How PR and SEO Can Work Together (Growth Hack)

You might not know it, but SEO and PR are two of the most synergistic disciplines in (digital) marketing. However, many businesses strictly separate the two. Especially in bigger companies, the public relations and SEO departments are likely to need to be made aware of each other’s activities. A great missed opportunity! So, bring your SEO and PR teams together, and let’s look at how you can bring the two to create more than the sum of their parts.

Key Points

Here are key takeaways on SEO and PR:

PR and SEO are a powerful duo. When public relations (PR) and search engine optimization (SEO) work together, they create a winning combination for building brand awareness, driving qualified traffic, and achieving marketing goals.
PR benefits SEO through backlinks and brand authority. PR efforts like media mentions and influencer outreach can generate backlinks to your website, which are like votes of confidence for search engines and boost your ranking. Additionally, positive PR builds brand credibility, another factor valued by search engines.
SEO benefits PR through targeted outreach and content creation. SEO research can inform PR strategy by identifying relevant keywords to target in press releases and outreach. This increases the chances of getting picked up by journalists and ranking higher in search results. Additionally, SEO specialists can optimize valuable PR content like press releases and interviews with relevant keywords to attract organic traffic.
Both SEO and PR rely on similar fundamental principles, such as quality content, strong relationships, and effective outreach campaigns. Understanding these shared principles is essential for leveraging their combined power.

What are PR and SEO?

Public Relations (PR) is the art of managing the spread of information between an individual or organization and the public. It’s about building and maintaining relationships with your audience, influencers, and the media. On the other hand, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing your online content to rank higher in search engine results, thereby increasing organic traffic to your website.

What Makes SEO Successful?

SEO is frequently regarded as being difficult and complex, however, this only applies in highly competitive markets where nuances are more relevant. For most organizations, achieving relevant results and traffic via search engines needs four critical components:

A solid technical foundation (a well-structured and fast website)
High-quality content
Regular updates
Backlinks from third-party pages

Businesses who regularly improve on all four of these SEO factors, while targeting keywords with relevant search volume, will eventually see results, albeit the timeline may vary.

What Makes PR Successful?

PR experts try to overcomplicate this, but much like good SEO, good PR fundamentally relies on:

Interesting, news-worthy content
Good relationships
Strong branding
Strong outreach campaigns

In short, a quality piece of content will draw attention no matter what – consider an article about fresh scientific breakthroughs. However, a strong brand also helps, as shown by the amount of attention Apple and Tesla receive with each new product launch. Even topics that are not particularly newsworthy, such as a new software function, can be converted into winning stories by a smart public relations specialist. It all relies on perspective and experience.

With these principles in mind, let’s look at the synergy between SEO and PR and how they can influence one another. To start, consider how SEO can benefit from your PR strategy and implementation.

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How your PR Strategy Impacts your SEO Performance

#1. Build backlinks through PR

A significant part of today’s PR work relies on digital PR. Most news and other media outlets depend largely on online content, while print content is becoming increasingly obsolete.

You can get high-quality PR backlinks by publishing articles on high-authority outlets such as well-known online newspapers or magazines.

#2. Build domain authority

Every website indexed by Google gets a score. This score reflects the quality of the content and the strength of the backlink profile. Tools like Ahrefs can help you determine the strength of a domain.

An optimized website’s score should automatically grow over time as more content and backlinks are added. According to studies, high-quality backlinks are significantly more valuable than low-quality backlinks.

#3. Improve CTR through brand awareness

As Google and other search engines aim to provide answers within the feed without requiring a click, more than half of searches result in generating not a single click. This is a problem for SEO because even highly optimized pages that appear in the first search results might not generate any traffic.

#4. Social proof and increased trust lead to higher SEO conversion rates

User experience (UX) is an important ranking factor for search engines. The worst indication for any website is a user who instantly returns to the Search Engine Results Page (SERP), indicating that the website or website content did not meet the search intent.

#5. Events & Co.: Create fresh content, consistently

Creating newsworthy content constantly is a significant issue for any PR strategy. Hosting events is a common approach that is used successfully. Events can be a wonderful way to generate attention for your brand, but also to generate user-generated content and backlinks, that can consistently create more attention and content for your website.

How SEO can Impact PR

Now that we’ve looked at how PR can impact SEO, how can SEO help your PR strategy and execution?

#1. Discover topics that matter to your audience

And what better way to create winning, newsworthy content than to understand what your audience is talking about? Understanding which keywords your audience is interested in, and the volume of the keywords can influence your PR strategy, as well as the content you are promoting with PR, as your vocabulary should also reflect words that your audience actually uses.

#2. Message testing

You only have one opportunity to make a good impression, right? The same goes for journalists and strong public relations campaigns. Why would a journalist want to talk about you if your pitch’s message doesn’t fit or sounds boring?

Search engine-optimized content is an excellent opportunity to test your messaging. A nice example is this video on YouTube, the second most popular search engine after Google.

#3. Newsjacking: Using SEO for PR

It’s not always easy to get articles when issues suddenly burst. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, every firm began writing about remote work and working from home, creating a lot of noise for a good article.

#4. Measure brand reputation

Even with advanced media monitoring tools and strategies, it can be tough to determine how successful your brand is.

Google’s Search Console is an important tool for SEO because it displays the actual impressions and traffic to your website on Google. This tool allows you to monitor how many people search for your brand name, which is an excellent indicator of brand recognition. The more popular your brand is, the more people should be looking for it!

#5. Cross-pollinating: Analytics to improve your PR strategy

Measuring your website’s success is an important part of a good SEO strategy. For that, web analytics tools like Google Analytics are used by millions of businesses.

