Online press releases are an excellent way to round out your search engine marketing program. When you submit a keyword optimized press release for online distribution, it produces several short term and long term SEM results, including -
- Immediate exposure on search engines;
- Creating backlinks to your site from the press release itself and from news Web sites that pick up the release;
- Getting your message out to a new and/or broader audience; and,
- Building content and links for your own Web site's Press Room section.
Online press releases may be the secret weapon of search engine marketing. I'm always amazed that so few companies employ them. A number of
free submission sites are available, and paid distribution sites, such as
PRWeb, are affordable for any marketing budget.
In addition to their SEM value, press releases support your business in other important ways -
- Press releases keep your customers and stakeholders informed on key company issues;
- They build your reputation as a thought leader, industry leader, and innovator;
- They let customers know things are happening; and,
- They provide a channel for getting your story out when "damage control" becomes necessary.
As with most marketing programs, press releases are not a one shot proposition. Press releases become effective when they are done repeatedly. In upcoming posts, I'll talk about how to write press releases and what to write about.
