Have you ever written a press release and felt that your efforts have gone unnoticed? They very well could have, especially if you're not taking the time to incorporate essential SEO and newsworthy
tips for creating a press release that will stand out among the thousands of others. In fact, just today I was reading Jeremy Porter's Journalistics blog and he mentioned that between PRNewswire and Businesswire (two online press release websites) there are about 2,000 press releases that go out on a daily basis. Wow, feeling a little intimidated? Yeah, me too!
So how can you ensure that you're taking the most important steps for a newsworthy, fully optimized press release? Well, there are a few things, but first and foremost, it's about which press release distribution websites you choose. Let's start from the beginning: I've created a list below of the best PR distribution sites, some of which I have had experience with, others that through research, I have learned are worth paying for. I based my findings on search engine indexing, ability to implement links and if they're user friendly; see below. (the * indicates the site has FREE accounts)
Now that you have a list of SEO friendly PR distribution sites, it's time to get down to the news. Is your story even newsworthy? You want readers to be engaged right from the start, which means your title needs to have keywords that will entice a reader to read on e.g. "Web-Development Agency CreatesCustomized Facebook Fan Pages." This would be interesting to a particular technology, Internet Marketing audience who would perhaps want to read on and learn about 1. Facebook Fan Pages and 2. How this Web-Development Agency customized the page.
The body of the PR
Next, you'll want to focus on the body of your press release. Simply follow the who, what, when, where, why and how formula as a guide while you're writing. Remember the beginning and the end of your press release are the most important and they must be engaging in order for readers to continue. Make sure the beginning states exactly what your news is about and why this is newsworthy and don't forget about contact information and a short description of your company on the bottom.
Keywords are the secret ingredient
While writing your content it is crucial that you extract keywords from the press release and make sure they are frequently searched. Use the Keyword Search tool to find out which words are best and use the chosen words for anchor text or set them to bold so that they stand out as important for a reader. Qualty keyword backlinks will help drive more traffic to your websites, so the more news the more traffic!
Will the search engines like your PR?
Like I stated above, the PR distribution websites I found are all great for indexing. I've actually experienced rather quick indexing with PRlog.com and TransWorldNews.com. Search engine indexing is great for media coverage, which works out as the purpose of your PR is to achieve media coverage on your story.
Also, don't forget to fill out the bio information for the PR accounts and to include vital contact information (company name, e-mail, direct contact, website etc.) with each press release. This will help a reader easily contact you if they should find your article newsworthy and can also drive more traffic or perhaps create leads if a potential customer should read your news.
Set your PR in the right direction
Finally, after you have written your PR, included valuable links and keywords, make sure to target your audience. Select the audience you want your PR to reach e.g. technology, internet etc. This will optimize your chances for reaching someone who can relate to your PR's topic or who is looking for a similar story.
Just remember that although something might be newsworthy to you it might not be interesting for others. So make sure you turn your PR into something that people would want to read about and will entice them to find out more about your company. Also, although you might not generate buzz right away, be patient, for if you continue to utilize SEO and can create a truly newsworthy PR, your efforts will pay off.
For additional information on press releases and press release submission services, contact Hudson Horizons at info@HudsonHorizons.com.