Want to make a PR distribution with effectiveness? Get to know the best press release optimization practices that help to maximize exposure from media and target audiences.
Launching a press release campaign can be very beneficial for business growth only if it is optimized in the right way. Press release is not just about writing and distribution but optimizing as well. Optimization allows gaining the benefits of SEO (search engine optimization) and allows the content to appear at the top of search engine result pages (SERP). Whether it is a new product or service launch or a corporate event; a press release is great for all kinds of official announcements.
However, if you want to gain maximum attention from the media and the target audience, you need to have a strong strategy to be a part of Google’s Algorithm and rank at the top of the result pages. Without SEO, a press release lacks its marketing value which helps in its online performance. Therefore, knowing the right practices of press release optimization is not just crucial but mandatory to successfully run a campaign.
If you are not sure where to start, here are the top 8 best practices for press release optimization,
1. Complete Research Before Writing the PR
Conducting research before writing any press release is very important to have a complete idea of the current market situation. Just like you need to keep an eye on the potential competitors, you are also required to focus on marketing techniques. What kind of press releases or keywords are being used by the competitors? Which news wires they are trying to get featured in? Finding these answers can help you understand your company’s competitive situation. Focus on the backlink sources to have a better idea of where publishing your PRs will be more worthy.
2. Well-written and Engaging PR Content
SEO works in many ways and one of the features that helps to gain better SEO benefits is the quality of writing. The PR must be well-written and engaging to read which garners the attention of the readers quickly and effectively. Well-written PRs are also pushed in the rank of SERP as the search engine considers it better content regarding the topic. In order to engage people, you are not required to use flowery language or keep a technical tone that makes you appear like an expert. You just need to be approachable enough to make the readers feel comfortable doing business with your company. Use simple and easily understandable language with a Journalistic tone that gathers the attention of the media as well as target audiences.
3. Take Advantage of Relevant Keywords
Incorporating proper keywords is the best and most effective way of press release optimization. It comes with a huge SEO benefit that allows the content to appear with every related search based on the keywords and phrases. Search for keywords that are relevant to your company and industry and make sure it has a high search volume. Make sure to incorporate the keywords in the title, introduction, and body of the content in order to gain maximum online visibility. Whenever a user searches for online content, those common keywords allow the PR to appear with efficiency and relevance to the topic.
4. Write a Title that Helps to Stand Out
An attention-grabbing headline is an absolute must to attract readers. The title is the first thing a user sees and decides whether to read the content or not. Your title is the first impression of your PR content and it is supposed to be attractive and easy-to-read which piques interest instantly. Here are some tips to consider,
- Utilize essential keywords in the title which will be in the body of the PR content as well.
- Try to add words that help to elicit emotions or offer a solution to a problem.
- You can try to add some data (as numbers in titles tend to get more clicks).
- Craft an informative title that offers an overview of the content and value to readers.
5. Make a Fresh Start with 5Ws
The method of 5Ws is an old trick in the book which is highly utilized by the journalists and the media. It is a technique of writing newsworthy content that offers all the crucial details at the beginning of the content. Therefore, even if the readers do not go through the whole content, they can make out what it is about. It is also good for SEO as it helps the search engines as a metadata of the content which improves its rank in the search engines. The 5Ws are.
- Who?
- What?
- When?
- Where?
- Why?
6. Utilize natural Links Within the Press Release
Overstuffing your press release with numerous hyperlinks and keywords only ruins the marketing value of the content and makes it appear spammy for both search engines and online readers. If you really want to add hyperlinks, a limited use is more efficient when it flows naturally. The link should be attached to the anchor text that sounds natural and helps to guide the readers to a relevant page based on the linked word or words. It is an integral part of your link-building campaign. Here are a few practices to follow,
- Using too many links can reduce the importance of the links itself and also hampers the click-through rates. So, don’t do it.
- Add only useful and high-quality links that work. Overly using promotional links does not add any value for the readers.
- Link the text and phrases that are relevant to the linked page as well as to the content.
7. Importance of Visuals and Multimedia in PR
Visuals and multimedia play a vital role in press release campaigns as they can garner attention quickly and effectively. According to a study, humans can process visuals 60,000 times faster than text. Therefore, using them in the PR content can help to attract and retain the readers by interestingly engaging them. It also helps them remember your content better and longer.
8. Put Call-To-Action at the Climax
Make the perfect finishing by adding a call-to-action at the end that works like the final piece to the puzzle. Call-to-action is a process where you direct readers to participate in some activity, whether it registering an account on a website or making pre-bookings for a newly launched product. Call-to-action helps to optimize your PR and helps to gain more web traffic and online engagement.
Final Words
Press release writing and distribution is widely used across the industries which makes the competition even harder. In such a situation, it is recommended to hire a professional agency that is more knowledgeable and experienced than you. It will help you to focus on other business prospects while you gain more customers.
