SEO and PR - how do they go together?
In a nutshell, SEO is about optimizing websites for search engines. It comprises all activities performed in order to make a page being displayed high in the search results. Properly conducted SEO activities have a positive impact on traffic to the site and its visibility online. Below you can see a simplified scheme describing SEO activities:
SEO = linking + content + technical optimization
Public Relations, meaning the activities of a company or brand which aim at creating and maintaining its positive image in public opinion, are the second most important segment of online marketing (just after SEO). They’re applied by specialists to effectively promote a given company. A simplified scheme describing PR activities:
PR = strategy + content + relations
As you can see, these two areas have something in common. Content is one of the main reasons for browsing the net. Users are looking for specific pieces of information characterized by high cognitive quality and uniqueness. The fact that SEO and PR go together is a perfect proof that combining these segments can give really lucrative results!
How can PR support SEO?
Both SEO and PR focus on creating useful, meaningful and unique content that will attract recipients. It’s worth taking a closer look at linking and its value as this is one of the leading activities in SEO. It’s been known for a long time that it’s not about the quantity but the quality and this principle applies also to SEO. This is exactly how PR supports SEO. PR specialists publish content only on high quality websites which are appreciated by Google robots. They don't incur costs when posting articles, as they usually publish them in the form of free press releases. Moreover, the links placed in these press releases look very natural - and this is the main feature characterizing texts created in accordance with SEO principles. Therefore, PR can really affect the results of your SEO process, especially when it comes to:- ranks of the services selected for publication,
- reducing publication costs,
- ensuring that linking texts sound natural.
How can SEO support PR?
PR is never about publishing itself. Even the finest amount of texts won’t help the company unless they’re tailored to the target group, attract interest and are properly placed. So how can SEO support your PR activities? First of all - optimize! It goes without saying that PR texts don’t aim at being specific. Therefore, it often happens that they simply get lost in the sea of other articles which are constructed better. SEO can help you in this aspect as optimizing PR texts properly ensures that they’ll be displayed in the search engine not only for specific keywords, they’ll also last longer and be shown to users who didn’t come across the publishing website before. Second of all - generate... good PR! Yes, SEO can support PR in managing the e-image of the company. Bad PR is always harmful but proper SEO activities and accurate linking will help you to promote the already existing positive reviews or to create new flattering opinions that will be shown in the search engine. A properly selected SEO strategy will make the company more recognizable and consequently it’ll help you to build trust of both users and Google robots!How to make your PR activities attractive for SEO?
In order to make your PR activities support your SEO strategy, you need to make sure that your PR publications meet basic SEO requirements:- The content mustn’t be plagiarized. Neither Google nor users like it. Moreover, duplicate content equals much less valuable linking. Your messages ought to be meaningful and unique.
- Press releases should be accompanied by graphics and videos.
- A well-written press release should include a link to the website you want to promote.
- Outbound links should have a dofollow This will make them influence your SEO activities more.
- The content itself should apply accurate keywords, you can create an anchor with a dofollow link. These keywords should be used not only in the texts but also during interviews.
- Consider including “about the company” tab and place links to your website in job advertisements.