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:

  1. Include an attention-grabbing headline
  2. Have an informative opening paragraph and other newsworthy elements to get the information noticed by an editor or journalist
  3. 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.

  1. Figure out what people are looking for by doing some keyword research. Try tools like SEO Book, Google Keyword Tool or Wordtracker
  2. 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).
  3. Use your keywords in your domain name, i.e. www.yourdomain.com/eventplanning/weddings.html
  4. Keywords should be around 3 – 5 percent of the total text and links of any particular page