Ranking well in search engines depends on on-site factors (your content and copy) as well as off-site factors (like links pointing to your site). Today I want to touch on a key issue with on-site search engine optimization, or SEO.

Writing for Readers vs Writing for Search Engines

In the past, writing to rank well in search engines could lead to atrocious-looking content that could be borderline unreadable to visitors of your site — you know, the people you’re actually hoping to sell to.

That’s because old school SEO relied heavily on keyword phrases, which turned into “keyword stuffing.” SEO folks would encourage business owners to cram keyword phrases into their copy or blog content over and over again, in an effort to prove relevance to sites like Google.

Now some of us saw the writing on the wall from Day One. We knew that the best “writing for search engines” would always be strong writing for readers themselves. It was common sense. And those more responsible business owners embraced that.

Many others, however, didn’t. They wanted quick fix results even if they had no chance of lasting long-term, and there were plenty of SEO snake oil salesmen happy to sell it to them. So copywriting and blog content took two distinct paths:

1. Writing for search engines — Often keyword-stuffed drivel that didn’t help or convert readers (and sometimes was designed to entice them to click off-site onto ads; yes, lousy content was sometimes intentional)
2. Writing for readers — More traditional writing designed to inform, educate, entertain, and convert the reader

If you were a serious business owner and came to me for help, I’d tell you to go with Option 2 every single time. Not only did I know as a PR professional that shoddy content could hurt your reputation and business, but I knew as a web publisher in my own right (and editor for large online media properties at the time) that quality content mattered.

In this case, I was right from the beginning. 

My own sites ranked well. I didn’t see massive fluctuations every time Google updated their algorithm. My clients’ content ranked well similarly. And SEO pros I worked with (where I taught them how to keep the focus on quality for PR benefits without giving up the SEO benefits they were looking for) also earned similar bragging rights with their own clients.

What tended to happen to those who focused solely on writing for search engines? 

They got stuck in the algorithm-chasing game. Every time Google would change their algorithm to go after lousy content and bad practices they’d engaged in, they either went under or they had to overhaul things. Instead of focusing on fresh ideas and new content, they would have to update a large portion of their older content to bring it up to current standards.

And there’s a good reason some SEO folks pushed this content and sold it as “quick and easy” money and traffic…

They didn’t care if that content got penalized by Google later. To them, it was an excuse to sell clients additional services to update all of their old work.

Unfortunately I still know SEO people who operate this way. They employ low-level content producers (I hesitate to even call some of them “writers”). They may or may not speak your language well. They may or may not know anything about the subject matter you need them to write about. And chances are very good you won’t get something original. It will either be stolen or it will be pieced together from other sources.

Side note: These are the SEO folks who promise things will “pass Copyscape.” That just means they’ll rewrite enough words from someone else’s work so that a plagiarism detector can’t pick it up. Quick tip though: That doesn’t make it legal. Here in the U.S. rewriting an article is a derivative work, which only the copyright owner of the original is authorized to do or license. So you aren’t protected.

Basically, you would hire this low-priced “writer” or SEO firm to create your content or copy. And while you would save money up front, your results wouldn’t last, you’d have to pay even more later to have the same content fixed, and you’d put your reputation at risk in the process.

Readers vs Google: You Don’t Have to Choose

None of this is to say updating old content is a bad thing. (This very post is a new version of a much shorter older one where some information was outdated.) Many topics have evergreen appeal but will need updates to reflect current statistics, trends, or more recent experiences.

That’s okay. You should do those updates and keep making those pages work for you by attracting new readers.

But here’s the thing. You should only do that when it benefits your readers.

The visitors of your site — in most cases your target customers — should always be your priority. Businesses that don’t serve their customers’ needs well often aren’t around for long.

That doesn’t mean you should neglect search engines though. Fortunately Google’s gotten better at weeding out keyword-stuffed garbage in favor of higher-quality content (though they still have serious issues distinguishing between true authority and simple popularity, but that’s a topic for another day).

