How to create a search engine optimized press release?

A well-written and optimized press release is a valuable resource to increase your company’s visibility online and boost search engine rankings. Press releases (PR) are one of the most inexpensive and effective methods of marketing but they should be written considering your targeted audience and the search engines to drive results. Search engine optimized press releases allow you to connect with relevant audience through content while ensuring high rankings on search engine result pages (SERPs) for multiple keywords.

Steps to create search engine optimized press release:

• Identify your keywords: The optimization process of press releases begins with keyword search and analysis. Identify your focus keywords and align them with your press release.

• Include keywords in the PR Title: A good practice is to think like a journalist and a searcher. Create a catchy title including your targeted keyword that captures user attention, invites them to click and also appeals to the search engines. All the major search engines read titles of the PR (reading them as title tags) and look for keywords and show the press release in the SERPs for related keywords.

• Optimize the PR Summary: Write a precise paragraph for your press release in not more 250 characters that describes best about the story and interests the users. Add some more keyword phrases (different from those used in the title) in the summary of the PR so get maximum exposure.

• Optimize the body of the Press Release: While writing the press release, do not restrict yourself to one keyword; instead use a web of several related keyword phrases in the body of the release to create more diversity and maximize your SEO potential. The language of the press release should be compelling to both humans and search engines.

• Include a Backlink: Read your press release again and include your website’s link on targeted keyword. This will give valuable incoming links for your site. If you cannot employ anchor text, then use the complete URL that will help in indexing your link by search engines.

Benefits of Optimized Press Releases:

• More backlinks from high ranking news sites
• Higher ranking for targeted keywords
• Improved visibility on search engines
• More targeted traffic
• Increase in brand recognition
• More influence in your business community