The Power of the Press Release – Going Beyond Promotion to Integrate SEO

When you think about the meaning of a press release, what comes to mind? Well for one, that word “press” certainly stands out—insisting that the content will be used to garner media attention and positively promote your agency. But with the constant evolution of the Internet, press releases have changed—and so have their purpose.

Modern press releases force the writer to go beyond just pitching the story. With the birth of the e-Release and digital content, press releases are no longer the bait used to hook a reporter, but now present an opportunity in which the writer can develop genuine, relevant, keyword-rich content which can directly affect their Search Engine Optimization (SEO) efforts.

When implementing a press release strategy you have to first understand what actually makes a good press release. A successfully optimized release can only be crafted from timely, highly-valuable news. Not only is the content a tool in which you can highlight and promote your agency, but it also acts as a resource for your clients—so making sure that the information you provide is not only interesting, but also informative, is crucial. Keep in mind you are going beyond just marketing your content and ideas to media outlets, you now are directly pitching to the consumer. Strive to create content that your clients and prospects not only want to read, but content they also want to share.

Once you have a great topic you need to start putting the pieces together. Since your release should be informative and intriguing, determine which of your keywords would work best—and make sense. If you are writing a release about a certain insurance product, naturally you will want to incorporate your product-specific keywords into the text. If your content is a bit broader or is more focused on your agency culture (perhaps a new CSR was hired, your company is expanding, etc.) consider using more general keywords; something along the lines of “California insurance agency”, “New York insurance”, and so on. But, like any good piece of content you should begin by just writing. Don’t get bogged down on this new idea of integrating your keywords, just let your words flow—you’ll be surprised how naturally some key phrases or terms will appear within your text, when you weren’t even trying.

When it’s time to really focus in on optimization there are 4 key places you should attempt to integrate your keyword:

Headline
Summary
Lead Sentence
Closing Sentence / Paragraph

Working your keyword into all of these areas of your content may seem like a daunting task, but before you shy away, remind yourself that these are simply best practices. Never “stuff” or force keywords into your press release, if it doesn’t fit or sound natural in a suggested area, move on and continue writing. Below is an example which highlights how you can begin to integrate your keyword(s) into your Headline and Lead Sentence:

It’s important to also note that not every keyword or agency reference needs to be linked. You want to aim for keyword density when crafting your release. Keyword density applies to how many times the keyword is used naturally and genuinely throughout the content; meaning you may have it linked in the first sentence then mentioned an additional 4-5 times throughout your text. A common best practice for any type of content is to only link a keyword every 100-150 words; this helps you avoid looking spammy.

There are many other ways you can strengthen your press release efforts, and ensure that you are creating the most effective content. From the overall structure of the release to your voice and tone, here are some additional tips and tricks that should lead you to PR success:

3^rd Person Tone – always, and I mean always, write from the outside looking in. Avoid using “I”, “we”, and “us” whenever possible; it helps you to avoid looking overly promotional.

Inverted Pyramid – always include the most relevant, poignant information first. Make it a habit to answer who, what, where, why and how within your first paragraph.

Quotes – and statistics also add that extra pizzazz that hooks a reader, keeps them interested as well as allows you to showcase your agency’s credibility and expertise.

So what’s the point of all this? SEO-inspired press releases really are a win-win. Not only are e-Releases easy to get published online – thus allowing you to reach out to media outlets and gain publicity – but they also provide the writer with the unique ability to control how and where your keywords are used. When you pitch a traditional press release to a reporter, they most often take liberties with it; molding it to fit their personal broadcast or article. With the e-Release, posting to sites like PRWeb allow you to manage exactly how your content appears, where your keywords are placed and better yet where your optimized links go.