This document provides best practices for optimizing press releases for search engines and social media. It recommends considering the type and importance of the press release and planning how it will be distributed across multiple channels. Key aspects to focus on include relevant keyword phrases, the target audience, creating engaging content in multiple formats, and optimizing the press release for search engines through titles, descriptions and internal/external links. The goal is to broadly distribute the press release content to drive awareness, engagement and sharing.

1. Press Releases –
SEO Best Practice
ANDREA H. BERBERICH
SEO/SEM PROFESSIONAL

2. Content – Table of Content
• Consideration:WhatType of PR?
• WhyOptimizing a Press Release?
• What happensbefore creating a Press Release (PR)?
• What is Important & Who isYourAudience?
• Press Releases & Integrated Marketing
• Press Releases & Search Engines
Case Study:Video, Image on PRs (2 Min) video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbpHUFswGjo
A NewWay of Looking at Press Releases
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3. Consideration: What Type of PR?
• How important is this PR?
• Level (Tier/Rank) of the PR
• Will there be a campaign around it?
• Is the PR part of the overall
Marketing & ContentStrategy?
• Regardless of Level of
Importance
• Is it created in an easy, social-
friendly format?
• Easy to be scanned(bullets, bold
font, buttons, visual effects)
• Easy to be distributed & shared
• Is it easy to be repurposedand is it
in a evergreen format
• Links to more/related information
• Can the reader provide feedback?
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Setting the Stage

4. Why Optimizing a Press Release?
• Broadcasting via PR Newswire
• Reach beyond Journalists and
News Channels
• News to be distributed directly to
• Customers
• Partners
• Prospects
• Bloggers
• End Users (consumers B2B)
• Social Networks (medium.com)
• Receive Comments & Feedback
• On Search Engines such as
Google, Bing/Yahoo,Yandex,
Baidu, Naver etc.
• News Channel websites
• On Social Media Channels
• Posted on Social Media Channels
• Shared byAdvocates
• Re-shared to Potential Customers
• On Partner websites
• On Customer websites
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Building Branding & Awareness Publishing on many Channels

5. What happens before creating a Press Release (PR)
• Will the PR be available Globally on all search engines?
• Will it be available on mobile devices?
• Can web users link to additional information?
• Can the PR easily be shared?
• Can web users leave feedback?
• Is the PR available in different formats?
• YouTube video
• Infographic
• Podcast
• Email Campaign
• CanYou Repurpose the Content ofYour PR
(evergreen)?
• Ensure at least two non-branded keyword phrases and
one branded keyword phrase per PR
• Synchronize withStakeholder, Corporate & Field
Mktg.,Web & SEO Manager
• Research potential relevant keyword phrases
• Research potential competitors & customers
• Discuss selected keyword phrases and content
strategy
• Communicate with the InternalCommunication,Web
& Social Media team to create cohesive messaging
• Schedule posts to various Social Channels
• Multiple posts – multiple cohesive messaging
• Develop a tone
• Pose questions
• Use multimedia
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Think SEO, Social & consider Mobile Focusing on Relevant Keyword Phrases

6. What happens before creating a Press Release (PR)
• Will the PR be available Globally on all search
engines?
• Will it be available on mobile devices?
• Can web users link to additional information?
• Can the PR easily be shared?
• Can web users leave feedback?
• Is the PR available in different formats?
• YouTube video
• Infographic
• Podcast
• Email Campaign
• CanYou Repurpose the Content ofYour PR
(evergreen)?
• Ensure at least two non-branded keyword phrases and
one branded keyword phrase per PR
• Synchronize with Stakeholder, Corporate & Field Mktg.,
Web & SEO Manager
• Research potential relevant keyword phrases
• Research potential competitors & customers
• Discuss selected keyword phrases and content strategy
• Communicate with the Internal Communication, Web &
Social Media team to create cohesive messaging
• Schedule posts to various SocialChannels
• Multiple posts – multiple cohesive messaging
• Develop a tone
• Pose questions
• Use multimedia
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Think SEO, Social & consider Mobile Focusing on Relevant Keyword Phrases

7. What is Important & Who isYour Audience?
• EducateYourAudience
• Spark a Conversation
• ReportValuableCompany News
• Report on Industry Specific Data
• Encourage Feedback
• Encourage Re-ShareActivities
• Plan & Announce Follow-upPress
Releases
• Influencers
• Bloggers,Critics,Competitors
• Journalists
• Advocates
• Endorsersof Company,Services&
Products
• Followers
• Partners
• Customers & Consumers
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It’s All AboutYourContent Who isYourAudience?

8. Press Release & Integrated Marketing
• Not only for the PR Newswire
• Share button on html website
• On html web pageTwitter & Open Graph
for Facebook (when available)
• Create a compelling message forTwitter &
Facebook (character limits)
• Add Hashtags to your PR and add the
@sign when available
• Create engaging Social Media
Messaging
• Create an Infographic version of the
PR of brief Podcast, engage in blog
radio.
• Use technologies such asYouTube,
Pinterest, iTunes, Flickr, SlideShare,
etc.
• EnsureYour message is broadcasted in
different formats
• ShareYour PR on Channels such as
• Digg, reddit, Techdirt, wired.com,
Slashdot, Techmeme, ArsTechnica etc.
• Share PR with co-workers
• Provide LinkedIn,Twitter & Facebook
recommended share message
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Engaging Press Releases

9. Press Release & Search Engines
• Create aTitleTag that includes the
non-branded keyword phrases
• Max. 70 charactersincludingspaces
• Create a Meta Description including
non & branded keyword phrases
• Max. 160 characters including spaces&
add a call to action (CTA)
• Ask business partners or blog sites
to link to your press release
• Crosslink to important web pages
to further support the PR
• RelevantAnchor-Text-OptimizedLinks
• Ensure that the link has
rel=”nofollow” attribute to the <a>
tag
• Link or embed to a video or
podcast
• Link to important assets such as
Infographics, Images & PDFs
• Engage with SEM (PPC) to run a
brief campaign
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Still have an engaging Press Releases

10. Thank you!
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