Two decades ago, if you’ve told anyone just how much the internet would change the ways we do everything in life, they would have been skeptical. But alas, here we are. The internet is changing our lives in many different ways. And one of the most astonishing changes you can see today is in how customers and businesses interact with each other. Marketing has gone digital, including press release distribution.
These days, a marketing tool can serve more than one purpose. Because of the emergence of Search Engine Optimization techniques, your press release can be used to increase your site’s search engine ranking – driving substantial traffic and eventually, direct sales towards your business. But how exactly does a press release help SEO ranking? Let’s find out.
How Press Release Distribution Works
Before discussing how a press release distribution can affect search index rankings, let’s talk about the fundamentals of a press release. In a nutshell, a press release is a brief piece of content that relays specific and significant news or event pertaining to a business or organization. This press release is distributed online and through newswires for promotion. An online press release distribution publishes a statement on websites, news outlets, and social media.
How Does SEO Come In The Picture?
In the internet, content is king. Literally, everything you see on the internet is a piece of content. In Search Engine Optimization, having high-quality and high-authority content is a significant factor when sites like Google and Bing index websites for search index rankings.
Since you’re now able to publish your press release online as published content, optimizing them for search engines is only a practical course of action. So to answer your question – yes, a press release can affect your SEO ranking, but only if you practice legitimate SEO techniques.
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How to Optimize A Press Release
Here are some useful tips on how to optimize a press release for SEO ranking.
1. Your copy should be fresh, relevant, and news-worthy.
The importance of high quality content in SEO couldn’t be more reiterated. SEO can get you traffic and views from your target audience. But real content gets you the customer engagement you really want. Content is how you lure your customers with. It’s what makes them buy your product.
Additionally, search engines place more weight on quality content and backlinks. So if you really want to make your press release as effective as possible, writing a great copy should be your top priority.
2. Choose the best keywords to target.
If you’ve already optimized your business website, then you must already have your own target keywords. You can focus on these keywords when writing a press release. But don’t make the mistake of putting it just about anywhere and everywhere. Place them strategically throughout the press release.
If possible, include them in important places such as the headline, subtitle and a couple of times in the copy’s body. Make sure these placements are relevant and will not jeopardize the readability of the copy.
3. Incorporate keyword-rich links.
Link building is another fundamental SEO technique, and you can do this on your press releases too. By placing some keyword-rich links in your copy, you can improve your site’s SEO ranking. Just ensure that the links you choose actually have a purpose and are relevant to your news story. If you put spammy and irrelevant links, you risk getting penalized by search engines instead.
4. Pick a great headline.
Another critical factor when it comes to having a successful SEO strategy is the headline. It’s the first thing your readers will see, which means it has to attract attention and has a high potential of being shared. Your headline should be concise, straightforward, and uses a natural and easy language. It should immediately deliver your news but still retain a little mystery to arouse reader curiosity.
5. Include a convincing Call-to-Action
This is something a lot of business owners tend to forget. But it is a simple yet powerful way to create an effective press release campaign while increasing your site’s SEO. If you already have a newsworthy press release, why not capitalize on it and provide a way for your readers to follow-up on the news?
Including a convincing and straightforward call-to-action phrase can drive additional traffic to your site and could even potentially turn into sales. Place a hyperlink on a good phrase (preferably one that contains your keyword) and point your readers towards your product or service page. You can even offer a free trial or free sample.
Conclusion
If done with Google-approved SEO methods, a press release campaign can increase your site’s SEO in a significant way. By using the simple steps we’ve shown above, you can use your press release distribution not only for added promotion and brand awareness but for online visibility as well. It’s a win-win situation you should really consider doing.