PR Survey: Placement vs Search |

Source: http://www.highposition.net/news/

What’s more important to you — positive coverage in the Wall Street Journal or top search results for your key search terms? The survey is intended to find out what our peers are doing.

The right answer is both, but most clients will more likely say placement. The truth is most PR professionals have only a basic understanding of SEO. And for those with more advanced knowledge, it is not always a priority. Consequently, we are failing to take advantage of the way people and reporters gather information and leaving visiblity to chance or the kindness or journalists.

Fundamentally, a comprehensive PR strategy must incorporate search as a means of building or maintaining a client’s image.

Increasingly, people use search to get their news or use Google Alerts to deliver it to them. They put together strings of search terms that focus less on new sources and more about the information they are seeking. Consequently a search may yield a bevy of high ranking unflattering stories that undercut more positive ones. A great hit in the New York Times may go unread.

But why the disconnect? Why don’t placement and search align more closely? Several factors are at work.

Maybe it’s vanity (It’s really cool to get a front page, top of the fold – those are print terms) or maybe it’s convention. But it’s bigger than that.

Training – Despite the growing number of search specialists, conferences, webinars, and tools, most PR professionals are not equipped to handle the power of search. We don’t know how to optimize a release or a website or leave it to someone else.

Lack of coordination or control – Search generally falls in the hands of marketing and advertising. Even though press releases can drive traffic to a website, PR is often left in the dark about a company’s search strategy or lacks access to and an understanding of basic web analytics. We also don’t appreciate the power of the content on corporate news rooms to aid in search results.

Other priorities – Even when PR does have access to search data, optimizing a newsroom on a company website is often a low priority for overworked web services or IT departments.

In short, clients need to appreciate that how the public and reporters consume news is as important as where we place it. Otherwise we are missing out on a powerful opportunity to blend new and traditional media.

Let me be clear. Hits will continue to matter. Blogs and media outlets still exert influence. They reach millions of readers. People continue to bookmark sites and subscribe to favorite sources of news and opinion.

But their visits or more brand related. I go to the New York Times website because first and foremost I like their brand. Generally, I am not searching for a particular topic or company.

It’s also not binary. Placement increases search results. But we need to make it easier to find the news in the first place.

As Lee Odden wrote:

Using SEO as part of a Pull PR effort, ie optimizing news content, puts a company’s news content in the places where the media are looking. Pitching directly to journalists and analysts via email and phone is hit or miss. With thousands of press releases distributed each day, it’s a challenge to stand out. That’s why optimizing news content to facilitate self discovery by the media is a perfect compliment to any SEO or Media Relations effort.

So let’s not cede control. Let’s not miss opportunities to maximize coverage. Let’s begin to more concertedly optimize releases and newsrooms on corporate websites for search. Let’s create content that supplements and maximizes traditional media. In the end it will help us better measure results and demonstrate ROI.

In coming posts, I will begin to outline how to use SEO.

Let me get back to you.

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Post Tags: Add new tag, Google Alerts and PR, Lee Odden, PR search, search vs placement

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Comments ( 1 Comment )

With pleasure read your post.I’m working as seo in small concern.Now i am doing online optimization.I would like to improve my skills.so where can i get seo tips.