Most press releases are now distributed online. Instead of checking their mail or fax machines, journalists now go to online press release distribution sites for press releases. This makes SEO a critical component of a press release, especially if this is the only method of distribution you are using.
An effective press release should:
- Include an attention-grabbing headline
- Have an informative opening paragraph and other newsworthy elements to get the information noticed by an editor or journalist
- Be written with search engine optimization (SEO) in mind
SEO makes a press release more visible when a search engine is used to find a release. Many publishers use SEO tactics to help their stories rank higher on search engines. A well-written press release that ignores SEO tactics might never be found by writers using search engines to generate story ideas.
- Figure out what people are looking for by doing some keyword research. Try tools like SEO Book, Google Keyword Tool or Wordtracker
- Limit yourself to a select number of terms (use the tools above to identify the ones that will drive up the quantity and quality of visitors).
- Use your keywords in your domain name, i.e. www.yourdomain.com/eventplanning/weddings.html
- Keywords should be around 3 – 5 percent of the total text and links of any particular page