How to Write a Press Release for the Web?Optimized press releases will rank higher in search engines
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Adriana Iordan February 26, 2007
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Adriana Iordan |
Copyright © 2007, all rights reserved. This article was written by Adriana Iordan, Web Marketing Manager at Avangate B.V. Avangate is an eCommerce platform for electronic software distribution incorporating an easy to use and secure online payment system plus additional and sales tools.
This article may be reproduced in a website, e-zine, CD-ROM, book, magazine, etc. so long as the above information is included in full, including the link back to this website.
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Adriana Iordan
has written 4 articles for WebKnowHow. |
View all articles by Adriana Iordan... |
WHEN
The first thing you should ask, before writing
press releases, is when it is appropriate to use them. A news release can be
used, for instance, when you win an award, introduce new products or services,
open a new office or sponsor an event. The press release aims to connect with
the media and is usually the first expected form of communication with the
media.
WHY
Writing press releases comes with a number of benefits:
- Free
publicity. If your press release is deemed newsworthy by the
editors of the websites you submitted it to, then it may be published,
which means free advertising for you.
- Improvement of your search engine rankings. The
more links you have that point in the direction of your website, the
better your rankings will be.
- Keepin your business fresh in the minds of your customers.
HOW
The better you know how to write a press release,
the more successful it will be.
Tips
- Make it newsworthy. When writing press releases
you should always bear in mind that you need to give the media a story,
not an advertisement. Most journalists are not interested in your latest
products or services unless they are truly revolutionary. They are looking
for information that is of importance and of value to their readers. If
you can find such an angle, your chances of getting coverage will greatly
increase.
- Keep it short. Try to concentrate what you want
to say in one or two pages at most to make it easier to read.
- Stick to the facts. Avoid exaggerations and
embellishments. Be honest. If your story sounds too good to be true, then
you may end up hurting your own credibility.
- Use only enough words to tell your story. Do not
use unnecessary adjectives or flowery language.
- The less jargon the better. You will need a bit
of jargon if you want to optimize the news release for online search
engines; however, it is best to communicate your news by speaking plainly,
using ordinary language.
- Do not address your target audience directly.
Avoid using “I”, “we” and “you” outside a direct quotation, or else your
copy will look like an advertisement rather than a news release.
Online press release structure
- Header. When writing press releases for online
distribution, the header consists of the following line: FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE.
- Headline. The headline needs to be catchy yet
informative. It should be placed a few lines below the information in the
header and written in bold type. Do not write in all CAPS, because many
online news services will not accept a title in all CAPS.
- Dateline. None of your press releases should be
sent without a dateline. The dateline is usually placed either under the
header and before the headline or at the beginning of the press release
body, along with the city and state/country.
- Press Release Body. The first paragraph (the
lead) of the press release body should answer the questions of who, what,
when, where and why. The second paragraph of the body should elaborate on
the news and provide further details. Continue discussing various aspects
of your company’s or site’s news in short paragraphs.
- Boilerplate. You should include a boilerplate,
which should remain the same on every news release you send, with a short
description of who you are and what you.
- Contact Info. Provide your contact details so
that you could be reached in case someone wants more information. They
should be ordered like this, each on its separate line: Contact Info,
Contact Name, Company Name, Mailing Address, City/State/Zip or
City/Country, Phone, Email, Web.
Optimizing
your press release
Always remember when writing press releases to
use a language that is compelling to both humans and “machines” (software) that
use sophisticated algorithms to determine the meaning and subsequent
categorization of the release. Optimized press releases will rank higher in
search engines.
In order to optimize your press release, the
first step you should take is to select those keywords relevant to your field
of activity. Choose your
keywords efficiently before you begin placing them in a keyword-rich
content. Don't forget that keyword density should be no more than 5 % - 7 %.
Placing your keywords in header tags is also
relevant. Most important is H1, followed by H2 then H3. Try to add keywords in
you press release copy and also include text links on your keywords.
How to
promote press releases
You have written and optimized your press release
for search engines. All you have to do now is to put it on your website and add
a link to it on an already indexed page and the search engines will find it.
Another way to promote press releases is to send them by e-mail to website
editors. Even more efficient is to submit your news releases to online press
release services, such as Business
Wire, PR Newswire
and PRWeb.
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