In this introductory webinar for those new to SEO we'll give a high level overview of why SEO matters to your press release efforts. We'll tell you what you need to know to get started, show the long term benefits of optimized releases, walk you through an optimized press release and even show you a few tips and tools you can use along the way. Join us for this practical session on maximizing your press releases' chances of being found, seen and shared online and get on the fast track to becoming a PRO (Press Release Optimizer)!

1. Beginner s
Beginner’s Guide to Search Engine
Optimization for Press Releases
Joseph Miller Alison MacDonald
EON Product Manager Account Executive
San Antonio, Texas Silicon Valley, CA
Joseph.Miller@BusinessWire.com Alison.MacDonald@BusinessWire.com
@EONpr
#bwevents on Twitter

2. Overview of Today’s Presentation
y
• SEO
• Goals
• Keywords
• Optimization
• Distribution
Di t ib ti
• Q&A

3. Well Optimized Releases
p

4. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
The
Th organic process of getting your content indexed and ranked
i f tti t ti d d d k d
by Search Engines.

5. WHY SEO IS IMPORTANT
The objective of search engine optimization (SEO) is to increase a Website's
traffic counts, and ultimately conversions, by ranking very high in the results of
searches for the keywords in the search q y Bruce Clay
y query~ y
• Increase Traffic
• Create awareness of your company
y p y
• Get more business

6. Paid or
Sponsored
S d
“SERPS”
Natural or
Organic
“SERPS”

7. Google
News
Results
Google
Realtime
Results

8. Search Statistics
• 15.6 billion “core” search queries
were conducted in the U.S.
in August ‘10 an increase
10,
of 6% from ‘December ‘09.
(Comscore)
• 81% of online purchases
start with search.
(Forrester Research) Photo by: danardvincente

9. Press Release Optimization Goal
Brand Visibility and Website Traffic

10. Press Release Optimization Goal
SERP Rankings / Rep Management

11. Develop a Keyword Strategy
Identify Analyze Select
Brianstorm,
Brianstorm look at Research t fi d out
R h to find t Choose 3 to 5
stats, and work with those keywords that keywords that will be
stakeholders and are most lucrative, used to optimize your
teams to determine competitive or
p press release.
which keywords to
hi h k d t popular.
consider.
Find like terms that
can be used as
alternatives.

12. Release Optimization Flow
Write for real Going top down,
readers and search add your top 3-5 Format and add
engines. They are keywords Multimedia to add to
both target throughout your the visibility of your
audiences for your release while release
l
press release. retaining
readability.

13. Optimization Focus
p
50%
10% 40%

14. Optimizing Headlines
p g
50%
• What People See First
• Use Top Keyword Top Three if possible
Keyword. possible.
• Title Tag
• Search engine results listing

15. Press Release Optimization
Google News Headline Tip
G l N H dli Ti
50%
• Keep your headline between 2 and 22 Words
• L
Less or more and Google News may reject
dG l N j t
• Almost always use Company name

16. Press Release Optimization
Avoid S
A id Special Characters in Headline
i l Ch t i H dli
50%

17. Press Release Optimization
Avoid S
A id Special Characters in Headline
i l Ch t i H dli
50%

18. Optimizing Body
p g y
• First 100 words most important. 40%
• First 200 characters used to populate Description
Tag.
Tag
– Used below hyperlinked search engine results listing.
– Used as description for RSS feeds.
• First 140 characters used as default for Google.
• & Business Wire site display.
• Al
Always use top your three keywords.
t th k d

19. Press Release Optimization
Google News Body Tips
G l N B d Ti
40%
• Most rejected releases under 125 words
• Over 1000 words usually go to Finance channels
• First paragraph should be at least two sentences
• Three sentences is better
Th t i b tt
• Bullet points are good, but too many bullet points +
short paragraphs may negatively affect performance

20. Optimizing Multimedia
p g
• Unique description & filename for image
q p g
or video
• Ex. Joseph Miller, EON Product Manager at
Business Wire, reacts to receiving 10000
B i Wi t t i i
Berkshire Hathaway shares for his birthday
10%

21. Multimedia

22. Photos

23. Video

24. Where Multimedia Goes
•US Newspaper photo desks
US
•AP PhotoExpress
•Yahoo! Finance
•Press Association
•European Pressphoto Agency
E P h t A
•Ddp
•Newsis
•ME Newswire
•YourTube
•Vimeo
•Search Engines
•Etc
10%

25. Press Release Optimization
Add Multimedia for Increased Visibility
23% of our Top 500 releases in 2010
releases have multimedia.
5% of all our releases have multimedia
70% more release reads
Increase clickthru % to your website
and press release.
Images served up in Google Universal
Search and Google Images.
g g
Use of multimedia downstream on other
sites and in print.

26. Where Release Goes
•Newsrooms
Newsrooms
•Search Engines
•Blogs
•Email Alerts
•Micro Blogs
Mi Bl
•Fax lists
•Mobile Aps
•Financial Pages
g
•RSS Feeds
•Anywhere and everywhere

27. Closing Tips
Take Aways
T k A
• Any
A amount of optimization goes a long way.
t f ti i ti l
• Always optimize the headline.
• Optimize your multimedia captions
captions.
• Don’t forget Hyperlinks to Drive Traffic.
• Use tools to help your research.
• Think of your press release as a miniwebsite,
designed by you, for your client.

28. Thanks f J i i U T d !
Th k for Joining Us Today!
Joseph Miller Alison MacDonald
EON Product Manager Account Executive
San Antonio, Texas Silicon Valley, CA
Joseph.Miller@BusinessWire.com Alison.MacDonald@BusinessWire.com
@EONpr