How to Rank Higher in Google Search with PR
PR and search engine optimization (SEO) go hand in hand. When someone Googles keywords related to your business, Google will look for web pages that have a lot of backlinks validating their credibility. The more backlinks, the higher your page will rank and the more likely someone will click on it.
So how do you get backlinks?
The answer is PR.
I have more and more clients using my services for this sole purpose. It’s increasingly more important as people rely on the web to find all of their products, services, and information.
You can learn more about media outreach in my PR Foundations course.
Media outreach is the first step to getting your name (and links) around the web. But once you land the placement, there are a few more things you can do to make sure you’re getting the maximum SEO juice out of the opportunity.
1. Send the link you want
You’ll have a few natural chances to send over your link. The most important one is when you send over your credentialing information such as your name, company name, and anything like a bio.
I always say that you can expect the media contact to check out your website before they publish something about you, but this does not mean that they will go out of their way to include a link.
Be sure to send over the link you want included and make it clear you would appreciate if it is published in their story.
2. Send a link other than your homepage
From what I have heard, it is better to provide a deep link than a simple link to your homepage.
You have a few choices:
A blog post showing your expertise
A press release announcing your big news
An online tool that people will find helpful
A product page (in select circumstances)
Your About page
I would stay away from sending a link to a signup page or anything promotional. This is more likely to kill the media opportunity than do anything good. The media doesn’t want to promote you, they want to tell a story.
In some cases a product page is okay. One example of this is when your brand is being featured in a product roundup.
Otherwise, try to send a link that helps the reader learn more.
3. If you don’t see a link, ask again
The big article comes out, you look it up and down, but there’s no link to be found.
Failure? Not quite.
Some media outlets just don’t do backlinks, others may have made a mistake. As long as you are polite about it, there’s no reason to be afraid of asking them to add in the link even after the story is published.
It’s definitely worth asking.
4. Use HARO
I have mixed feelings about HARO, but it can be a really easy way to get quick placements with backlinks.
If you’re not familiar with it, HARO (which stands for Help a Reporter Out) is a platform where the media will post something like a “wanted” ad for experts. When you see a call for an expert in your industry, you can respond with your pitch or comment. If the reporter likes it, they will include you in their story.
Sometimes it can be more work than it’s worth, but I can’t deny that I’ve also gotten some great results too.
So give it a try, and be sure to include a link to your website that backs up your claim and/or credentials.