Every page of content or copy you write should still be well-optimized. You should have a target keyword phrase in mind. You should build links to each page that you want to rank well. Basic SEO practices aren’t inherently bad as long as you don’t abuse them to the detriment of actual people reading what you’ve written.

Here’s the thing I’ve been telling my clients for the past 17 years or so though. And it’s still true today:

Writing for readers is writing for search engines.

The higher the quality of your content, the more likely it is your site will become a trusted source people happily share and link to. And that goes much further toward earning you high Google rankings than any amount of shoddy keyword-stuffed copy ever could.

Things have changed a lot (mostly for the better) over the years. But there’s still a long way to go.

If you want to get the most out of your budget, the key isn’t hiring cheap or letting your SEO firm handle your content. It’s in hiring a pro who can get the job done right the first time creating something that people want to share and, more importantly, creating copy that converts.

Need help with your web copy or blog content? Get in touch with me any time.

The post How Writing for Readers Appeals to Search Engines appeared first on Pro Business Writer.

Let’s look at the evolution of SEO press releases and how you can use them to build high quality backlinks without sacrificing your credibility.

The Early Days of SEO Press Releases

Press releases have taken an interesting, though predictable, trajectory over the last decade or so. I was fortunate to be in a position to watch SEO press releases go through a pretty complete lifecycle, from the spammy bastardization of traditional news releases to the hybrid style you’ll often find today.

Early on, SEO press releases weren’t often written by experienced PR professionals. They were a PR tool hijacked by SEO service providers.

Why?

A big part of getting SEO clients to rank well in Google was building backlinks (still is). And early on, big press release distribution sites (like PRWeb) had what are known as “dofollow” links in them. This means SEO folks could use press releases on these distribution sites to manipulate their position in search engine rankings. It became the equivalent of buying links (a no-no in Google’s eyes).

I won’t bore you with more details on this here. You can read more about this background and what Google did to turn things around in my earlier post, Why Serious Press Release Writers Don’t Stress About SEO.

The Real Purpose of SEO Press Releases

Here’s the thing…

This old school kind of SEO press release was always a bad idea. And I made my sure my clients knew it. While I couldn’t control whether distribution sites made links “dofollow” or “nofollow,” I did give my clients this advice:

• Never distribute a news release solely for the backlinks. Have legitimate news to share or an otherwise timely angle. Submit spammy press releases, and you risk damaging your reputation permanently with media outlets. And then you’re screwed when you do have news you want them to amplify.
• Don’t overload your press release with too many links, and don’t make them all anchor text links (definitely not the same anchor text in multiple links).
• Stop thinking of press release distribution sites themselves as SEO link sources. That is not where the truly valuable links for SEO purposes come from anyway.

This put my clients ahead of the curve (and didn’t leave them with a bad link profile to clean up to “fix” their Google rankings later). And this is where SEO press releases eventually went.

In other words, the real purpose of SEO press releases went back to a focus on getting press. The most valuable backlinks no longer came from the distribution sites. They came from the media outlets and bloggers picking up a company’s story. And that meant companies had to put out higher quality news releases again with genuine newsworthy angles.

It took time, and there was a transition period.

• First, distribution sites nofollowed their links. This helped weed out the worst of the worst offenders. When they couldn’t buy links anymore, they stopped using press releases.
• Then distribution sites started cracking down on links a bit more, such as limiting the number of them or at least limiting how many anchor text links customers could include (those are when you link keyword phrases).
• Google started its own crackdown, on sites with “unnatural” links (links that are bought or otherwise unearned).

Has all of this completely gotten rid of spammy old school SEO press releases? No. But it did decrease their frequency. And that makes it just a little bit easier for your quality releases to get the coverage they deserve.

3 Tips for Writing Modern SEO Press Releases

None of this is to say press releases themselves don’t have SEO value anymore.

