Tuesday September 9, 2008Don’t die out with the dinosaurs - the rules of digital PR
Try inputting the following words into the Google search page when you’re next online: food manufacturer, healthy meals, quality wines, food distributor.
These are just a few search words that a potential customer might use and yet big name suppliers of such products don’t even feature on the first Google search page. Now have a look to see how easy it is to find your business using generic search words; if your website doesn’t appear in the top five, chances are you’re missing out on hundreds of potential customers.
In tough times, businesses have to work smarter, focusing all decisions on how they impact the bottom line. So, it’s all the more surprising that many well established companies are not using the web to the best of their advantage. Find out more »
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Five steps to getting your brand top of the search list
1. Think outside the box
- Ditch the jargon – people want to get information fast and don’t have time to filter out corporate or marketing speak
- Research the most popular search terms and incorporate these into your website and press releases
- Three is the magic number – most people use three terms to find what they are looking for e.g. 'cheap quality wines’, ‘healthy ready meals’, ‘ethical food brands’
- Use your customers’ language – ‘efficient’, ‘competitively-priced’, ‘cheap’ are all common search terms
2. Research and development
- The best way to improve your rankings is to check out competitor websites to see how they have achieved high rankings and emulate this where relevant
- Experiment with different search terms and see which websites they return, identify your company’s keywords accordingly
3. Become a source of news
- The press section of the website is often the most frequently visited as visitors know that’s where they are going to find something new. By simply uploading a news page you are giving people a reason to visit your site more often and ensuring Google refreshes your ranking
- People use the Internet to share information – not to be bombarded with sales messages, so make sure your content is factual and informative
- Internet shoppers are much more likely to be swayed by their peers than by what businesses are saying – by opening up a dialogue with journalists and potential customers you will have more control of your reputation and you increase the chances of links to your site
4. Link up with news feeds and relevant associations
- Google tracks inbound high value links to your site and by establishing links with key industry associations you get a double dose of credibility
- Create links to online media coverage as news carries a high value on Google rankings
- Request permission to link your site to relevant industry reports and / or create your own
5. Drive traffic to your destination
- Ensure that your PR team understands the importance of digital PR and creates press releases that incorporate your keywords
- Embedding links in your press release is a powerful means of driving people to key areas of your site
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Making it work
When Unilever Foodsolutions briefed us to announce PG tips' collaboration with the Rainforest Alliance we came back with a creative and cost effective means for telling thousands of people first hand. To find out more click here »
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www.where are you?
You’ve probably spent thousands of pounds developing and updating your website, but can potential customers and journalists find you? If you’re not on the first page of Google you’re nowhere.
Try searching for what you supply and see where you are. If you’re not where you should be, talk to us about how we can help raise your digital profile.
For more information about our digital PR service, please call Anita Woods or Jacqui Atkinson on 020 8256 1360.
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Useful links
www.williammurray.co.uk
www.theprtrainingcentre.com - digital PR training
www.technorati.com - the world’s number one blog directory
www.Food4media.com – popular news aggregator for food journalists
www.b2bm.biz - useful online resource for B2B marketers
www.brandrepublic.com/revolution - online magazine dedicated to new media
With thanks to:
The PR Training Centre
PWS Ltd web editorial services
B2B marketing
PR News
PR Week
Bulldog Reporter’s Daily Dog
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