If you think public relations is dead, then the brand visibility opportunities that public relations brings in this digital age are largely being missed. Of course, times have changed. Old traditional public relations tactics finding expression in strategic event coordination, crisis communication, reputation management, trade shows, sponsorship opportunities, outreach, press release distribution and leverage of the traditional media (radio, television, newspapers) have now given way. to more digital approaches.
The strategies applicable to both legacy and digital PR converge at the point where connections are built and managed. However, digital PR comes with the added benefits of search engine optimization and link building across the internet, while delivering measurable and tangible results and insights and producing easily sharable content.
Why should online PR be integrated with SEO?
SEO and public relations work together in more ways than one. First, creating top-quality content can generate backlinks to your site. So the more media coverage your brand receives, the more links to your site it will get. Lastly, with a great public relations process, you can build greater connections with influencers in your industry, thereby gaining more links from blogs and social media posts, leading to increased SEO.
Because online PR is more specific than traditional PR, it will help increase your brand’s visibility and patronage online. However, the integration between SEO and PR becomes much stronger when executed strategically.
Here are 6 top ways to boost search engine optimization with online PR.
1. Unify your goals in SEO, public relations and other marketing efforts
Each of these marketing concepts has its own unique feasibility styles, but their goal is the same. While SEO leverages digital channels to connect with customers and generate more leads, PR relies heavily on media relations to generate more media coverage of the brand. Ultimately, your goal is to reach customers, and that’s the part you need to focus on the most. Only then will you be able to take advantage of the capabilities of the different channels.
2. Use data from both SEO and PR research to create an overall personality.
While SEO relies on audience research to create a brand personality, public relations focuses on media research to discover the type of posts that appeal to brands’ target audience and seek reporters covering relevant topics. for the brand. The combination of both results will create a strong and unified personality.
3. Coordinate content and keywords across all digital channels to project a unified brand identity.
All of your blog and social media posts, e-books, newsletters, landing pages, video ads, media messages, and press releases should project the image that your brand is trying to communicate.
4. Use your experience in public relations as a guide in developing content.
With proper research, PR experts gain insight into the type of content your audience will find consumable, valuable, and shareable. Let this experience guide you in creating high-quality SEO content. While SEO professionals are creating high-ranking content, incorporating the most appropriate keywords and sharing them through social media channels, PR experts must be busy presenting this content and drawing as much attention as possible through high quality links.
5. Public relations can take advantage of the SEO keyword strategy
Keywords used in press releases can cause reporters to use those specific keywords when describing a brand, thus increasing the likelihood that a business will appear in searches for those specified terms.
PR must leverage and extend the SEO keyword strategy; For example, keywords and keyword phrases should appear in critical statements, press releases, media interviews, FAQ documents, social media biographies, website meta-titles and descriptions, and website copy.
6. Connect with high-level influencers in your industry
Influencer marketing is non-negotiable in integrating SEO and PR efforts for your site. Connecting with influencers can generate high-quality backlinks from the media, other companies, and high-traffic sites. Establishing connections with these influencers increases the chances that they will share your content with your audience and even link to your site, making said content more visible, linked and, of course, shared.
SEO is a crucial aspect of building a sustainable online presence, but it works best when coupled with PR to create strong results. A Forbes link, for example, even if it is a text link carries a heavier weight than the simple comments of a blog. Therefore, you need to focus on creating high-quality, shareable content. You also want your content to be adequately and proportionately full of keywords added to the fact that they have to be relevant to a target audience.
