reposted from Marketing Profs:
Do you optimize all of your online content? Before you say yes, here's a question: When was the last time a press release received your SEO treatment?
"All communications, including press releases, can be 'tagged' with key words to receive priority placement in organic searches and therefore drive users to your message and content," writes Kimberly Schmitz at the CaliberPulse blog.
And it's not as tricky as you might think: "A press release can be optimized for searches by including key words and phrases and adding relevant links to the text," Schmitz notes. Here's how:
Incorporate keywords. Schmitz suggests placing your keyword once in the headline and three times in the body of your text. If the press release has more than three paragraphs, she also recommends inserting your keyword in a subhead. As with any other keyword placement, it should look natural to human eyes. "Do not use the word or phrase so much that it becomes redundant or clutters the messaging," she advises. "Ensure that key words and phrases are used logically and strategically."
Include relevant links. An online press release must provide links for follow-up, so be sure they're optimized, too. "Use keyword-rich anchor text to link target websites that incorporate non-branded keywords," Schmitz recommends. "For example, it's best not to use 'Caliber Group' as the anchor text for the link to the CaliberGroup.com website. Using 'PR and marketing firm' as the anchor text would offer a more searchable option for the link."
The Po!nt: PR needs optimization, too. Don't forget to optimize your press releases for improved SEO results—but be sure to use a light touch.
Do you optimize all of your online content? Before you say yes, here's a question: When was the last time a press release received your SEO treatment?
"All communications, including press releases, can be 'tagged' with key words to receive priority placement in organic searches and therefore drive users to your message and content," writes Kimberly Schmitz at the CaliberPulse blog.
And it's not as tricky as you might think: "A press release can be optimized for searches by including key words and phrases and adding relevant links to the text," Schmitz notes. Here's how:
Incorporate keywords. Schmitz suggests placing your keyword once in the headline and three times in the body of your text. If the press release has more than three paragraphs, she also recommends inserting your keyword in a subhead. As with any other keyword placement, it should look natural to human eyes. "Do not use the word or phrase so much that it becomes redundant or clutters the messaging," she advises. "Ensure that key words and phrases are used logically and strategically."
Include relevant links. An online press release must provide links for follow-up, so be sure they're optimized, too. "Use keyword-rich anchor text to link target websites that incorporate non-branded keywords," Schmitz recommends. "For example, it's best not to use 'Caliber Group' as the anchor text for the link to the CaliberGroup.com website. Using 'PR and marketing firm' as the anchor text would offer a more searchable option for the link."
The Po!nt: PR needs optimization, too. Don't forget to optimize your press releases for improved SEO results—but be sure to use a light touch.