PR & SEO - Are They Getting Married?
It should be no secret that SEO and PR are becoming more entwined and yet there is still a gaping chasm in the thought process of many people that the two are completely separate functions.
Yes there is a lot of techie stuff that goes with SEO and here I hold my hands up and confess that I can only delve so far into talk of algorithms and coding before my eyes start glazing over.
The main point is though that a successful website is one that communicates both with the search engines and with visitors to your site. Recently Google changed its search-algorithm (hmm I'm starting to like this word) called the 'Panda Update' which means that a website's ranking will be based much more on the quality of the copy and design of the site.
PR to crack the search engine algorithm
As communications specialists we should therefore be at the forefront of this change as traditional PR techniques (finding a good story and writing it in a punchy and engaging style without any 'sales puff') will play an increasingly important role in cracking the search-algorithm's nut.
However many people remain blinkered to the fact that our skills can be used in this new world. In fact it stands to reason that we need to link up more with SEO specialists as it's the combination of skills and techniques that are needed. From our side, just some of the techniques we can bring to the table are:
- Writing compelling natural copy that incorporates keywords or keyword phrases for websites or blogs
- Contributing to relevant online forums
- Crafting press releases that are punchy and newsy.
About the Author
Amanda Brown
Hi there, this is my personal blog on PR-related topics, including advice on how to communicate more effectively to your target audiences.
I've been in PR for more years than I care to mention having started out as a journalist on a weekly farming magazine. I have since handled the PR for a variety of organisations and across numerous sectors including agriculture, footwear, catering, IT, care, construction and property.
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