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SEO: Writing for computers vs. writing for people?

Recently, we had a meeting with a representative from a wire service, with a major part of the conversation discussing search engine optimization (SEO) of press releases. Among the matters discussed was how keywords are picked up and ranked by search engines, therefore increasing your client’s page ranking on Google, Yahoo, etc.

While I understand the value in SEO for websites and collateral, this conversation made me think about whom the real audiences for some press releases today. Are our press releases simply written so they will be picked up by the algorithms that power search engines, or are we working to ensure that our journalist and analyst audiences consume the story as well?

Press releases, and PR as a whole, are usually a component of a larger marketing strategy and therefore it’s important that the PR objectives match up with the larger objectives of the marketing program and that we utilize complimentary tactics when possible. SEO is one of these complimentary tactics.

The PR professional must be aware of the existing marketing SEO keywords when writing a press release so the release can be an effective part of the marketing strategy. But this must be a two-way conversation. As the PR professional interacts with the media, they become aware of additional keywords that resonate with this audience.

The SEO keyword list, like any marketing campaign, cannot be static. As conversations evolve and new trends emerge in the market, the PR messaging will evolve. In order to keep SEO effective and keywords relevant with the audience, this list must evolve and synch with the changing messaging of the organization.

On the surface, SEO and the activities of the PR team may seem like very different beasts. They are actually more intertwined than many may think. By ensuring that messaging and keywords maintain on the same constantly evolving track, you can ensure that your keywords will always be optimized for SEO in your press releases. 

Especially in the tech PR field, our clients are savvy about new technology, and this includes in marketing their products and services. It is up to us as consultants to counsel how to integrate these different marketing elements so they are effective across the board.

By Ashleigh B. Egan

The New Risk Management on Wall Street

According to a recent article in PRWeek, many Wall Street companies have begun investing more in public relations and marketing activities to combat the increased negative attention and public skepticism that they have faced during the past few financially turbulent years. Wall Street giant Goldman Sachs justified this new trend when the company recently listed “adverse publicity” as a business risk on their 2009 10K form -- the first time that a company has ever done so.

This new identification of bad publicity as a business risk to be taken as seriously as market fluctuation, increased competition and terrorist attacks, is an interesting phenomenon as it positions PR practitioners as risk managers. Working with a variety of technology vendors, many of which count risk management as one of their central concerns in various capacities, I had always thought of the term in a different way; I had conceptualized it in a more material sense, as the purpose of the technology that identifies potential fraudulent activity or prevents security breaches.

But, according to the ISO 31000, a guide to the standards of risk management published by the International Organization of Standardization, risk is defined as “the effect of uncertainty on objectives (whether positive or negative).” So, in that sense, the classification seems pretty fitting considering that our main function as PR practitioners is to help drive companies to achieve their business goals by eliminating the threat of insufficient or negative publicity. In public relations, we are risk managers in that we protect the brand, which as the article in PRWeek asserted, is “one of those intangible assets that investors consider right along with the P&L statement.”

This new categorization of adverse publicity as a business risk and the consequential risk management role that it assigns to public relations practitioners helps to exhibit the vital contribution that PR makes to the achievement of business objectives. However, it is important that companies recognize that public relations are essential not just as a way to protect the company but also as a way to promote it. While PR practitioners fit the position of risk managers very well, their real value far exceeds that role.

By Bess Hammitt

Why Silence Really IS Golden

“Relationships that start on intense circumstances never last” – Sandra Bullock as Annie Porter in “Speed”

Like the rest of the country, I watch celebrities and am enamored by the grace of some and disgusted by the antics of others.  Since "Speed" came out in 1994, I’ve watched Sandra Bullock’s career and have always admired the way that she presents herself and the way she has maintained a clean public image.  Sandra stayed out of the limelight for a while, but made a comeback last year when she starred alongside Ryan Reynolds in “The Proposal”.  It was uphill from there.  Recently, Sandra won an Oscar for her role in “The Blind Side” and was on top of the world.  Very quickly, things changed for the worse.  Rumors circulated about Sandra’s husband Jesse James having an affair.  During the last few weeks, we’ve learned that Jesse has had multiple affairs.  As of today, Sandra has only issued two statements via her publicist; one asking for privacy and the other denying a sex tape. 

I think that Sandra’s strategy is correct here.  She hasn’t fueled the fire at all by issuing counterproductive statements and she hasn’t publicly stated that she is standing behind her husband.  By choosing not to do these two things, Sandra’s image hasn’t changed, and in fact it completely separates her from her husband’s bad behavior.  When negative press is beginning to brew, you have to weigh your options.  Sometimes saying less is more.  Case in point.

And now, for my favorite part of “Speed.”

By Kate Corcoran

Bringing Sexy Back: How the iPad Will Change the Look of Enterprise Technology

What is nine inches tall, seven inches wide, and makes a glamorous platform for enterprise technology? Apple’s iPad, of course. The new tablet, slated to hit stores this Saturday, April 3, will not only be popular with consumers but will also provide business software providers with a sleek new display for their wares.

Enterprise applications don’t always shine in the limelight of mainstream press as often as their beautiful cousin, consumer electronics, which are so often covered by the formidable New York Times columnist David Pogue, among many others. The iPad has the potential to change the way people view enterprise software not just because it gives it a new look – but because it has the potential to change the way professionals do business.

As Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal pointed out in his recent review of the new product, the iPad “can indeed replace a laptop for most data communication, content consumption and even limited content creation.” At 1.5 pounds, this so-called “laptop killer” becomes a useful and attractive alternative for a travel-weary salesperson or global exec.

As new business-to-business applications from enterprise software providers launch on the iPad, today’s professionals will finally have the best of both worlds: a pretty little package with the brains to deliver both business and pleasure.

So thank you, iPad, for bringing sexy back to the enterprise—we won’t even charge you a restocking fee.

By Isa Loundon