Press releases have come a long way since their inception. What used to be a text-heavy document, aimed for print media has now evolved to fit multiple channels of communications including websites, social media, blogs, etc. So let’s take a look at how to optimize your press release for SEO.

When SEO and public relations professionals first decided to merge their skills to create better branding strategies, they knew that the history of communication would change forever. Countless case studies have proven this to be the case.

SEO and public relations strategies both perfectly complement each other and it seems that they now could not live without each other. Separating them would be like living out the ending of a Romeo and Juliet style tragedy. According to the experts at Digital PR, press releases can be very effective at helping improve the SEO of a website and building search traction around a brand identity.

“Press releases are some of the most trusted forms of content, so they are ideal for generating quality backlinks,” states Zach Hoffman, the lead strategist of Digital PR.

We know that traditionally, press releases have been important tools for generating earned media, which are fundamental elements in PR strategies. Press releases give journalists and media outlets valuable information about a brand or organization when they are trying to write their own article and publish it on the right sites. In fact, 72% of journalists say that a press release is one of the most useful types of content a PR professional can offer, according to data from Cision’s 2020 Global State of the Media Report.

However, in the SEO world, press releases can be seen as momentary tactics that quickly get old and are submerged by new information, since they are dependent on topical information with a short shelf-life. Will the press release be the “apple of discord” that opens a big hiatus in the love affair of PR and SEO? The simple answer is “No.” Nevertheless, it is important to make sure your press releases are properly tweaked according to the best practices of SEO.

Here are six tips on how to write a powerful press release for SEO:

• Focus on your goal
• Create an enticing headline
• Add a photo, infographic or video
• Share socially
• Quote naturally
• Wrap it up

Perhaps the best advice of all: stay up to date. What works today may not work tomorrow, so stay in the loop, follow the highly regarded SEO experts, read up on the latest SEO news, follow the digital marketing leaders, don’t be afraid to ask questions and learn from your mistakes. That’s the only way you’ll continue to grow as you begin to create killer content that soon enough, will actually rank.