For example, your press releases will often be distributed online. That means they, themselves, will be indexed by Google. And that means customers searching for news about your company or your industry will find your release first if you make sure they’re well-optimized for search engine rankings.

Here are some ways you can do that:

1. Use relevant keyword phrases in your press release, especially in your headline. These should be keywords your target customers (or media outlets you hope to land coverage from) are likely to use when searching Google.
2. Include links in your press release, but focus on “natural” links. In other words, don’t link your keywords. Link your company name. Or if you need to highlight an internal page on your website, include the full URL (the web page address). This makes it possible for readers to access that page even if your news release is republished without a live, clickable link.
3. Add social media links to your press release if distribution sites allow. Make it easy for readers to not only find you on social media but also to share your press release. This helps you build backlinks and traffic to the release itself — good for SEO on its own, but it can also help you secure more media and blog pick-ups for your story.

That’s the gist of how SEO press releases began, where they are today, and how you can get SEO benefits from your news releases without spamming press release distribution sites in the process.

Need help writing an SEO-friendly press release of your own? I’d be happy to do that. Get in touch, and let’s talk about your company’s upcoming news.

The post The Evolution of SEO Press Releases appeared first on Pro Business Writer.

There’s some truth to that. But chances are good any SEO advice you’ve read about press release writing or distribution is either sorely outdated or flat-out wrong. So before you follow all those little SEO “rules” you’ve heard about, let’s set the record straight.

First, for those of you new to the concept of SEO press releases, let’s take a quick look at what SEO actually means.

What is SEO?

SEO stands for “search engine optimization.” Simply put, SEO is everything you do to make your website (or a particular web page) rank highly in search engines when people search for keyword phrases relevant to your site.

For example, if your company sells gourmet coffee online, when a potential customer Googles something like “gourmet coffee,” you want your website to be one of the first they see in their search results.

Everything you do to make that happen naturally (as opposed to paying for placement with ads) is SEO.

Why Should Press Release Writers Worry About SEO?

Well, they shouldn’t. But…

The main reason people tell business owners to focus on SEO in their press releases is to build easy links to their website. But that advice is simply out of date.

A bit of background…

I’ve been involved in public relations for around 18 years now. And I’ve specialized in online PR during most of that time. More importantly, there was a time when I was the only PR pro active in some major webmaster communities, teaching and consulting with that market about press releases, which were still a brand new concept to most of them.

I’ve also been an active web publisher for 16 years. In addition to running my own network of websites in that time, I’ve also worked as a contributor and editor for major online publications. I’ve consulted with well over a dozen SEO firms (in addition to online marketing agencies and non-agency clients). So I’m more in touch with SEO trends and avoiding “algorithm chasing” than many press release writers.

That’s where this advice is coming from — someone who’s been there, done that, and who knows what she’s talking about.

Now, back to using press releases for easy links for SEO…

Years ago, this was a good strategy (not “good” as in smart, but “good” as in it worked).

Press release distribution sites had a lot of “link juice” (the value of their links in improving your website’s rankings). Basically, press releases became seen as a good way to build links to your website.

But, as they often do, marketers used and abused this strategy until they pretty much destroyed it.

That was a good thing though.

Because of this abuse, in 2013 Google (AKA “the internet police”) went after links coming from press release distribution sites.

In response to those actions from Google, press release distribution sites — at least the respectable ones — started using the “nofollow” attribute on all links in press releases.

You don’t need to worry about what that means from a technical perspective. Just know it tells Google not to pass that same “link juice” to your site that we talked about earlier. Basically, links in press releases were devalued for SEO purposes because too many people were trying to use them to manipulate Google’s search rankings.

Now, don’t get me wrong here. SEO still has a role when it comes to news releases. But that role is much smaller than it once was. It shouldn’t be your primary concern.

