What would you do if I told you that you could combine tried and true PR tactics right alongside your small business SEO campaign to see better results without doing much more than you're already doing?
Want to learn more? I'm guessing that if you've read this far, the answer to that question is YES.
Glad you're interested. Let's start...
So, What Is PR or Public Relations Exactly?
The Public Relations Society of America defines 'PR' as:
"Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds a mutually beneficial relationship between organizations and their publics."
From a small business SEO perspective, good PR has a lot of the same goals:
- give them information
- spark interest
- get exposure
- entertain and delight
What you're offering brings them immediate value, and it does so in a way that promotes you and benefits your small business, as well.
Combining Small Business SEO and PR
You might be asking yourself, "What's all of this got to do with small business SEO?
Easy. You communicate your strategy using SEO best practices and solid keyword research:
- Keyword choices on your website and in blog posts
- Keyword choices on your social media posts
With Google Trends and Google's Keyword Planner, you can see what searches are becoming hot, and from there gather ideas on how you can incorporate the latest buzz into your latest press release.
Let's dig a little deeper.
Your PR driven keywords should point to positive differences you and your business are making in your local community. Perhaps that comes through inspirational stories. Perhaps it's from civic-minded advice. However you choose to express it, the reward is tangible for all parties. And, in the process, you allow customers to see how your business helps solve problems, supports local charities, takes a stand for the greater good, and improves life in your community.
So what kind of ideas could you use for PR? Here are 4 suggestions:
- Trending news that can be associated with your brand
- Answer questions about products and services
- Special events
- Community relations
Here's some examples for putting these suggestions into practice.
Small Business SEO Strategy: Chasing 'Trending News'
One of the more memorable HOT NEWS waves that many businesses jumped on a few years back was the Miley Cyrus "Twerking" scandal.
These headlines read something like this:
- Parents Outraged Over Miley Cyrus MTV Performance
- Miley Cyrus Twerks, Stuns VMAs Crowd
You get the picture. More than one PR strategy took an antagonistic standpoint or remained neutral, but still grabbed eyeball time from a "gawking public" trying to make sense of this child star gone wild. It was definitely cheesy but they got a boost in the search engines for their efforts. And traffic to boot.
Small Business SEO Strategy: The Calm Voice During Chaos
Let's say you write apps for smartphones, and a new malware is threatening smartphone users. In this case, you might write a FREE tutorial or eBook on how to identify and rid smartphones of that malware, and offer it as a free service to your customers. You could post short updates for concerned readers as part of an ongoing community service.
See what I mean? Your content is already in the news. It's helping your public. AND it's letting people know you care.
Small Business SEO Strategy: Sponsoring Special Events
This could be something like setting up a booth at a college job fair or sponsoring a Meetup or workshop. Here are just a few angles you can use for local SEO:
- RankPay Champions Jobs For Graduating Seniors in San Diego
- RankPay Offers Free SEO Training To Small Business Owners
- SEO Expert Rob Lons Joins RankPay As Director of Marketing
To use the job fair example, you could even post an informational article addressed to seniors on how to impress business owners, or what you, as a small business owner, are looking for in a resume. Have someone snap fabulous photos of you and your company smiling and talking with smiling graduating seniors. Then, post those pictures with a report of how the day went. You could even announce the "latest" member of your staff if you decided to hire one of these fresh-faced seniors.
The options are as limitless as your imagination. Be creative and keep an eye out for opportunities to bring people into the conversation.
Small Business SEO Strategy: Community Relations
Our final strategy focuses entirely on your community:
- SEO Company Fights Crime By Setting Up Neighborhood Watch
- RankPay Donates Tee Shirts For Local Little League Team
These sorts of things can let people know you care about the community. You have to think about ways you can help your community. The benefit is you can use these good works to help tell your brand story and create more content to reach a larger audience. People are more likely to want to work with you when they see you are helpful. Reciprocation is something to read up on.
TL,DR
Public relations and SEO is about relationships. It's about giving while growing. It allows you the opportunity to develop a well-rounded presence among your fans and customers. Both disciplines use tools such as public service announcements, content calendars and campaigns.
If you want to be the master of one you need to master both.