As a marketer, I understand the importance of Search Engine Optimization to help businesses improve their online rankings and be found by prospects online. However, as a public relations specialist, I never asked how knowledge of SEO could attract media attention.
At a recent Business Wire panel featuring journalists and editors from premiere business publications, Russ Britt of MarketWatch posed the question to the audience, “Do you know what SEO is?” The panel went on to discuss how online search has irreversibly changed the newsroom, the modern day journalist and, in turn, public relations.
The front page has become the top spot in Google News, success is measured in terms of clicks rather than newspaper sales, and content is becoming shorter, data driven and published more frequently. This evolution has changed the way in which reporters and journalists approach their stories as well as how publications assemble their news teams. So how can knowledge of SEO improve the PR results you obtain for your clients?
- Take a look at what’s trending on Twitter or at the top of Google News to see how you can position your client, pitch or press release within a larger dialogue.
- Focus on the key words and/or events around those trends to see how you might be able to tie that into your headline or body of your pitch.
In today’s digital news environment, one thing is certain: clicks are king. Internet and social media have posed challenges to the news industry, but have also made news reporting smarter and journalists more accountable. To improve the chances of your story being picked up by the media, implement SEO strategy into your next pitch or press release.
