Intro to search engine optimization (SEO) for PR people, including five best practices and an overview of how to optimize your content for search.

1. SEO for public relations prosSeptember 27, 2011 Laura Kempke SVP, Content Marketing Services @laurakempke

2. Process of improving visibility of a website in search engines via “natural” or un-paid (“organic” or “algorithmic”) search results (Source: Wikipedia) SEO defined ORGANIC PAID PAID

3. Website traffic and conversions Attract/influence people searching for information on which you’re an authority Likely don’t know your brand names More people click on organic results than on sponsored links Part of the top of the online marketing conversion funnel Your alternatives: a lot of advertising or reliance on brand recognition Why do marketers care about SEO?

4. Clear relationship between placement in search results and click-throughs to a web page Placement on results page matters Source: Optify, “The Changing Face of SERPs: Organic Click-Through Rate,” 2011

7. Research your keywords and use them But don’t let them get in the way of good writing Keywords are the words people really use when searching Probably not your brand names You might call it “customer care,” but if people search on “customer service,” you must weigh value of search volume vs. messaging If a list doesn’t exist, create one Google Analytics—Check traffic to see what terms bring people to your website; exclude paid search, branded terms http://adwords.google.com and other free tools will let you explore keywords and understand how competitive it will be to rank for them Reality check—only use terms if they describe what your organization offers 1

8. Long-tail keywords are valuable, particularly if you need fast results Create content to support these searches Create pages on your website that use keywords and keep them updated Ranking for competitive keywords may be a long-haul proposition Source: SEOmoz, “Beginner’s Guide to SEO”

9. Pay attention to titles If you’re writing website copy, use titles on all pages Press release titles shouldn’t be too long (65 characters or fewer) Use a keyword or two, but no more than that Create titles that make people want to read further and share “On average, 8 out of 10 people will read headline copy, but only 2 out of 10 will read the rest” (Source: Copyblogger Media) 2

10. Use anchor text to link to and within your site In news releases, blog entries and other online content, include keywords in links to pages on your website “Shop towels are ideal for your toughest clean up tasks” vs. “click here for information about shop towels” One to a few words, not long phrases or sentences Go beyond the home page to link to second- and third-level pages Link within your site, or between your blog and website Established corporate website but new blog? Link liberally from the site to the blog and among pages on the blog to build quality links quickly 3

11. Stick with it Website pages must be maintained over time SEO isn’t a project that you complete and then move on Search engine algorithms change, as do your competitors’ SEO strategies, so continued cultivation is necessary If you need an immediate lift in website traffic, consider using PPC also 4

12. Determine metrics and measure progress Rankings matter, but aren’t the only result to consider Increased website traffic. Better yet, website conversions Use Google Analytics or other analytics software for tracking Include calls to action on landing pages Look at bounce rate, time on site If visitors aren’t spending time on your site, clicking deeper into the site or converting based on your CTAs, your keywords may be bringing in the wrong people More inbound links Should be accompanied by a quality metric—poor-quality links can work against you SEOmoz Open Site Explorer and HubSpotLinkGrader let you look at links Able to hold conversions steady, but decrease PPC budget 5

13. How to Optimize PR Content for Search

14. May not be able to pick site technology or affect navigation, page load time, URL structure But you can write great copy, proper headers and include links using anchor text Ensure you have pages that map to keywords (i.e., include the term in the header and first paragraph, then a few more times throughout) Use variations on keywords, not the exact term repeatedly Keep pages up to date Fix or delete broken links Build the foundation: Website copy

15. Journalists may not like them, but releases have SEO value when used properly Write short titles If you must write long, get a keyword at the front of the title No links in press release title—distribution services don’t pick them up Write great titles to promote clicks and shares Use quotes BusinessWire’s EON service, built on Vocus’ PR Web, relies on rotating them to keep release fresh Use keywords and variations, but don’t overdo it If you suspect a keyword is used too frequently, try the free PR Newswire keyword density tool: http://www.icrossing.com/tools/calculator.htm Releases: Maligned by media, but valuable for SEO

16. Add links using anchor text to keywords Don’t link to the same page more than once Do link to pages deeper in the website or to your blog Consider spelling out your homepage URL at least once since not all syndication sites pick up hyperlinks yet If you’re catering to your local market, add your address All major distribution services claim to provide the best SEO support If partners, VC firms, etc. post your news, check their sites to make sure they’re linking to you News releases, continued

17. Allow you to continuously add fresh, pertinent content to the site Link to your site and other posts to try to extend time spent with your content Promote and make it easy to share posts to build links Headlines should be short and include a variation on a keyword Invite guest posts and contribute to others’ blogs Quality links matter—don’t rush for quantity without a strategy Media sites linking to your posts may be some of your most valuable links No comment spam Blogs: Your own and other people’s

18. People sharing your content (plus links) on social sites increases its authority in the eyes of Googleand Bing May counterbalance traditional factors (e.g., site age) Google search results increasingly personalized with local results, “+1” feedback from friends Google+, Twitter, public LinkedIn results show up prominently in search results If you aren’t using social media but care about search, reconsider involvement in social media Superb content is shared, which has SEO value Optimize social content and use keywords in titles Traffic from social sites is measurable using Google Analytics Social media and search go hand-in-hand Social media directly supports search

19. Videos and webinars Title matters Describe the video or webinar in a summary Use tags if possible (e.g., YouTube) Consider accompanying short videos with a transcript Images Posts with images are more appealing to readers, and therefore more likely to be read and shared Use ALT text to describe the image in detail Surround image with relevant text Include a caption Name the image file in a manner that includes a keyword if possible Presentations SlideShare can provide an easy SEO boost Web video, images, presentations support SEO

20. Someone has an ax to grind with your company and they’re making a scene online Your product received a negative review Coverage about a resolved crisis is still showing up in search results Ongoing activities Continuously monitor company, product, exec names online Buy domain names, including .org, .net, etc., that include your company or product and negative terms Register for the same terms on social platforms like Twitter Participate in online forums where people are likely to discuss your company should something go wrong so you have an established following After the negative story appears, push positive articles higher in search results Consider a press release with links to your site or other web properties on anchor text Comment on negative posts to state your perspective, include links to site If it’s a media story, ask the journalist or blogger directly for equal time Blog using the same negative terms to allow people to find your response SEO and reputation management

21. Key takeaways Set your SEO goals Results page placement is important, but not everything Focus on calls to action and conversion Work alongside the online marketing team PR may not own the company’s web presence, but you control a lot of content Consider SEO each time you create online content Know and use your keywords Use anchor text Understand that SEO doesn’t replace quality content creation and shouldn’t get in its way

22. Thank you Laura Kempke SVP, Content Marketing Services @laurakempke Schwartz MSL 230 3rd Ave., Waltham, MA 02451 781.684.0770 http://www.schwartzmsl.com