It’s no secret that every business owner needs to keep the Google search spiders active.
To do this, you have to continuously post fresh content, use key words in all of your copy and of course, obtain backlinks from other websites.
But what does SEO have to do with publicity?
I’m glad you asked, because the answer isn’t that obvious….until you stop to think about it, and then it seems as obvious as a sledgehammer in the face!
Think about it; the world has gone mad for digital media. Which means that everything you could possibly need can be found online. And I mean everything.
Once upon a time in the PR world, print was king and reigned supreme for many, many years.
Every brand under the sun wanted to be seen in a glossy magazine or a daily newspaper. Not only would they be seen by their ideal clients and customers, but they had something to hang on the walls that would take pride of place in the office; either on the walls in reception or laid out as a glossy book on a coffee table or in the boardroom.
It was shamelessly placed so that visitors would spend their time looking at the walls or flicking thorough the book while waiting for a meeting to start. What better time to demonstrate how brilliant and in-demand your business is?
Being featured in the press has always been seen as a badge of honour. It’s something to celebrate and show off and be immensely proud of, whether you’re starting up, stepping up or scaling your brand.
I remember quite vividly…..before I launched PR with Perkes (or LKBPR as it was known then) I was working at a PR agency in London. Our biggest client was so averse to online coverage. He very much saw online as the poor relation to print.
Online coverage wasn’t something you could show off in the boardroom to visitors, shareholders and suppliers.
You couldn’t physically pick it up, flick through the pages and experience coverage in all its glory.
No, no – online coverage wasn’t good enough.
But boy have the tables turned!
That’s because online coverage:
✅ Makes you easily searchable
✅ Leaves a digital footprint
✅ Lasts forever
✅ Can be shared in a number of different ways via social media channels and your email list
✅ Should include key words that will activate the Google spiders
✅ Should include backlinks to your website
Print coverage doesn’t have the ability to do that.
So, while print coverage can be very sexy and shiny, you can’t really make it work harder for you in a digital world.
Unless of course you’re really lucky and your PR coverage in print is also featured online, but that’s never guaranteed as most publications have a separate editorial team for print and online these days.
If you run an online business and you’re used to being part of that online world, then you’ll understand how important it is to maximise what you’re sharing online.
But you’ll also appreciate how ‘noisy’ it is these days, especially since Covid-19 hit, as the world seems to have pivoted to create an online version of their business.
And it makes total sense. The online world isn’t going anywhere any time soon. Having an online business opens you up to more opportunities because you’re no longer restricted by the location that you’re in.
When you have an online business, you really can work with anyone, anywhere in the world.
And that’s pretty fricking exciting!
The business world has certainly changed since I started my first PR role back in 2004. I mean, I don’t think Facebook was even a thing back then! (That’s mind blowing and makes me feel really old!!)
However….as with everything, there is no magic pill, no magic wand or silver bullet to do everything for you.
I’d love to tell you that securing media coeverage for your brand and being featured in the press is the answer to all your SEO prayers……
…..But it’s not.
You still need to be strategic with the content that you’re sharing.
If you’re writing guest blogs then your key words need to be used within those blogs.
If you’re contributing articles then your key words need to be used within those articles.
And if you’re being interviewed by a journalist so that they can share your expertise? Then it’s down to you to weave your key words into the interview and hope they make the final edit.
(It’s worth noting that journalists don’t write features and articles with our key words littered throughout, they write them in a way that will appeal to their readers!!)
But all is not lost! There IS a way that you can repurpose your media coverage so that you can show off your efforts while also amplifying it with your key words.
Here are my top 3 tips on making your press coverage work harder for you:
- Write a blog post about your experience of being interviewed/featured in the press.
- Write an article or newsletter on LinkedIn about your experience, OR, go deeper into the subject you were interviewed on to really cement yourself as the expert
- Send a newsletter to your email list to share your wins, but also to give them a reason to book a call or a session with you
(You should also be sharing your media coverage on social media, but social media doesn’t impact your SEO)
It’s fair to say that SEO can be a minefield, so if you’re going to invest in it, choose an SEO partner who can do the tricky bits for you (or with you), so that you can focus your time and attention on securing even more pieces of media coverage that drive perfect-fit clients into your sales funnel.
(I could say the same thing about PR – invest in someone (like me 👋) who can teach you the basics so that you’re not wasting time figuring it out and faffing about)
I’d much rather pay someone to help me get straight to the point and take fast action, but you may not be the same as me.
If you’re happy to Google the answers then go for it (just remember that SEO companies will be paying for their links to appear on the first page of Google, so bear that in mind before making a decision on who to work with!)
If SEO floats your boat and you want to learn more about the relationship between SEO and publicity, then this article on The Role of Traditional PR in SEO is a pretty awesome place to start (and yes, this is the perfect example of a backlink!)
