Key in Your Success


Keywords & Press Releases

Keywords are an essential part of any internet public relations efforts. Your ability to optimize search engine results is known as Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and has a great deal to do with whether or not your business or agency comes up whenever someone is searching online for products and services that organizations like yours offer. The search always begin with keywords – words that are associated with certain topics. The search itself can lead people to your website, blog or press release.

In press releases they help search engines find your press release. This is desirable when press releases in and of themselves provide newsworthy and timely information. Here are two tips about how to incorporate keywords into your press release so that you achieve the results you want:

Use keywords in the title.
When writing a press release, have a specific audience in mind. This includes your organization’s donors and volunteers as well as bloggers and journalists who may be interested in the press release. Consider words associated with the topic of the press release. Use at least one of those words in the press release headline. For example, if this article were a press release you’d see that the keyword Press Release is in the headline. Keep in mind that the title still needs to make sense to the reader.
A word of caution: Do not overdo keywords. Read the press release headline outloud. If it makes sense, fine. If not, then go back to the keyboard drawing board.

Use keywords in subject headings.
General rule of thumb: press releases should be no longer than one page in length. And they shouldn’t be long blocks of text, either. Break up the copy with sub-headlines between articles (like in this article). This provides you with an opportunity to use select keywords again and lets the reader know a new segment of information is coming. Consider formatting the press release headlines with a heading command; this tells the computer that these words are headings. As a result these will also be seen by search engines.

Optimizing a press release for the search engine searches does not have to be difficult. In some cases it can be a very creative task. One that allows you to achieve two distinct yet connected results: to show up in internet searches and to appeal to those who can benefit from your news.

1 comment:

  1. Awesome content. I'm learning more about Press Releases every day. I'm used to reading those block text press releases and always wondered if I could break up my copy.. or if this block text was the "right" way to do a press release. I love reading valuable information that tells me exactly what I want to hear.. lol. Also I appreciate the insight of including Press Release in the Title, yet another question you have cleared up for me. I really appreciate this very valuable post.. keep smiling

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