While press releases are primarily used for news services and marketing purposes, however, they have also found a substantial use in SEO practices and have spilled over to include their usage for the sole purpose of increasing traffic on websites from search engines.Their versatility is one of the reasons why press releases are used for search engine optimization. If they are such a multi-faceted solution to social marketing, then you might ask something like ‘How to use press releases for SEO’?

First a bit more on press releases and their uses for SEO. For one, their use seems to have been spurred on by the fact that they can supplement an existing SEO strategy complete with a social media outreach. Having a press release live on the internet along with a full fledged SEO campaign can only serve to further increase the traffic and subsequently bump up the views count, contributing heavily to the overall success of the cumulative SEO strategy.

To paraphrase, a press release can be used as a catalyst to an existent SEO marketing campaign to further up the count.

So how does the catalyst actually help with the whole SEO process?

How do press releases help with SEO?

  1. Keywords
  2. First up is the way you attempt a press release. Releases usually require creative inputs, but with the SEO element, you need to infuse the release with a substantial number of keywords, with the standard practice suggesting an input of the keyword in the title, the description and the first paragraph. This helps the press release itself in ranking better by the standards of the search engine.
    However, an important point to mention here would also pertain to the usage of keywords. Specifically, the overuse of keywords, which could turn the whole gig into a big chunk of radioactive material. As Google puts it very simply, a sprinkling of keywords is fine but when it overfills, it could turn into a big problem and could potentially end up getting the press release and the SEO campaign banned altogether.
    Therefore, keywords are to be cautiously and carefully used so as to not tamper with the algorithm. If your press release can do that, then you’ve got nothing to worry about. You have the greenlight to go ahead.

  3. Backlinks
  4. Backlinks are basically the links that route the user back to your website. What it means is, if a press release has your website’s link in it and it is placed at a very visible part of the release, it’ll always guarantee a visit to your site. It's as simple as that. However, as it may sound simple, in the actual world of Google algorithms and analytics, it is incredibly nerve-racking, especially from an SEO viewpoint.

    Considering the search engine giant’s excessive patrolling of this territory, it is becoming increasingly difficult to build high quality backlinks, especially after this particular process revealed a very ugly side of its own a few years back.So how do press releases help with backlinks that are imperative for SEO? It’s pretty simple, this one. News websites and media houses in search of filler material will quickly grab press releases for their websites and then backlink them to your website. And since they hold a very high number of equity and traffic, therefore, with the proper press release, your SEO traffic might end up getting a substantial bump. In the end, a simple but elegantly penned press release will go a long way in helping your SEO campaign boost even further. That’s the kind of effect only a good press release can give.

    SEO and digital marketing websites like iCrowdNewswire routinely employ press releases as their go-to marketing solution; one that gives you the most for the least.
    These two steps can have a positive effect on your SEO strategy via press releases. What else can press releases do to aid with the whole SEO deal? Here are a few pointers,

    1. Natural links that build backlinks for your website. (News websites, media websites)
    2. Press releases can help build brand visibility efficiently and with the least amount of input required.
    3. With brand visibility comes brand recognition. Once your brand takes off due to the press releases accompanying the whole SEO-backed marketing campaign, it’ll benefit from the subsequent traffic increase and will contribute to the image-building of your brand.
    4. Referral traffic.

How to use press releases for SEO?

Usage of press releases for SEO pertain much to how it helps. The two factors again play a pivotal role in the whole SEO campaign. Keywords and backlinks. For backlinks specifically, the press release needs to be creative and engaging enough to compel media houses and news websites to pick it up and publish it.

This section of actually working on the press release itself for the sake of SEO is pretty crucial as backlinks are derived from these sites and sites will only pick up your stuff if they feel it’ll bring them any good. Therefore, work on it so as to make it attractive and media-friendly.As for the keywords section, use these anchoring words in your press release in the prescribed number to make it SEO-friendly.

Why?

Because an overuse of these words is pretty denigrating to the press release and the whole SEO campaign itself, since Google flags it as something that has been spammed. Therefore, a moderate use would benefit the SEO and an excessive use would only damage it altogether.
To know more about this , read this article here to understand how press release marketing works and how you can use press releases for the purpose of search engine optimization (SEO) to benefit your overall marketing campaign.
Keep in mind the two imperative points and you can see for yourself how a simple release can act as a catalyst to pitching your product to the wider audience.

Author's Bio: 

Working as a digital marketer for the last three years but I've loved digital marketing my whole life.A writer by day and reader by night, I endeavor to share the knowledge, experience and insights of the marketing world.