Most people under estimate the value of press releases and don't bother with them, but there are a few different reasons why it is worth your while to create a press release.
These reasons include:
- announcing a major event to build exposure around your brand or business
- create high quality back links to your main website
- drive large amounts of targeted traffic to your website
- ranking the press release on the first page of Google for a certain keyword phrase
- attracting attention from the big editors, and having your story published
- having the press release go viral
A well written, interesting press release will gain a lot more attention than a sloppy press release that is boring. So it is important to learn how to create a press release that will people will want to read, and can also find.
Here are my top seven tips to create a press release that get the results that you are seeking:
1. Decide on what keyword you are trying to rank for
If you are not trying to rank your press releases for certain keyword phrases, then you should be.
Google loves press releases because they provide fresh news, and they even rank some of the older press releases on the front page – if they are optimized properly.
Unless you are an SEO professional, you should be trying to rank for keyword phrases that receive somewhere between 100 and 1,000 searches per month. Obviously you want to pick a keyword that is relevant to the news that you are announcing in the press release.
2. Write a killer headline that motivates people to read more
The headline has got to be attention grabbing, and it should include the keyword phrase that you have chosen in Step 1. If the headline is not interesting, then hardly anyone is going to read it.
Do some research on how the professional write headlines, and look for some examples that you can model. Don't rush this step, as it is too important to get it right.
3. Introduce the press release with some sort of question.
You want to introduce the body of the press release by asking the reader a question. This is a great way to get the reader involved immediately.
Something like "So, why have we decided to go ahead with this?"
4. Write about 300 words for the body of the press release.
Remember that a press release is not an article, they are completely different things.
A press release is an announcement about something, or something that is news worthy. An article is a piece written about a particular topic.
The press release must be written from the perspective as a news reporter. If you are including your name in the press release, then it must be written as if someone else is talking about you. Don't use the words myself, I, or me. This is called writing in the "third person".
If the website that you are submitting to accepts links in the body, then make sure you include some anchor text of your keyword phrase that points to your main website that you are promoting.
If the website has a Page Rank of 5 or above, then it is worth paying money to submit your press release and get a high quality back link in return.
5. Now answer the question that you asked the reader in the introduction.
Don't keep the reader in suspense, answer the question that was asked before. Go into as much detail as possible and keep the answer accurate and to the point.
6. Finish off with a relevant conclusion and include your future plans.
The conclusion doesn't need to be too long, but it must close off the press release on a good note.
7. Always finish off the press release with your contact details.
This is where you tell people where to contact you for more information, and is sometimes referred to as the bio section.
Put in as many ways of contacting you as you like, including a phone number if you are really keen for people to ring you. You may also be able to include another back link to your website in here.
At the very least put your website address, particularly if it is a lead capture form.
Here are some of the premier press release sites to use for maximum results:
Or you may want to check out this excellent article that goes into detail about the top 30 press release sites online.
Like I was saying before you ideally want to be submitting press releases on sites that both have a high page rank and allow back links, as these types of back links are highly regarded by Google.
It used to be easy to find press release sites that were completely free and had a high Page Rank, but as far as I am aware all of these websites now charge to use their service (and so they should to be honest).
In fact to find any press release site (high or low Page Rank) that is completely free and allows back links is extremely rare, and most likely extinct (or very close to it).
If you are going to go to the time and effort to create a press release make sure it is done correctly, otherwise you are basically wasting your time.
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