Increase Your Visibility Online By Combining PR And SEO
Today, the internet has become a primary information source when consumers are looking for a product or service. When customers look for your product or service online it's important that your website is listed on the search results from search engines like Google. In order to have high search engine rankings on Google you need to combine public relations (PR) and search engine optimization (SEO) strategies. Success online in the digital age cannot occur without visibility.
PR and SEO have long been considered different approaches to increasing visibility online. While the approach of both fields is different, times have changed and PR and SEO have grown closer together. The best route to success online is through a combined approach of public relations and search engine optimization.
SEO is the practice of external and internal optimization of a website. Internal optimization is the smaller portion of the SEO process and entails designing a website that follows proven tactics to rank higher in Google search rankings. External SEO is the process of creating articles, press releases, website comments, and blog posts with embedded keywords that backlink to a particular site.
PR is very similar to external SEO. The job of a publicist is to generate media coverage through press releases, article placements, interviews, reviews, and feature stories, all of which create quality backlinks and increase a particular sites traffic and search engine rankings.
Times are changing quickly, and in the process bringing SEO and PR closer together. The Google algorithm changes have proved to be a major reason for the shifting landscape. Rather than improving rankings for search fields based upon built up backlinks, greater emphasis has been placed on the value of the content on the page. Backlinks to a site from professional resources now garners greater attention from Google, as does the presence of social media interactions in the form of likes, tweets, shares, reddits, and Google Plus. Publicists are experts at promoting a product or service through social networking sites. When creating social networking profiles it is important to include as much information about your product or service, and a link to your website. Backlinks from social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and FourSquare, will help your website rank higher on Google. A publicist with social media management services can go above and beyond, offering a constantly increasing online presence for a business or individual.
The idea for success is to be able to have SEO and PR coexist, working together to promote a brand and drive customers to a product. The explosion of social media, and the ability it provides for customer interaction, provides the perfect platform to both promote ideas and products while at the same time narrowing down a target market and building a positive brand image. A good PR specialist should be adapting with the changing winds. Increase your visibility online by working with a publicist that provides SEO-friendly press releases, social media, and media pitches.