The days of standard, market-spin press release are pretty much over. Whilst words still certainly have their part to play, the landscape has most certainly shifted to the point where simple marketing rhetoric won’t cut it any longer. Online marketing is changing the way we think and like it or not SEO (search engine optimisation) is playing a bigger role than ever. The traditional press release now has to work that little bit harder to keep up.
Keywords are key!
The importance of keywords must not be underestimated. In simplest terms, a keyword (or key term) is a specific word or term used commonly in search engines to find a particular subject, service or product. As such, before you even start writing your press release, you should have a good idea of the key words or terms you’re going to be using. Sites such as Word Tracker (www.wordtracker.com) are extremely handy in getting a basic idea of the words you need to be targeting. Of course these days its uses go beyond mere keyword analysis, but as a starting point you can’t go wrong.
Spread the word
There are numerous conflicting arguments when it comes to ‘keyword spread’ or how many times a particular search word or term appears within the body of text on the page. Ask a range of so-called experts and you’re likely to end up with a range of answers. The general rule of thumb is that each chosen keyword or term should not exceed around 2% of the overall word count – thus avoiding saturation and rejection by search bots. How to calculate this? Follow this simple formula: divide the keyword count by the overall word count and multiply this figure by 100.
Layout
As important as knowing which keywords to use is understanding where to place them. Below you’ll find a handy layout guide to help you construct your press release and make the most of your chosen words:
- Title Include a keyword or phrase here – try to keep it concise and attention-grabbing. Ideally the title should balance keywords with an irresistibly clickable quality!
- Summary During the first few sentences try to give an overview as an introduction, using one or two secondary keywords or phrases.
- Body Write subjectively and in third person. This is the main body of text and should contain the bulk of your keywords or phrases.
- About the Company A short synopsis of your company’s services, including a link.
- Press Contact Provide contact details of one person who will act as point of contact for all enquiries. Include name, email and contact number.
- References Don’t forget to reference your quotes and statistics. This lends the work an air of credibility.
Content
Try to choose a compelling subject with broad appeal. Put yourself in the reader’s shoes – would you take time out to read the release? Of course, this is where an attention-grabbing title comes in, but just as important is the content. If there is nothing current of note happening within the company, choose something you have done and make it fit – easily done with a little spin. Remember, the principal aim of any press release is to draw attention to the company. Company quotes can be as self aggrandising as you want them to be, it’s your press release after all! Don’t be afraid to sell yourselves.
Designed for people, not just search engines
Never, ever sacrifice content for the sake of SEO. This is an all-too common mistake and can be at the detriment of a company’s overall image. Think of it this way – the release will be worth nothing if, having found its way onto the screen, it doesn’t hold the reader’s attention long enough to drive the message home.
www.inscribewriting.co.uk
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