What to Focus On Instead

Rather than worry about using press releases to directly influence your website’s search engine rankings, you should do what I’ve been telling clients for almost as long as I’ve been in business (funny how the good advice never goes out of style or incites the wrath of Google):

Focus on the media first. 

That’s what press releases are after all — media relations tools.

The real value of press releases has never been about links in press releases themselves (or keywords, or clickbait headlines, for that matter).

The real value of press releases has always been in the resulting coverage your company earns. 

These are the pick-ups on industry blogs, in trade publications, and in major media outlets. They’re the stories that result from a successful press release — not the press release content and distribution site links themselves.

Why then did so many people focus on SEO first?

It was easier.

Using press releases properly isn’t always easy. You don’t fully control results (you have no idea what news stories you’ll compete with on any given day).

Calling a news release a “success” because some SEO newbie submitted it to a hundred free distribution sites for quick links became far too common. Clients considered it a huge investment to submit releases to even cheaper press release distribution sites because they didn’t see the real potential; they just saw it as buying links.

A truly successful press release is one that gets more relevant eyes on your news — and, yes, more visitors to your website in many cases — with legitimate coverage. And really, it’s links from those media outlets and relevant blogs that think you deserve coverage that have the most SEO value anyway.

How do you earn that media coverage? 

• You do something genuinely newsworthy.
• You put together a well-written press release that won’t make journalists’ eyes bleed.
• You get your press release into the hands of relevant journalists, bloggers, and other interested parties.

Yikes. That sounds like real work, doesn’t it? No wonder so many people tried to take the easy way out, spamming the web with low quality “news” releases for quick links.

You’re better than that though. And you do deserve real coverage for your company’s news. That’s why you won’t make some of these common mistakes.

Ignore These “Rules” for SEO Press Releases

If you want to follow press release best practices rather than joining the ranks of SEO spammers, here are some SEO press release writing “rules” you can, and should gleefully, break.

1. Your press release headline should be keyword-rich.

No. Your press release headline should grab attention and get your news across clearly. You’re writing for people, not search engines.

Do This Instead:

One thing you should keep in mind when writing press release headlines that will appear online is that they’ll show up in search engine results. While you shouldn’t stuff them full of keyword phrases, you should make sure the entire headline displays.

If your release comes up in search results, you want people to click it to read your news and decide if it’s worth covering in their own outlet. If your headline gets cut off because it’s too long to display in Google, you risk them browsing right past your press release in favor of a competing listing.

While Google changes the amount of a page title they’ll display periodically, I find that around 60 characters is pretty safe.

2. You should link keyword-rich anchor text to your website.

No. Just no.

This is a seriously old school SEO tactic that some PR and marketing folks are still pushing for press release writing.

A couple of problems:

• Not all distribution sites will even let you do this any more. (And if they’re charging extra for the ability to post these as “dofollow” links in any way, they’re basically selling links for SEO purposes which could get them — and you — penalized by Google.)
• Your press release won’t only appear the way you post it to a distribution site. It can be published elsewhere via a feed from that site, or manually picked up (and sites will follow their own editorial guidelines regarding links). And it may even appear in print, where that link is worthless even though the coverage may be far more valuable.

Remember this: once you put a press release with spammy keyword-rich links on a distribution site, it might be there indefinitely. And the next time Google gets themselves in a tizzy and your old link-building habits come back to haunt you, you might be stuck. So never post anything you wouldn’t want to still have on the web five or ten years from now.

Do This Instead:

Your full URL should be visible. And you should be using links sparingly — direct people where you want them to click, and don’t give them too many options.

(Oh, and Google doesn’t like you over-using anchor text links for keyword phrases you want to rank for nearly as much as they used to. In fact, keyword-rich anchor text links in press releases are outright labeled a “link scheme” in Google’s quality guidelines. So get over this old “rule.” Move on. And put actual readers first.)

