How to Write an Online Press Release

Press Releases for SEO:
As releases are posted on major PR networks and made available for syndication via RSS feeds, this leads to the single most important benefit to organic search engine optimization. Namely, one-way incoming links.

Press Releases for Direct Traffic:
Even mediocre press releases get many reads. If you choose a paid option on one of the major PR sites, you can expect at the very least several thousand views.

50 million Americans get news online on any given day. In comparison, only 27 million Americans watch network TV news on a typical evening. The Internet is quickly becoming the preferred news source over television, magazines, and trade publications.

You can tap into these massive traffic sources through the use of press releases. Additional benefits of distributing your press release include possible media exposure, pickup of your release in online publications, increased link popularity to your web site, additional search engine rankings on your target keywords, and increased traffic to your web site.

- Make sure the information is newsworthy.

- Tell the audience that the information is intended for them and why they should continue to read it.

- Start with a brief description of the news, then distinguish who announced it, and not the other way around.

- Ask yourself, "How are people going to relate to this and will they be able to connect?"

- Make sure the first 10 words of your release are effective, as they are the most important.

- Avoid excessive use of adjectives and fancy language.

- Deal with the facts.

- Provide as much Contact information as possible: Individual to Contact, address, phone, fax, email, Web site address.

- Make sure you wait until you have something with enough substance to issue a release.

- Make it as easy as possible for media representatives to do their jobs.

Keyword Research: The first and most important element is to search for keywords and phrases that are likely to deliver qualified leads to your website. A good press release combines targeted keywords with creative writing that makes for a compelling read.

To find these lucrative keyword phrases, begin brainstorming what people would search for when looking for your products. If your products or services are targeted to a particular geographic area, you might want to include these locations in your keyword phrases as well. It is best to target up to 3 keyword phrases.

Keyword Integration & Density: Now that you have chosen the best possible keywords, it's time to integrate these targeted keyword phrases into your press release. You should include your keywords in the headline, the title, sub-headings and the first two paragraphs. Search engines place much of their emphasis on the title and the beginning paragraphs.

Your title should reflect your strongest keywords, not the name of the company. Include local modifiers if possible. Although it's often nice to see your company's name in print, it's unlikely to bring you the exposure you deserve. Instead, use targeted search phrases that are likely to be used by your potential customers.

Including Hyperlinks: You should also optimize your press release by integrating targeted links within the content. Many press release distribution services and news wires now offer the option of purchasing a hyperlink. You simply convert a keyword phrase within the release into an active hyperlink. This will increase search engine visibility for that keyword phrase and also drive additional traffic back to your website.