Press Releases and Search Engine Benefits
By Gerard McGarry on 19th January 2007, filed in Search Engine Optimisation. You can leave a response below. Tags: Press Releases, SEO, Website Marketing
Savvy bloggers use press releases as a method of getting exposure for their blogs in the mainstream media.
We’ve used it recently with our website and had good coverage with local press and media. In fact, word has it that the BBC spotted Lisa on a rival channel and tried frantically to get in touch, even ringing people with the same surname in Crumlin! We must’ve forgotten to send them the press release!
Aaron Shear, who I’ve been reading for the last few weeks has some useful pointers if you’re considering press releases as a marketing strategy for your blog.
Firstly, Aaron recommends using an internet wire service, presumably PR Leap or PR Web. This is your best bet anyway, although we’re trying to amass a database of relevant journalists and publications that we can contact directly also.
Another important point is to include hyperlinks in the document to specific pages in your site. You should also target the link text for appropriate keywords, because if your release is used, you will receive very well targetted backlinks!
Probably the strongest suggestion Aaron puts forward is to publish press releases on your website. This is an approach I hadn’t considered before, but it would be useful to have an archive of press releases available for journalists to look back at prior developments.
With our TV blog, I try to write a thought-provoking piece on a topical show (say the recent race controversy in Celebrity Big Brother) or perhaps start a campaign to support a particular contestant. I’ll then create a press release linking to that piece and stating our opinions.
The most important thing – if you’re going to use press releases frequently – is to document the process: publishing a newsworthy piece (in my case), writing an interesting press release and then releasing it. You’ll be sending to targetted people as well as general services like PR Leap, so get a spreadsheet or database of contacts and use this every time. Add to it as other sources come up.
By documenting the process, you’ll be able to carry out a press release campaign with military precision every time.
