SEO Tricks That Can Improve Your Next Press Release
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an essential skill when it comes to creating content online that both search engines and humans will love. SEO is also invaluable when it comes to press releases. It helps the release become more searchable and more likely to grab the media’s attention.
SEO basics
Search Engine Optimization (SEO), as the name suggests, is all about optimizing. Each search engine, such as Google, Bing and Yahoo! has its own formula, or algorithm, for what it considers to be relevant to a search being conducted by a user.
There are a number of different factors in the formula, and these factors are weighed in various ways.
For example, Google wants keywords in the title, description and page, and will also favour URLs which have the word in them. Links to the page can also determine page rank on the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).
Several years ago, marketers trying to get more external links pointing to their websites started using press releases as a means to do so, along with article marketing and other forms of publishing on third-party sites. Google caught onto this and adjusted their algorithm accordingly. But while press releases might not be that valuable any longer in terms of linking, keywords and keyphrases are more important than ever.
SEO tricks and tips to improve the results of your next press release
Keywords and keyphrases are words used in relation to your niche or industry that are specific to it and offer clues as to what your page and your website/blog are all about. The words are taken separately, and together in context, to help Google and the other search engines decide if your page is relevant enough to get one of the top spots on the first SERP. Be sure to use at least one keyword in the headline for your press release.
Subheadlines, which are like an introduction to your press release, should also include keywords.
They can help form your listing on Google, with your headline or page title hyperlinked, and your subheader, description, and/or first paragraph of your press release forming the basis of the page description that will go underneath the link.
Google also rewards recency, that is, how long ago the content was published, so the information you put on your blog can actually get to the top of the SERPs very quickly because it is so fresh and new.
Media files can also get you higher visibility. Name them all using keywords. Take the time do names and tag them rather than just leave the name that comes out of your camera, such as 12345.jpg. Tags make the image more searchable and can help your content appear on Google images.
Video is extremely popular on the Internet, with YouTube the number one distribution service sharing site.
Since it’s owned by Google, you can also get SERP listings for your videos if you name them well and write a good keyworded description. Upload your videos to YouTube and then use the embed code in your press release.
Keyworded links are also a good way to optimize your press release. Instead of linking the words “click here,” as many marketers do, use keywords and link them. For example, if you create a free special report about dog training, you could say, “Click here for your free special report on foolproof puppy potty training,” and link the words “puppy potty training,” which is a common search term.
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