Press Release Optimization

A term now entering the public relations lexicon is press release optimization. The concept of "optimizing" a press release once meant creating an intriguing headline and including some novel catch phrases in a paper document - ideally, a reporter would be interested enough to read the release, and might even use some information from it. Now, optimizing a press release has taken on a technical dimension as well.

Today's reporters and feature writers are no longer passively waiting for fat packets of press releases, backgrounders, and photos to show up in their mailbox.

Rather, these computer-savvy media professionals are scouring the web for the latest news. They'll first stop at Google News and Yahoo News for breaking news, the latest press releases, and coverage by competing news organizations. Then they'll search the traditional web search engines like Google, Yahoo, and MSN for background information, in-depth research, etc.

This new style of reporting means that to perform well, a press release must be optimized so that it appears prominently in related keyword searches. For example, a company seeking to publicize its corporate integrity training might want to appear near the top for searches for "corporate integrity", "business ethics", etc.

In the short run, visibility in the news search engines will create immediate media exposure and potential press coverage if the story is interesting. In the long run, visibility for the press release in web search engines will create broad public exposure and potential traffic.

The Challenge of Press Release Optimization. Today, optimizing a release means balancing several factors. First, the release must perform well in keyword searches in news search engines to create short-term buzz and possible media coverage. Second, the release must perform well in keyword searches of the web so that long-term exposure to general web users is maximized. Third, and perhaps most important, the release has to go beyond mere technical optimization - it must remain attention-grabbing and compelling if it is to create publicity and traffic for the issuing company.

CompStar Technologies combines years of search optimization and web marketing experience with a strong background in direct marketing and copy writing to create what it calls the Ultimate Press Release™ . The end result is press release optimization that works at multiple levels, and provides long-term benefits to the issuer.