SEO, or search engine optimization, is the process of increasing the visibility of a website, and as a result, an increase in the possibility that someone will click on the website. SEO, however, only applies to the results of unpaid efforts like keywords and the site load speed. Paid efforts, such as advertisements and PPC (pay-per-click), are considered SEM, or search engine marketing.
The most popular examples of SEO are keyword optimization and increasing the technicality of websites, but those aren’t the only ways. Press releases are another way. Press releases are the official statement or announcement by a company in regard to an event or accomplishment. This can result in hundreds of media outlets covering a certain story about a company, and through the use of dofollow links, it increases the chances of the company’s keywords and URL links popping up in a search. Dofollow links are links that cause search engine crawlers to crawl them and increase a web page’s quality rank. This, however, has since been banned by Google, and nowadays media outlets that cover press releases use nofollow links, which are links that tell a search engine to ignore that link and therefore don’t impact search engine rankings.
Although Google has started to penalize sites that use dofollow links, that doesn’t mean press releases have become irrelevant. Press releases are still able to quickly attract the attention of many journalists and media outlets. This is especially useful if other tools of SEO are not working. Press releases are also able to create backlinks (think of these as referrals) that can increase a website’s rank on Google. Quality backlinks from credible and trustworthy websites help people become more confident in your website and won’t result in any penalties from Google.
Be careful, however, of spamming. With the increase of technology and media outlets, editors and journalists have been forced to filter out unimportant or irrelevant press releases. The trick here isn’t to pump out a large number of press releases. It is to produce high-quality press releases that attract the attention of media outlets. Here are some tips on making an effective press release.
The first step is to have interesting and relevant news. Nobody will pay attention to your press release if it is about news from a month ago or if it is a generic announcement. The news has to evoke an emotion within readers – be it excitement, passion, or empathy.
The second step is to create a catchy headline or title. Know what keywords people search for, and use those keywords in your headline or title. Make sure that it’s concise and straight to the point, but at the same time still present some mystery behind the press release.
The third step is the press release itself. The first 250-or-so words, or the first paragraph, is the most crucial, so make sure it is short and to the point, but at the same time high quality. Define technical terms, include keywords, and be clear about all the details.
The next step is where spamming happens – or, in this case, doesn’t happen. While trying to have the most coverage might be appealing, this is the downfall of many press releases. Don’t distribute your press release to any media outlet – most will filter your press release and send it the spam section. Try to only distribute your press release to relevant places.
The final step is to wait and monitor results. It takes a while for SEO tools to take effect, and the same can be said for press releases. Distributing the press release is not the final step. After it is distributed to media outlets, a company must wait until a media outlet decides to cover the press release. After that, an editor or journalist has to write up a news article with regard to the press release. It is only after coverage about a press release is published that results can finally be tracked.
Although Google has banned and implemented penalties for using dofollow links, press releases are still extremely effective in SEO. Companies just have to find that fine line between utilizing quality backlinks and nofollow links, and if done correctly, press releases can bring about incremental increases in search engine rankings and SEO.