My first job out of college was working as an intern at a public relations agency in Seattle. I learned all the fundamentals of PR, including stapling, copying and faxing (email was just starting to become popular). For nearly two years, I honed my skills as a PR flack, before jumping on the Internet bandwagon. Since then, I?ve leveraged my PR knowledge to improve search engine marketing service offerings. The following article outlines the three fundamental elements of a successful search engine optimization (SEO) PR strategy. News Room Development I learned early in my Internet marketing career that an online News Room is the foundational element of any successful SEO PR efforts, let alone traditional PR activities. A good News Room is not only a resource for press and analysts, it?s a popular area for customers and partners. As such, a good News Room contains the following content and functionality:
- Archive of optimized press releases
- Links to press coverage (or reprints if article is not available online)
- Event listings (where your company will be attending, exhibiting or speaking)
- Corporate backgrounder or fact sheet
- Information on community outreach programs or activities
- Awards & recognition (industry or community)
- Links to management biographies (these may reside in another section of your site)
- Image library (including pictures of product, packaging and executive management)
- Investor relations section (if public, of course)
- Interactive content (podcasts or Webcasts)
- Press release distribution options (RSS feed and/or email signup) There are many good examples of companies that understand the value of a News Room. Two Anvil clients that have done an especially good job include PolyServe. Press Release Optimization and Distribution Once the News Room is built, its time to create optimized content. The most valuable SEO PR element of any News Room is the press release. Traditionally, wire services like wire service, additional distribution options include email distribution to an opt-in press list, mention in the corporate newsletter, automated RSS feeds and submission to industry and local publications and portal sites. Syndicating Articles and Coverage Creating and distributing press releases can be a powerful tool in generating awareness (and sales), yet it is only one SEO PR strategy. Another important element of an effective SEO PR campaign includes syndication of articles and coverage. If your PR efforts are successful in garnering coverage from local or trade press, you?re only halfway done. Make sure a link to the coverage is posted in the News Room and that the article URL is submitted to search engines for additional pickup. For less-favorable coverage, consider posting a comment, where appropriate, to offer your perspective on the coverage as a company representative. For more information on this topic, read article syndication sites. Beyond building visibility and credibility within your industry, additional benefit of syndicating articles include additional visibility in search engines (for target search phrases, author and company name). Many of the distribution outlets incorporate RSS and email distribution that further enhances pickup in industry sites and search engines. Following the SEO PR strategies outlined above will ensure your traditional public relations efforts generate a meaningful ROI. Tag: Add to Del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit | Furl Bookmark Murdok: Kent Lewis is President of Portland State University and received
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