PR and SEO: A Perfect Marriage
It’s really time for these two services to get hitched. Bringing them together really has the potential to create a truly powerful team. We call it PR SEO.
The world of SEO is changing for the better. Google’s Penguin release really put a damper on those SEO firms who have less than ethical practices. You know…the ones who spam you with links. Google wants to help searchers find “credible” results so they have a better experience.
OK. We’re not talking about Penguin’s running in the street. No, that could be a PR nightmare. We are talking about Google’s Penguin algorithm that shifted the emphasis of the search engine on “earned links.”
This is where the PR team comes into play.
So how should this marriage really work? First, the SEO team provides the technical background. This team knows the data. Which content do your competitors receive the most engagement and traffic from online? What keywords are converting more sales? What content topics are generating leads for Business to Business markets?
Than, the SEO-PR teams come together to develop the content strategy that online users want to share across social media platforms, blogs, mobile devices, online publications, and many other online forums. This is a true brand and marketing strategy.
So, here is the top five reasons why your PR and SEO team need to work together.
- Measuring the Story. OK, we know content is king. We know it is all about the story, right? Yes, but it is also where the story is told. A good PR team can help a company tell a great story. The SEO team helps identify the most credible online places for the content to be featured while the PR team helps develop the content. The SEO team can then measure which story results in the most online engagement. The SEO team knows A/B testing online and how to read and understand the data.
- Linking. Quality links from credible publications will continue to be more and more important in the linking strategies of any SEO firm. The PR firm’s job will be to assist with getting your company covered on these online publications so your site gets quality links.
- Reputation Management. Online reputation management is a critical piece to any business, and it makes sense to bring together both technical and creative minds to stay on top of consumer feedback. As we all know, negative opinions can be spread to the world with a click of a button.
- Listening. We all talk about listening as a critical skill for any company or individual. The SEO team knows how to do this effectively and efficiently. They “listen” to consumers through data and analytics. They can understand where problems occur on the site or what content consumers are asking for online. The PR team knows what to do with this information: create great content.
- Results. We often jump aimlessly on board the latest social media platform. But do you really know if that strategy is right for your company? What is your social media ROI? How do you really know if that press release you sent out generated true online engagement. You need to measure all of your marketing efforts. If you do, you’ll begin to understand what works and what doesn’t work. You can then focus on the things that work to get results.
Are your PR and SEO teams collaborating? What new opportunities have you discovered?
About the Author
Stacie Porter-Bilger is an SEO consultant and the President of Proof SEO.
