals of publicity are always the
same: Know your media, know your target audience, and ensure that
your content is as compelling as it can be,” said Parkhurst.
There is no substitute for personal contact with the media. After
all, PR is about building and maintaining relationships. |
