Online Press Release Optimization Tips

What is online press release optimization? It primarily involves writing a press release in a special way, to make it more discoverable on search engines. What’s the benefit? Greater visibility for your press release. This, of course, leads to more click-throughs to your website – which generally can result in more sales leads and conversions.

Here’s an overview of online press release optimization. Use these steps to create an SEO press release with the power to propel your website and business further out front:

• As a best practice, shoot for 500 or more words – up to 1,000 words. This allows you ample space to work in plenty of keywords, yet have your copy sound natural to the reader.

• Identify one or two choice keyword phrases. For keyword research, use Google’s free Keyword Tool if you don’t have access to a premium keyword software tool, such as Wordtracker. Note how many people typically search each month for the terms that are relevant to your business, services or products. Try to pick phrases that many people are searching, but perhaps not the most competitive terms.

• Use the keyword phrase(s) in the title, sub-headings, and multiple times in the body of the press release. Make your title five to eight words long. In the body, repeated (but logical) use of your keywords tells the search engine robots what your press release is about, and signals the amount of authority you’re bringing to the subject. As a general rule, if your press release is 500 words, you might use each keyword 6 to 8 times.

• Add links using your keywords, paying particular attention to the first 200 words of your press release, and your last paragraph. Create a few links using your keywords. The (key) words you use in your links send another strong signal to the search engines. Called “anchor text,” a link that’s simply your keyword phrase gives your SEO press release additional punch in the effort of making your site more discoverable. (Be sure to include the http:// portion of your URL when setting up your link, or won’t be clickable.)

• Decide whether you’ll use a free of paid distribution service. If you can afford it, use a paid distribution service. They’ll get your press release quickly indexed on Google, Bing, Yahoo! and other search engines. With the paid sites, you can more freely incorporate company videos and other engaging imagery. You can do a bit more anchor text linking, too. Last but not least, most paid press release distribution sites have a huge network of niche subscribers (e.g., journalists, bloggers, and influencers) who’ll automatically receive your SEO press release.  You get almost none of these important benefits with the free press release distribution sites. You’ll get some backlinks leading to your site, which is always nice. However, you won’t likely experience any increased traffic, nor will you be easily discovered by the media. Most SEO press releases uploaded to a free distribution site don’t even get indexed by search engines, or if they do, not very well.

• Add media to your SEO press release. What an important online press release optimization tactic! This can make a far greater impression and hold the viewer’s interest longer. Include photos, videos, audio, and PDFs with your SEO press release. Be sure to apply your keywords in the appropriate tags and descriptions you create to explain these media elements. This includes transcriptions, pdf tags, image alt tags for photos, etc.

• Ensure your press release is available in multiple formats to account for individual’s need for a particular media type, say via RSS, ATOM, XML as well as various document types and PDF’s, separate high quality images available for download on your site perhaps.  This all ensures maximum compatibility by allowing access to your content in whatever format your audience prefers.