Fundamentals of SEO for PR

Here's an excellent free resource for PR people everywhere: a 3-part series on optimizing your press releases for the web (SEO = Search Engine Optimization).

I recommend you read the 3 parts in their entirety. But here are a few nuggets of wisdom:

• Identify the crucial descriptive keywords for your release. Use these terms to craft a solid, compelling headline and first paragraph for certain. Think like a searcher, not like a brand manager. Avoid jargon and "it" and use a descriptive keyword instead. Include a beefy quote (why this news is important), not just by the company spokesmen. Industry analyst (or pundit) and customer comments are far more powerful and validate the value of your news announcement.


• Use keywords sparingly (within title of the release and 1st paragraph especially; 3x max). Unless the proper name of your product or service is already well-known, emphasize a common description rather than its name, e.g. write "proposal writing software" rather than "PropWritePro.”  If there are too many keywords/topics for one release, then write multiple versions for your target audiences.


• Include the “http://” in any URLs you write. For very long URLs, consider using a URL replacement solution like TinyURL.com.  This helps with emailed releases, (though it’s not helpful for SEO because you loose the direct link). 

Thanks to Web Ad.vantage for posting these articles.