Do you think press releases are only for
corporate news? Is your business big enough to send out a press
release?
If, for some reason you think your business is
too small or too unimportant to send out a press release, I
disagree. All businesses, even consultants and solo-entrepreneurs
need to be regularly sending out search engine optimized online
press releases.
Here's why.
While you've been working on your business and in
your business, a quiet revolution in PR has been transforming the
traditional press release. The lowly press release has been
reinvented and is being used online to increase website traffic and
directly reach out to a company's target audience. Let me explain
how this all works.
Millions of Websites
The common thinking is that if you have a
business, you should have a website. Sounds reasonable until you
look at how many websites are on the Internet. In February 2007, the
Netcraft Web Server Survey found over 108 million distinct web
sites. You are a very small fish in a very big pond. How can you
possibly have a website that is found by your target audience? This
is the question all businesses face.
Even though the Internet has leveled the playing
field for small businesses, the issue of how to get top ranking with
the search engines has always been an online business's biggest
concern. The companies with the biggest marketing budgets hire SEO
companies to optimize their websites and create pay-per-click
campaigns to drive traffic to the website. They spend thousands of
dollars every month to try to guarantee a high ranking with the
search engines.
So, where does this leave the small business
owner? Do you have thousands of dollars to spend on SEO? I doubt it.
Now what?
With millions of websites competing with each
other it's often a frustrating experience to try to get a high
ranking for your website. Hiring a search engine optimization expert
is expensive and a tremendous amount of work.
Search Engine Optimized Press Releases
A fast and easy way to attract targeted traffic
to a website is by using a search engine optimized press release.
Not only does it get the attention of the media, but it gives you
the opportunity to directly reach out to your customer.
Nearly 100% of journalists go online looking for
interesting stories to report on. A press release distributed
through the Internet will quickly get your message to media
professionals, onto the desks of journalists and top news sites.
You can submit press releases to an online news
service that uses RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds, e-mail,
photo podcast and video to distribute press releases all over the
Internet. More than 60,000 journalists and media outlets worldwide
receive the press release in English, French, Spanish and Chinese.
In addition, the press release is posted on a news service site that
receives 50 million page views each month.
Levels the Playing Field
It's possible that you or your business could be
easily found as a result of an online press release. Within 24 hours
of submitting a press release it is possible to get top rankings
with search engines and directories like Google, MSN, or Yahoo. This
makes it more likely that traffic will come to your website.
Another benefit to using online press releases is
that they link back to your website when they are picked up by other
websites. This causes permanent links back to your website, which
causes your site to get a higher search engine ranking with Google.
The more press releases you submit, the more
links you can get back to your site and your ranking continues to
grow (without spending thousands of dollars).
Reach Buyers Directly
Because of the Internet, an online press release
is no longer just a release to the press. It is a release that
anyone can read because it is being distributed through the
Internet.
This is an incredible opportunity to reach your
target audience. Never in history have we had such an opportunity to
reach millions of people with the push of a button.
One of my clients used an online press release to
help him sell a $7 million home. Since an SEO press release has
worldwide exposure, he was able to reach potential buyers globally.
As it turned out, within days of the distribution of his press
release, he was contacted by a couple 3,000 miles away who bought
the home shortly after visiting the property.
Customers Are Looking for You
For an affordable, one-time cost, a search engine
optimized, online press release gives you immediate and long term
search engine ranking. Because an online press release never goes
away, years from now someone could do a Google search and bring up
your press release. In addition, an online press release is an
opportunity to directly reach out to your target market. Customers
are looking for you; make it easy for them and send out a press
release.
© 2005 Michelle Howe