3. You should post to as many press release distribution sites as possible.

This advice goes back to the “easy linkbuilding” strategy where SEO people and some marketers thought the real value of releases was the number of immediate backlinks they could build. So they would post news releases to dozens, if not hundreds, of free distribution sites.

Don’t do this.

This has always been incredibly bad advice. Most of the free sites never offered much link value to begin with. And it put you at risk of being seen as a spammer — not the way you land legitimate coverage and the truly high value links that can come with.

Do This Instead: 

If you want to distribute your release online, do it through just one premium distribution service. Use industry targeting there. Or choose an industry-specific wire to distribute your release through.

Then, more importantly, focus on manual press release distribution. This is when you send your release directly to key editors with key publications (or other media outlets) you hope will pick up your news. Don’t rely on them seeing your more widely-posted release. If you want someone’s attention, ask for it.

So, should you stress over SEO when it comes to your company’s (or your clients’) press releases? Not unless you’re stuck in the past. But press releases do still have SEO value when they’re used to land legitimate, and earned, media coverage. So above all else, focus on making your company one members of the media actually want to talk about.

Do you need help writing your next press release? Contact me, an experienced PR professional, to talk about your project when you’re ready.

The post Why Serious Press Release Writers Don’t Stress About SEO appeared first on Pro Business Writer.

Here’s what business owners, in similar positions to you, are asking freelance writers to do:

• The writer is to draft an article related to the client’s business. (There’s nothing wrong with this part.)
• The writer is expected to include one or more links — generally “dofollow” links — to the client’s website. (This is sketchy depending on the circumstances, which we’ll get to below.)
• The writer is also expected to “place” this content on third party websites they already have established publishing relationships with. (This is a huge problem that can ruin a freelancer’s career, but it also puts your own reputation at risk.)

The Issue of Backlinks

I mentioned asking your freelance writers to include dofollow links in their articles can be a problem. Now, if those articles are on your own website, or going on your own social media profiles, there’s nothing wrong with this.

The problem is when you require them to publish that content elsewhere with your links (their website, their social media accounts, or third party sites they have separate relationships with).

This isn’t always bad. But for this to be ethical (and following FTC guidelines if you, the writer, or the site involved is based in the U.S.), those articles would need to:

• Feature clear and conspicuous disclosure of the writer’s paid relationship with you (“clear and conspicuous” means it can’t be stuck at the bottom of an article, in a sidebar, or anywhere else that wouldn’t make it clear as soon as a reader sees that link);
• Make the links “nofollow” if the writer’s being paid in any way for this content with links as a requirement (otherwise you risk being penalized by Google for buying dofollow links to manipulate your search engine rankings).
• The other website involved would need to be aware of the arrangement.

The Issue of Ethics

When I see these gigs advertised, the problems are two-fold:

• They always seem to want to sneak the links in (dofollow links with no disclosure).
• They don’t want the writer mentioning it to the sites they’re publishing on (these often include well-known sites like Forbes.com and HuffingtonPost.com).

There’s no way around this. If you do either of these things when you hire a freelance writer, it’s unethical. And any freelancer who would willingly do this for you is both unprofessional and putting your company at risk.

The Consequences

If you took part in one of these “freelance writing” link-building schemes, what could go wrong? Quite a lot.

• If Google finds out you’re paying for links to manipulate rankings, you could end up with SEO penalties that hurt the rankings you were trying to build in the first place.
• If you fail to disclose paid relationships for those links, recommendations, or reviews in articles, you could run up against the Federal Trade Commission for violating those FTC guidelines.
• If the site that got exploited in this scheme finds out, it could cause the freelance writer to lose their relationship with that company, and it could cause irreparable damage to your reputation and get you blacklisted from any legitimate coverage and links in those media outlets in the future.

Don’t think the last will happen? I can tell you for a fact these media outlets are not only aware of this scheme, but they’re actively looking out for suspicious placements.

