Effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a critical component of website development. The objective of SEO is of course to rank your site as highly as possible among search engine returns in response to specific user search terms. ‘On-page’ strategies range from a package of baseline keywords, page titles and descriptions to sophisticated, ongoing analysis and adjustment programs. Pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns are sometimes used to supplement SEO results.

SEO is essentially a ‘pull’ strategy that helps browsers find a broad body of content generally related to an online search. Marketers are often content to see their URL on the first results page, hoping their link is randomly selected over other equally tempting returns. With specialized expertise and a significant investment, this approach can build site traffic and ultimately, grow sales.

But what if you could redirect seekers straight to your site, bypassing distracting competitors to generate a steady stream of direct traffic? Not only is this possible―it is all but guaranteed with the ultimate SEO driver: Public Relations!

Public relations tools including press releases, customer success stories, contributed articles, white papers and more can be strategically placed right under your prospects nose to communicate your unique value while directing interested readers to your site to learn more.  PR leverages your target’s most trusted resources―web-sites, magazines, industry journals, blogs, analyst reports and more―to communicate and validate your offering. Most of these information outlets even offer a link or URL making it easy for readers to find more information.

PR-driven SEO is an ‘off-page’ strategy that offers tremendous advantages over passive, on-page programming alone.  Instead of the user clicking a handful of returns to determine if your site offers what they are looking for, PR creates interest BEFORE the search, driving pre-qualified traffic to your specific URL to satisfy their specific interests. This active traffic helps search engine algorithms recognize your site as a ‘go to resource,’ dramatically boosting your page rank.  ‘Warm’ leads that proactively navigate to your URL are much easier to convert than what often amounts to a ‘cold call’ click-through.

John Wilkinson
Business Communications Strategist
JH&A Advertising