7 Tips to Write SEO Friendly Press Releases for Maximum Audience Engagement

SEO Friendly Press Releases

To cut through the competition with your business, you must distribute SEO friendly press releases that increase your chances of media and audience engagement.

The purpose of search engine optimization or SEO in press releases is to increase engagement among the audience. In order to write SEO friendly press releases, one must be aware of some of the most effective tips. If you want your business to stand out in the competition, the following tips will come in handy.

Keywords

A keyword is the first step into optimization. A keyword relevant to the industry must be present throughout the press release in the title, introduction, and body. They play a vital role in making a press release discoverable by users who may be searching for similar products or services on the internet. Research is an important part here as trending keywords have better potential of being effective. Always use keywords with a high search volume for your press releases.

Competitive Research

There is extensive competition in the scope of press release distribution. Always consider keywords that your competitors are using. Target the backlinks of popular keywords to find the source. This way, you may also come across websites which can serve as media outlets for your news. So, the number of audiences coming across your company is more. There is no shortcut in nailing a successful campaign. The hard work and subsequent success only come from extensive research and implementing ideas.

Headline

As per current statistics, 80% of all users read the headline out of which only 20% end up reading the entire news. The digital age gives us endless choices every day. There is no time for anyone to spend. So, you must stand out with a catchy headline to grab the audience’s attention. A headline is truly the make-or-break deal in a press release. This opportunity must be used wisely. Consider the following tips to make a headline optimized with keywords too quickly grab attention:

  • Make a valuable and informative headline
  • If possible, avoid jargons
  • Always insert the primary keyword
  • Using numbers in headlines get more clicks
  • Try to add an emotional angle to the headline

The 5 Ws

You already have your keyword and title ready. It is time to write the first paragraph of the press release. Engage the readers with short but informative details. The first paragraph of the PR must answer:

  • What
  • When
  • Where
  • Who
  • Why

These details trigger user imagination and compel them to check out the rest of the news or the website. After providing the 5Ws, add the brand message. The readers must know within the first two sentences what the PR is about. The 5Ws create a structure in the PR making it more professional. However, do not overcrowd the paragraph with excessive keywords.

Engaging Writing

The writer must be dynamic to construct stories that are eye-grabbing. The content must be captivating from beginning to end. Some of the tricks of writing an engaging PR are:

  • Tell stories
  • Write to-the-point
  • Quotes
  • Examples of statistics
  • Background information
  • End the press release with a boilerplate. It is a chance for you to introduce the company, its vision, and its products to the audience.

Visuals

Visuals are a great way to optimize a press release. It helps them engage in the story more. Visuals also help audiences keep the news in their memory for longer. Visuals such as images or videos in a press release are a great tip. They help in taking the story further through social shares. You can further optimize these visuals in the PR for SEO by including keywords in the file names, alt text, and captions. It gives Google an idea about the image or video as well.

Call-to-Action

Every press release aims at instigating action among the audience. The press release should not only create captivating content but also signal the audience for the next step. The PR must encourage the users to place call-to-action. Meet your end goal by adding a relevant call-to-action depending on your aim. Just adding a link to the website at the end will compel readers to check it out.

Conclusion

Press releases help in getting the word out about your company, vision, and products to the audiences. So, to make the news reach the target audience, one must optimize it. The above tips will help in better optimizing your PR to attract desired engagement.