Press releases tend to rank quickly in organic search and news results. That is, if they are optimized and distributed following established SEO.
With instant publishing and search engines to filter information, individuals can filter and find the news that is useful to them. Publishing effective news releases online requires a three pronged optimization approach that consists of search engine optimization (SEO), conversion optimization and editorial optimization. When all three aspects are balanced, press releases can have a dramatic impact on your online visibility.
Press release Optimization: SEO
In order for news to be effective, it must be discoverable by those who are interested. Optimizing your news so that it can be found in search engines for strategic keywords provides a powerful way to reach targeted customers and influencers.
---Title Optimization : The most heavily weighted factor that determines for which keywords a press release will rank is its title. Placing you primary keyword phrase towards the beginning of the title tends to have the strongest impact on ranking for those keywords. However, the title needs to reflect the news angle and be written with clickthrough in mind, and not only keywords.
---Summary Optimization: The second most heavily weighted SEO factor is the summary. The summary is the ideal place to introduce one or two additional keyword phrases while elaborating on the news angle introduced in the title. Within a well-optimized press release distribution site or news site, the title becomes the title tag and the summary becomes the meta description. The same technical rules apply to optimizing a title tag and a meta description in terms of keywords as they do when optimizing a press release title and summary.
---Keyword Anchor Text Linking: The ability to build strategic anchor text backlinks from trusted sources is one of the SEO’s most exciting reasons for publishing press releases. Because some press release distribution sites push full-page reprints of your press release out to additional partner sites, a single press release can net a significant number of backlinks using your chosen keyword phrases.
Press release Optimization: Clickthrough Optimization
The purpose of the press release is to hook the reader with the news release and then direct traffic to your website. Online press releases are essentially landing pages for your business designed to drive traffic.
Optimizing for clickthrough helps you achieve that conversion goal.
---Make Use of Multimedia Features: Including images, videos, logos, file downloads and links to other web properties and assets allows readers to be immersed in your message through a variety of senses. When given the opportunity, make use of as many multimedia options as your press release distribution site allows.
---Embedded Website Navigation via iFrame: If you have the option to include an iFrame in your release, choose to link to a page that is a natural extension of the message announced in your press release. For example, if announcing a new product, display the product page in the iFrame instead of the sites’ home page.
---Include a Call-To-Action: A press release is a tool to entice readers to visit your site- give them clear direction on how and why to do so. Some ideas are to send them to your website to download a free ebook, or to read full details about the product or to subscribe to your mailing list for tips and information related to the announcement.
Press release Optimization: Editorial Optimization
Press release sites are news sites an they take their role seriously in order to stay in good graces with Google. In order for your press release to pass the human editing process, it should adhere to the following three critical editorial points:
---A Clearly Stated News Angle from Within Your Company: The purpose of a press release is to announce something new and timely such as a new product or service, limited time scale or contest, participation in an upcoming event etc. That news also needs to originate from the company announcing the news. The reader should be able to determine exactly what the press release is announcing by reading the title and summary.
---Written in Third Person: Aside from a direct attributed quote,a press release is written in third person and does not use casual language such as referring to the reader as “you” or th author as “I”.
---Attribution of Claims: Claims that could be interpreted as opinions should be attributed in a press release. For example, instead of opinions like “ the best real estate software in the market,” present attributable facts such as “ deemed the best real estate software on the market by XYZ magazine.”
The press release ranks well with search engines and can rank almost instantly upon publication. Furthermore, optimized backlinks within the release work to build link value for your site for years to come.
