Search Engine Optimization and the Press Release

1. Search Engine Optimizationand thePress Release

2. Agenda • SEO basics • How press releases are optimized • Front end (what you do) • Back end (what we do) • What to expect • Measurement

3. Search Engines exist to return relevant results to searchers Search engine spider (bot or crawler) • Visits Web page, reads it, and crawls links to other pages within the website • Indexes Web pages -Everything the spider finds is saved in the search engine’s index • Algorithmic categorization - Sorts through the Index and returns results based on mathematical calculations home equity loan

4. News vs Natural Search • News search • Immediate effect • Exposure on Google News, Yahoo News etc. • Easy. • Quantified in PR Newswire Access Reports. • Natural search • Results accumulate over time • Results driven by individual internet searchers – unique individual behavior. • Difficult! • Quantified in PR Newswire SEO reports.

6. How press releases (and other content, for that matter) are optimized

7. Front-End Optimization: Use well researched keywords (not jargon) Construct your release with search engines in mind Keyword density Utilize anchor text, etc. Back-End Optimization: Format your release for search engines (underlying HTML) Host release on search engine friendly site Provide useful and actionable measurement and reporting How Press Releases are optimized:

8. Front End Optimization: Keywords

9. Keywords: Mind the competition Using more focused phrases can connect you with people who are looking for exactly what you’re promoting … without all the competition

10. Finding the ‘right’ keywords • Talk to your web team • Look at your web site – and competitor sites • Use free online tools • www.google.com/trends • http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com/ … And “google” your selections (and colloquial derivatives, like RV vs ‘recreational vehicle’) to ensure that you’re lining your message up with relevant content.

11. Front End Optimization: Constructing your Press Release Tip: “Up and to the left!” • Write a succinct headline (60-80 characters) and use your most important keyword towards the beginning. • Repeat the keywords in the sub-head and/or the lead, and throughout the body copy. • Focus on relevance. • Use anchor text, but also include full URLs (http://thewholeURL.com) within your text. (Not all sites render anchor text, so you need to provide readers with a next step.) • Utilize a keyword density analyzer, to ensure your release is relevant for your keywords.

13. Place keywords or phrases here to check for proper word density for search engine optimization of a release. Copy and Paste Release Here

14. Checking keyword density

15. Case Study Vermont Teddy Bear Co. December 4, 2007 “PajamaGram” release

16. Two and a half months later, the press release is still in the top 10 search results

18. Checking Keyword Density

19. Checking keyword density

20. How PR Newswire optimizes press releases (back end optimization)

22. Extracted keywords

23. Headline Lead

24. Headline Sub-head Full release text

25. Measuring the Results Push vs Pull SEO results reveal: • Whether or not you connected with your audience. • If your audiences is searching for the terms you use in your communications (you need to know this either way) • If your audiences find your message interesting.

29. This company is connected with their audience • Almost half of all views generated from one key phrase • High click through % among top terms

30. To wrap it up Good public relations SEO depends on relevance: • The relevance of the keywords you select • The relevance of your press release for those keywords It’s a different kind of communication & engagement: • SEO is an opportunity to connect with your audience, to bring them to your message.

31. Q&A Need more info? E-mail us at client.services@prnewswire.com