Although press releases are more often than not associated with public relations, they are also often used as a tool for SEO experts. Many journalists and public professionals will argue that the press release is dead, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t still circulate. For internet marketing and SEO reasons, the press release is very much alive.
Press releases are a way to increase exposure for your business, and are usually written based on news developments. The idea and distribution of press releases has shifted over to the internet. There are hundreds of distribution services that offer plans and packages to suit your needs. In terms of SEO, press releases are used to help linking building efforts. There are free and paid distribution services and both offer pros and cons, so be sure to research before you get involved.
Once you do some research to find the right distribution service for you, be sure to take advantage of the ways these services can help your link building efforts. Here are just a few ways press releases help SEO:
- Branding your business online is important and writing press releases can help do just that. If written well, press releases can add credibility to your business.
- Be sure to include relevant SEO friendly keywords in your press release copy so once the release hits the search engines, they can identify what it’s about.
- Well written, well distributed press releases can appear high in search engines, especially if you’re distributing through a high PageRank website.
- If you use a high PageRank website to distribute your press releases, this can help build your backlinks. These types of sites are authoritative and offer high PR links, so use that to your full advantage.
- Be sure to distribute your press releases to relevant industries. Quality traffic is important, so sharing your information with relevant people will bring potential business.
These notes are important to keep in mind when writing and distributing press releases. SEO experts often use press releases for their linking efforts, but the downside to these services is that there is no guarantee your press release will be successful. Be sure to use newsworthy topics, keywords, and tailor your press release for your audience as well as your needs. There is a lot of competition for prominent space on high PR sites, so constant effort is important if you’re going to pursue this avenue for SEO purposes.