Sending out a press release has been a search engine optimization tactic since day one. Good press releases can help you gain exposure and increase your visibility online and we are big fans of syndicating content on other websites.
Your website caters to 2 specific audiences: search engines and users. Submitting press releases will get your more links from third party websites and increase your exposure to a broader set of people.
Optimize Your Press Release
Press releases help users find your content and provide excellent third party verification of your business. Press releases also help your ranking in the search engines if there are links in the PR piece back to your site.
A press release optimized for search engines will be 500-1500 words, have 1 primary keyword repeated 2-5 times per paragraph, and links back to your website. When creating press releases it is good to be as specific as possible and only try to optimize for one product release or company event.
Adding the press release copy to the description tag of a youtube video, and then submitting a video press release can produce nearly instantaneous rankings for semi competitive keywords. Youtube videos can get a substantial ranking boost when used in combination of a top tier press release package.
If you try to introduce too many topics and force multiple keyword phrases the piece will be diluted and will likely not rank for anything, thus giving you no direct traffic boost.
Good Press Release Topics
- A new product or service
- Announcing a new branch/ subdivision of a business
- Announcing a partnership
- Announcing a restructuring of the company/organization
- Announcing that an individual in your business has been named to serve in a leadership position in a community, professional or charitable organization
- Announcing that you’re available to speak on particular subjects of interest
- Announcing that you’ve reached a major milestone
- Announcing the results of research or surveys you have conducted
- Business Ownership changes
- Celebrating an anniversary
- Changing the company or product name
- Changing the structure of a company
- Contributing to charity
- Earning recognition of the company, product or executives by a publication
- Establishing a unique vendor agreement
- Expanding or renovating your business
- Forming a new strategic partnership or alliance
- Helpful information (on a newsworthy topic- more about this in Part 3)
- Introducing a new product
- Introducing a unique strategy/approach
- Introducing new employees
- Issuing a statement of position regarding a local, regional or national issue
- Launching and/or expansion of a website
- Laws, rules, etc. taking affect on the business
- Making public statements on future business trends or conditions
- Management changes
- Meeting some kind of unusual challenge or rising above adversity
- New charitable partnership
- New direction of company/business
- New laws that affect the business/Industry
- New management
- New or free information available
- New Programs
- Obtaining a significant customer
- Offering an article series for publishing
- Opening up branch or satellite offices
- Participating in a philanthropic event
- Public appearance in person, on radio, television, or online
- Reaction to new developments, laws, etc.
- Receiving an appointment
- Receiving an award
- Relocation
- Renaming a business
- Restructuring your business or its business model
- Setting up a customer advisory group
- Sponsoring a seminar or workshop
- Starting a new business division
- Using new technology
Useful online tools to distribute press releases and article content online
Press Release Submissions – Featuring over 23 sites that will distribute your company news and syndicate your press releases.
PRweb.com – this is the largest and most respected PR firm online, we have exclusive coupons for PRweb
24-7Pressrelease.com – free press release submission with $49 upgrade
1888Pressrelease – Relatively new press release syndication site
Prnewswire.com – long standing old school press release distributor
PR.com – submit free press releases
Massmediadistribution.com – They charge $199 for Local Area Distribution, $299 for Nationwide Distribution, and $399 for Worldwide Distribution. This is significantly more expensive than the other options and I would be interested to know if anyone has found this company useful.
