Join Lee Odden for his workshop, Advance Your SEO Skills with Social Media Optimization, on Monday, October 17 from 11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. at the PRSA 2011 International Conference, Oct. 15–18 in Orlando, Fla.!

The demand for smart Social Media and SEO information from Public Relations departments and agencies has increased significantly this year.  Many PR groups are investing significantly in SEO and Social Media strategy, road mapping and training for their teams. In our work as a resource for these organizations, one of the most useful insights we provide is guidance on what to avoid when it comes to incorporating SEO and SMO (social media optimization) into PR content strategies.

No one likes to #fail, so as PR pros ramp up their SEO and Social Media Optimization efforts, here are seven things to avoid:

Continue reading " How Not to Fail at SEO and Social Media Optimization "

The convergence of what constitutes sources of influence online has put industries like advertising, marketing and public relations in a situation that calls for innovation that keeps pace with discovery, consumption and sharing of content.

As time and resources in newsrooms diminish, journalists, analysts and industry influentials increasingly use technology such as search engines to find subject matter experts, research companies, locate past media coverage and track topical trends. In fact, a recent survey on journalists’ use of search by TopRank reports that 91 percent of those journalists, reporters and editors surveyed use search engines to do their jobs.

Traditionally, search engine optimization efforts have been managed by corporate marketing departments in support of direct revenue generation. However, with the many opportunities to create value in the form of increased online brand visibility, reputation management and Internet-based media coverage, public relations departments are at risk of a missed opportunity to provide value unless they can master search in a meaningful way.

Know the SEO Tactics that Have the Biggest Impact

To leverage search for online media relations and building brand influence, it’s important that public relations professionals understand the foundation of SEO tactics and their business benefits. This involves understanding which SEO and public relations tactics have the most impact, how to choose the best keywords, on-page SEO and link building best practices, as well as measuring the value of SEO to public relations efforts. It also means knowing when PPC is a better fit than SEO, how to combine SEO and social media promotions and the finer points of selling the benefits of SEO to public relations decision makers.

Continue reading " SEO Tips for Public Relations: Top 10 Tactics to Improve Content Search Performance "

When looking at the changing PR landscape, particularly the presence of new forms of social media, what can PR professionals learn in order to engage rather than enrage social communities? Several examples were shared with attendees via a panel moderated by Peter Himler, President of Flatiron Communications LLC, and including:

• Rob Key, Founder & CEO of Converseon
• David Bradfield, Senior Vice President & Partner, FH Digital
• Lee Odden, CEO TopRank Online Marketing

Rob Key opened up the session with the advice for PR professionals trying to make sense out of social media and PR:

• Listen and observe the group you are trying to penetrate
• Understand the wants, needs, and requirements for entrance into said group
• Gain trust and credibility by offering something of value when entering

A social network, like a party of new friends, has its own wants, needs and – per Odden – its own written and unwritten rules to be followed. Unless time is taken to listen to what those wants, needs and rules are, and an effort is made to offer something of value based on this information, you will likely be seen as an outsider to the proceedings, unlikely to be involved in any meaningful party conversation, and risk the complete shunning of the group itself.

With the risk in of alienation high when leveraging social media in the new PR landscape, is the corresponding reward equally as rich?  The answer is a resounding, and absolute yes.

Continue reading " The Changed PR Landscape – What Works & What Doesn’t "

You’d be hard pressed to find any modern public relations agency practice that isn’t researching or already implementing a digital public relations strategy including search engine optimization, blogging/blogger relations and social media. Many public relations practitioners are scrambling to adjust to the opportunities presented by shifts in both consumer and journalist behavior online.

Look no further than popular public and media relations conferences like the upcoming PRSA 2008 International Conference event to see exactly how the public relations industry is making a concerted effort to educate itself on new opportunities with Web 2.0, SEO and social media.

The Point of Connection is coming. In fact, I will be doing a half-day, pre-Conference workshop for the PRSA International event October 25 from 1–5 p.m., “Optimizing Content for Optimum Search Results: Search Engine Optimization for News.” News SEO is distinctly different from SEO for lead generation since the desired outcome is not a new customer or a sale, but to be a source for a journalist writing a story and possibly an ongoing collaboration. News content optimization folds in nicely with digital asset optimization as we’ll be identifying the kind of content and assets most public relations departments can best leverage for optimization.

Continue reading " What Does Web 2.0, Social Media and SEO have to do with Public Relations? Everything! "