Love and marriage. They go together like…PR and SEO?
While some marriages are made in heaven, the marriage between public relations and search engine optimization is made online. They may seem like an unlikely couple, but they work together in perfect harmony. And while PR may not ignite passion, it can certainly ignite SEO success.
A good PR plan will elevate brand awareness, create a positive brand image, enhance media relations, maintain and/or improve brand credibility and reputation and position the company as an industry thought leader. But when it is combined with SEO, that is when the magic happens.
Of course, no marriage is easy. It takes hard work, commitment, and planning. Here are some tips to build a strong marriage between PR and SEO.
Communicate and choose words wisely – to build credibility and authority
A great SEO strategy begins with conducting in-depth keyword research. These words not only become the foundation of how a company is found online, but they also represent what is important to customers. It is vital to share these keywords with the PR team so they can communicate what people want to know.
Media websites typically have high domain authorities and often show up at the top of search results. Using target keywords in press releases and during interviews can help optimize the publisher’s content about the company and strengthen credibility. Links resulting from these digital PR campaigns lead back to the company’s website landing page and can boost brand authority, increase organic search traffic and lead to higher rankings on search engine results pages.
Have their back – backlinks, that is
A backlink is when a third party shares a link to another company’s website, social media or other content. PR backlinks and mentions across different channels spread awareness and increases brand authority.
Some PR strategies to get these valuable backlinks include creating quality, visually appealing content reporters want to share, pitching stories to get media placements and asking for the backlink, securing product reviews, guest blogging, speaking at events, participating in or hosting interviews on podcasts, social media or website and always asking for the backlink.
Maintain friendships outside the marriage – utilize influencers and bloggers
A great PR strategy often includes building relationships with popular bloggers and other influencers and encouraging them to share information and links with their fans, followers or subscribers.
Influencer marketing is a PR strategy that fosters collaboration with influential people in the industry. These influencers are well-known and respected in their fields and have large social followings and fans. Influencer marketing improves brand visibility and awareness and persuades search engines to recognize the company’s site as authoritative and trustworthy.
Continue to have an active social life – leverage social media
Social media does not have a direct influence on SEO rankings but when a post receives likes, shares, and comments, it sends vital signals that Google and other search engines use to rank websites. In addition, social media is important because it has the potential to drive web traffic to the company website or blog. When content is valuable and engaging to the reader, they will share it with their friends and followers, who in turn may share it with their friends and followers, increasing visibility, improving traffic, and generating backlinks. This activity notifies search engines that the site content is trustworthy and valuable, indirectly improving search rankings.
The marriage between PR and SEO may take work and commitment but prioritizing this relationship will produce top results that other companies will envy.