One major disadvantage of PR departments is that they don’t have any means to actually measure the impact of their PR campaigns, even if an article has been published by a reputable news outlet.

Why Should I Care About PR and SEO?

Stats don’t lie, people! According to a Moz study, 64% of marketers actively invest in SEO. Why? Because it translates to serious ROI. Studies by Search Engine Journal show that organic traffic has a higher conversion rate than paid traffic. This means more people finding you online, and more people turning into loyal customers. Now, imagine the magic that happens when PR and SEO join forces!

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Benefits of PR Using SEO

Here are a few benefits of PR using SEO below:

#1. Boost Brand Credibility

Landing positive media mentions instantly elevates your brand’s image in the eyes of search engines (and potential customers!). Think about it – if a reputable news source is talking about you, you must be doing something right, right? This can lead to higher rankings and increased trust.

I once worked with a local sustainable clothing brand. We secured a feature in a major fashion magazine (a huge win for PR!). The article linked back to their website, which was SEO-optimized with relevant keywords. Within weeks, we saw a significant increase in website traffic and sales – all thanks to the combined power of PR and SEO.

#2. Expand Your Reach

PR pros are experts at crafting compelling narratives. When these narratives get picked up by media outlets, they reach a wider audience who might not have found you through organic searches alone. This expanded reach translates into more backlinks (links from other websites to yours), which is a major SEO ranking factor.

I’ve seen this happen with a client in the tech industry. We launched a PR campaign around their innovative new product, securing interviews on tech podcasts and blogs. These interviews not only generated buzz but also included backlinks to the client’s website, propelling them to the top of search results for relevant keywords.

#3. Drive Targeted Traffic

PR campaigns can be laser-focused on specific audiences. By tailoring press releases and influencer outreach to publications and personalities relevant to your niche, you attract high-quality traffic that’s more likely to convert.

Let’s say you’re a vegan bakery. A PR campaign targeting vegan food bloggers and magazines can generate positive press coverage that attracts people specifically searching for “vegan desserts near me.” This targeted traffic is gold for any business owner!

How PR and SEO can work together?

Here’s the beauty of it all – PR and SEO can be a well-oiled collaboration machine.

Content is King: PR campaigns often generate valuable content like press releases, expert interviews, or case studies. Don’t let this goldmine go to waste! SEO specialists can optimize this content with relevant keywords, ensuring it ranks well in search results and attracts organic traffic.
Keyword Research is Key: SEO research can inform your PR strategy. By identifying the keywords people are searching for related to your brand or industry, you can tailor your press releases and outreach to target those terms. This increases the chances of your content getting picked up by journalists and ranking higher in search results.
Link Building Love: PR is all about building relationships. Leverage those relationships with journalists and influencers to secure backlinks to your website. These backlinks are like votes of confidence for search engines, pushing your website higher in rankings.

Is SEO part of PR?

Yes, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is indeed a crucial component of PR (Public Relations), albeit they are distinct disciplines with different focuses. While PR primarily deals with managing the spread of information between an individual or organization and the public, including media relations, reputation management, and brand messaging, SEO focuses on optimizing online content to rank higher in search engine results and drive organic traffic to a website.

What is PR in a website?

PR (Public Relations) refers to the strategic management of the website’s reputation, messaging, and relationships with its audience, stakeholders, and the broader public in the context of a website. PR on a website encompasses various tactics aimed at shaping the perception of the brand, building credibility, and fostering positive relationships with users.

Why is PR good for SEO?

PR lends credibility and authority to your brand, qualities that search engines value highly. When reputable websites link back to your content, it signals to search engines that your site is trustworthy and deserving of a higher ranking. Additionally, PR activities such as press releases and guest blogging generate fresh, shareable content that keeps your website relevant in the eyes of search algorithms.

Think of PR as the foundation of your SEO strategy. Strong PR lays the groundwork for robust SEO just as a sturdy foundation supports a towering skyscraper. Without PR, your SEO efforts lack authenticity and substance.

What is a PR example?

Let’s look at a real-world example. Imagine you’re a company that makes educational apps for kids. A well-crafted PR campaign could involve:

Pitching a press release announcing a new app launch to education publications and parenting blogs.
Securing interviews with child development experts for podcasts and online parenting communities.
Organizing influencer partnerships with teachers and educational YouTubers to showcase your app.

This combination of PR tactics would not only generate positive brand awareness but also create valuable content (interviews, blog posts) that can be optimized with relevant keywords. Additionally, these PR efforts could lead to backlinks from reputable websites in the education niche, all working together to boost your app’s SEO and organic reach.

Conclusion

Think of PR and SEO as the ultimate power couple in the digital world. When they work together, they can create a winning formula for building brand awareness, driving qualified traffic, and ultimately achieving your marketing goals.

So, how can you leverage this dynamic duo?

Break Down the Silos: Ensure open communication and collaboration between your PR and SEO teams.
Align Your Strategies: Develop a unified approach that considers both PR goals (brand awareness, media coverage) and SEO objectives (keyword rankings, organic traffic).
Measure & Adapt: Track the results of your PR and SEO efforts together. See what’s working and what’s not, and adjust your strategies accordingly.

Remember, the digital landscape is constantly evolving. By embracing the power of PR and SEO working in tandem, you can future-proof your brand and ensure it continues to thrive online. But wait, there’s more! PR and SEO are vast, and there’s always something new to learn. Here’s a question for you:

What are some of the biggest challenges you face when integrating PR and SEO strategies? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

By working together and sharing our experiences, we can all become digital marketing masters. Let’s keep the conversation going!