Search Engine and Social Media Optimization, Turning Buzz into Leads

Press releases are commonly used by many companies for the distribution of information to the news media. Radio, television, news editors and newspaper reporters all depend on the news information they receive from press releases. In the past few years the internet has made access to latest information very easy. A recent study showed that 98% journalists visit the web daily to check mail, do research, find press releases, find new stories and visit blogs. Web based press releases have broadened the horizon for both companies and news agencies. With all these advantages a few changes have been made in the press release format.  Here are a few tips on how to write web based press releases.

The content of a web based press release needs to be search engine optimized (SEO). The release should have carefully chosen keywords and well researched.  The reason to have a SEO friendly press release is that people will search your release through search engines. The more SEO friendly the press release the higher it will rank and more people will have visibility. Another way to rank high on search engines is by using SEO friendly links. These links also help readers that might want to know more about the company, organization or product.

The format of the press release is also changed to keep it SEO friendly. You need to give the text subheadings, and the subheadings need to have search friendly keywords. Use tables and bulleted list where applicable. Keep the paragraphs short and do not underline the subheadings.

The writing should be simple and addressing a large audience. The web based press release is not targeted at a specific group only, it range expands to the world. Don’t use technical jargons as many readers will not understand them. Remember with online press releases your audience is the entire world. Do not restrict the information of the web based press release to a specific date. The information posted online needs to be relevant for a long period of time.  Mention the name of the contact person along with his e-mail address, contact number and website for people that may want more information.