Press Release Optimization for Search Engines

Business leaders know the importance of press releases in promoting a company’s services, products and noteworthy announcements. Beyond just getting a press release written, however, is getting the news seen and noticed by its target audience.

Today, press releases provide a large volume of content to search engines and can rank highly in Google, Yahoo and Bing. Studies have shown that journalists and consumers are searching for and reading online press releases for story ideas and background information. This underlines the importance of optimizing your release so that it is easier to find for your audience and so that it can act as a tool to attract and direct traffic to your website.

Here are some tips to help optimize your next press release:

  • Research and choose appropriate keyword phrases
  • Add these keyword phrases (so that they read naturally) to your press release title, sub heading and throughout the body copy
  • Use keyword phrases in links to landing pages or other company website pages instead of phrases like  “Click Here.”
  • Include different media with your release (images, video, audio)
  • Provide your release in multiple formats (text, MS Word, PDF, HTML)
  • In addition to posting your release to your company website (PR/News section), distribute it  through newswire services like PRWebPRNewswire and/or Business Wire
  • Write a blog about the news and include a link
  • Tweet about the release and include a condensed link via TinyURL.com or Bit.ly