I have colleagues who have been told as much by the large sites they write for. One was caught up doing this without realizing what was wrong and she lost a long-time gig. And another freelancer I know did other work for a client who was guilty of this (she wasn’t even involved in their link placement on the site). And it cost her that relationship simply for being professionally associated with a company engaging in these kinds of unethical practices.

It happens. And you will eventually get caught.

So please. Don’t do this. As a PR professional, it blows me away that people don’t see the obvious reputational risks involved. I would hate to see you get caught up having to clean up a mess you might not fully recover from. And as a freelance writer, I have professional standards of my own that would never allow me to take on a gig like this.

When it comes to your relationship with your freelance writer, it’s important to pay attention to their ethical lines — not just your own. If they make promises to place content somewhere, make sure they’re not willing to engage in a conflict of interest. If they’d screw over one client, why wouldn’t they do the same to you? After all, you wouldn’t want them getting paid to place links in content on your site for another client without your knowledge.

Looking for an ethical freelance business writer to assist with your blogging or content marketing? Between my business writing and public relations experience, I can help you come up with a plan to improve your visibility, backlinks, and reputation in ways that are both effective and ethical. Get in touch, and I’ll let you know how I can help.

The post Asking Your Freelance Writer to do This Could Damage Your Reputation appeared first on Pro Business Writer.

Which is more important though? Having something newsworthy to say or using press releases to build relevant backlinks to improve search engine rankings for your website? They both are. The key is striking a balance.

It’s All About the Audience

While SEO releases and non-SEO releases look and act similarly, they’re not quite the same. It’s okay to break some of the more traditional rules of press release writing when distributing online no matter what some of the “old school” PR reps might say. Why? Because the audience can be different.

When you write a press release, you’re not answering to anyone but your audience. In some cases that target audience might be major media outlets. If so, you might want to stick to the more traditional rules of press release writing and distribution like focusing on hard news and following AP style guidelines.

If, however, your target audience focuses on groups like bloggers and end consumers who are searching for news through news engines like Yahoo! News and Google News, those traditional rules not only don’t have to apply, but they can actually hurt your reach. For example, timely releases with softer angles (more in line with features than traditional news releases) can attract more interest, and some AP style rules are directly contrary to the way people actually search (and being found through those searches is vital).

Don’t Forget the Fundamentals

You can’t know when it’s okay to break the “rules” of press release writing and distribution unless you know what those rules are in the first place. So don’t neglect the traditional release. There’s a lot of merit to the way things have previously been done.

While you don’t always have to release hard news, having a newsworthy or timely story is still important. Without at least one of those elements you’re not really putting out a press release at all. You’re just taking part in article marketing. There’s nothing wrong with article marketing. It just isn’t designed to bring in the immediate influx of traffic, links, and coverage that online press release distribution is.

Another traditional rule is to write out full URLs for links. There’s nothing wrong with breaking that rule in part — by all means use anchor text links whenever the press release distribution site allows you to. After all, that’s a key of a well-optimized release for SEO purposes. However, you might want to consider those traditional full URLs as well. There’s always a chance the release will be picked up somewhere that won’t publish the anchor text links, and the full URL at least gives readers a copy / paste option to find further information.

Striking the Balance

How do you ultimately strike that balance between SEO releases and news value? You certainly don’t use SEO as an excuse to publish fluff and crap that no one has any interest in. As with anything your company publishes, make sure your press releases add value for the intended audience.

That should always be your primary concern. If you’re giving good information and you’re making it easily found in search engines, you’ll likely be forgiven the occasional slip from the rules. Remember, even if your primary intention is to use online press release distribution to improve search engine rankings, what you release also has the potential to affect your company’s image and credibility within your niche or industry. It’s when companies forget that fact that they start to put out releases bordering on spam. Don’t be one of them.

Need help writing a press release to share your company’s news? Get in touch to work with an experienced PR pro today.

The post Balancing PR and SEO in Online Press Release Distribution appeared first on Pro Business Writer.