Search Engine Optimization for Public Relations

Chris Kovac & Jason Bedell

Search Engine Optimization

What is SEO?

• Search Engine Optimization (organic search)• Process of achieving high rankings on the “free”

listings on the search engines• 4 Fundamentals of SEO

– Meta tags (tell search engines about your site)• Title, Description, Keywords

– Alt tags (describes images on your site)– Copy (Web copy)– Link Relevancy (number of relevant links pointing to

your site)• Google’s page rank (in Google toolbar)

Meta Tag Code• Click on “view source” to see code

Meta Tags for PR professionals

• Title tag– Most important tag, needs to be highly relevant– No more than 65 characters– Working with IT/programmers

• Description tag– Thesis of press release or boilerplate– No more than 25 words

• Remember redundancy!• No Fluff!

SEO Process

• SEO should be process driven

• What is the campaign objective?

• Audience segmentation

• Keyword Development

• Keyword research via paid search trends– Free tools available– Utilizing Google’s AdWords

Writing Press Releases

• Best practices for writing search engine friendly press releases

• Redundancy and relevancy

• Shotgun vs. rifle approach

• What is the “one thing?”

• Custom vs. boilerplate

Word Association Exercise

• What comes to mind when I say cookie?

• Number of different keyword strings important

• Casting a wide search net

Link Development

• Working with publications to include a link to your Web site within online articles

• Link development is very important– Helps with overall site placement– Adding links from online communities, Blogs,

forums, etc

• Helps drive additional Web traffic• Easy to track via Web analytics

Social Media

• Opportunities for link building– Blogs, forums, communities, etc

• Be transparent and up front regarding your connection to the company

• Look for release distributors that provide…– RSS syndication services– Comments and discussion threads– Encoded links

Tracking SEO success

• Utilizing Web Analytics– Web Trends/Omniture/etc– Google Analytics– Checking keyword rankings– Google’s Page Rank (Google toolbar)– Identifying Web traffic trends via SEO

• Offline articles

Ongoing Optimization

• Testing – A/B testing– Minor adjustments– Removing old press releases– Placement on your Web site

Questions/Workshop

• Do you have any questions?

• Client specific questions/workshop