You may have heard of SEO, but what about SEO as PR Strategy?
Originally, Public Relations and SEO virtually had no relationship. The old ways of Public Relations focused strictly on offline techniques while SEO focused strictly on digital techniques. However, in this digital age, the PR space has pivoted to more of an online format. Today we will talk about how a combined PR and SEO plan will help you maximize a brand’s reach, credibility, and overall search rankings.
What is SEO and why is it significant?
According to moz.com, SEO is short for “Search Engine Optimization” and it is the practice of increasing both the quality and quantity of website traffic, as well as exposure to your brand, through non-paid search engine results for the purpose of increasing your brand.
Why not just use paid advertisements or social media to drive traffic?
Well, only 2.8% of people click on paid advertisements, making SEO a much better choice in terms of traffic opportunities. SEO is considered organic, so it also appears more credible than a paid advertisement.
How can you use SEO as PR Strategy?
Now that you have a better understanding of SEO and why it is important, let’s talk about how you can use it to your advantage in PR.
Earned media!
For starters, backlinks are still one of the most fundamental aspects of SEO and they still hold their place towards the top of Google’s ranking factors. You don’t just want any backlinks, you want backlinks on well-renowned sites in your niche.
To get these types of backlinks placed, you need to focus on earned media!
This is where public relations plays a key role. If you get coverage on a well-renowned site in your niche, more often than not, a backlink leading directly to your website will be placed in the article.
How does this benefit you?
Now, you are passively driving more traffic back to your site without having to do a thing.
Use keywords in your PR strategy
Another fundamental aspect of SEO is keywords. The SEO Playbook*** is a resource that offers the basics of how to find keywords, why they are important, and how to identify content ideas that Google, and your audience, will love.
This begs the question of how do keywords relate to PR?
Well, you can use keywords in your PR strategy to help you appear in more people’s searches. To start, you need to develop a list of keywords that you plan on using in all of your PR efforts such as guest posts or in press releases.
These keywords should also be used in your shared media, such as in your social media content. They must be incorporated into your owned media as well, this includes but is not limited to, blogs, podcasts, and web content. By incorporating these keywords into everything and anything about your business you are driving traffic back to you!
How do I know what keywords to use?
The first step to developing a proper keyword list is to research your audience. In this part, you need to dial into who your buyer is and what you are trying to convince them to do.
Next, while keeping your buyer in mind you need to brainstorm some categories that you are focusing on with your brand.
Once you have some categories it is time to start brainstorming some keywords for each category. Remember, you can never have too many terms and you don’t have to do it all yourself, try these 4 Tools from Love at First Search.
After you have keywords for each category it is important to figure out the relevance of each one and prioritize them. The main goal of this – drive traffic!
Now that you have an extensive and well-researched list of keywords you can start incorporating them into your PR strategy. Use them in your social media bios, press releases, bylines, social media content, and owned media. This will result in your brand coming up when people search for these specific keywords. Ultimately increasing traffic to your website and platform.
Using SEO as PR Strategy can grow your brand and attract clients.
Try thinking about SEO and PR Strategy in unison rather than as separate entities and it will not only increase your brand reach but will increase your brand’s overall ranking.
Whether you start incorporating more thought-out keywords into your PR strategy or you want to focus on getting earned coverage with strategically placed backlinks, you should always be thinking about how SEO can be incorporated into your PR efforts.
Written by John Narducci of the BR Visionary Consulting Team. Edited by Bri Jackson and Brianna Régine of the BR Visionary Consulting Team.
***SEO Playbook is an affiliate link of Agency Content Writer. They may make money from your purchase from this link.
References:
https://www.clicktime.com/blog/how-to-create-a-keyword-list-that-works
https://publicize.co/guides/digital-pr-and-seo/
https://www.lyfemarketing.com/blog/google-ranking-factors/
https://www.matternow.com/blog/why-seo-is-important-to-public-relations/
https://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-seo/why-search-engine-marketing-is-necessary
https://www.quicksprout.com/how-to-combine-pr-with-seo-for-the-biggest-success/
