I was recently asked by a friend in the PR sector to come and speak with their PR team about SEO for PR. In the process of gathering information and recalling my own experience with assisting clients to make their PR efforts SEO friendly, I thought I would share the parallels between SEO and public relations because, quite honestly, SEO and PR go hand in hand.

There are two core elements that every search marketer can use to help make their clients PR efforts a worthwhile online strategy.

Optimization can help shape three key areas:

1. News Room
   • Have an archive of press releases with an abstract for each
   • Distribution via RSS or email opt in
   • Event listings for company, along with a list of awards & associations
   • Company FAQ sheet
2. Press Releases (including articles & whitepapers)
   • Determine core keywords or phrases that describe the service or product offering described the release
   • Research keywords for relevancy using an outside vendor or a keyword suggestion tool ( Google AdWords Keyword Suggestion Tool or SEO Book Keyword Suggestion Tool are two of my favorite freebies)
   • Keywords in the body of the press release should fall between 2-5% of the total body copy
   • Anchor text links, META description, tracking URL
3. Other content released by the client (videos, images, maps, books, etc.)
   • Alt text for videos, images & maps
   • Tracking URLs
   • META description if applicable

Basically, if it can be searched on, it needs to be optimized.

Online reputation management – old school vs Web 2.0

Old school PR often times has a different approach to dealing with reputation management, which can really burn a clients profile. Web 2.0 provides a platform for all to speak & for all to be heard. Simply ignoring ugly press or fluffing things up a bit to makes things seem better than there are don’t work well in this space. Users want and appreciate honesty & transparency.

Problem: Bad press is dominating the first page results for a client.

Solution: Quickly compose a keyword loaded press release & submit to the major online wires as well as post it in the clients news room section of their website. As the press release starts to saturate the wires, it’ll knock the bad press out of the top results.

Problem: Should a client allow comments on their blog? What if someone leaves a scathing message?

Solution: YES allow comments. The purpose of a blog or forum is to encourage & help facilitate communication among your audience. Disallowing comments makes it a stagnant one way conversation. Respond to all comments – good and bad. People will appreciate your candor and will hopefully have more respect for you in the long run.

When you integrate SEO into PR, everyone wins.

As 2007 wraps up and 2008 approaches, there appears to be a significant shift in how marketers are planning to target and reach their consumers – Amplify included.

According to a recent article by Sam Law and Julian Stone, traditional methods of online advertising, such as paid campaigns, banner ads, AdWords & newsletters are losing effectiveness. Consumers have become immune to flashy banners & glaze over text ads. They don’t want to be talked AT. No, no, no…

The online consumer wants and demands much more. They demand transparency and authenticity. They want to engage with others online, to have an experience they can share with their friends, family & co-workers.

A marketer’s ability to capture their audience using Web 2.0 tactics will be the driving force for success or failure in 2008. Some of these include:

• Blogs
• Forums
• Articles
• Bookmarking

The goal in using these vehicles is to create content & interact with consumers in a way that’s meaningful to them.

As we move into 2008, it’ll be interesting to see how social media evolves. My prediction is that online marketing will become a 80/20 relationship, where the consumer is the driving force and long term strategy will be key in developing, growing and maintaining these vehicles.

Last week, in part II of the Power of the Almighty Blog, I questioned whether or not the power of one voice could stand up against a large company with endless resources…

With the growing popularity of social media & the focus shifting from appealing to the masses to focusing on the “individual” – you and I now have a voice that can’t be stifled. It’s no longer about strength in numbers. It’s about empowering the individual & making authentic connections with others who have similar interests, values & beliefs. Social media has changed the rules of engagement and it’s forced a lot of bullies off their soapbox. Online reputation is critical. It can quickly leverage a brand’s image. Or it has the power to send it down in flames – all with a few blog posts, forum discussions & emails.

Within 24 hours of my initial post, I received a handful of comments and links to other blogs that carry some weight in the financial services sector. The day following my post, I sent a “dissatisfied customer” email to a select group of board members associated with this financial institution. (I must say, this company doesn’t make customer service an easy thing to seek out. But with a little digging using my search skillz, I was able to track down the contact information.) 48 hours later, my account had been rectified. Fast turn around!

Word spreads fast with these fabulous vehicles called blogs. I’m willing to bet some big wigs got word of my grumblings & saw the beginnings of a domino effect. And rather than ignore it, hoping it would just go away, they did the smart thing – acknowledged the situation and took the necessary steps to fix it.

You can’t underestimate the power of a blog.

In part I of this series, I discussed three tactics marketers can use to leverage a successful social media campaign.

1) Create a blog that supplements the client’s service or product offering

2) Join relevant communities & participate

3) Bookmarking

Question is, does a blog have the power to affect change, create a sense of urgency or a call to action? I decided to put the power of the blog to the test…

About a month ago, I had a very negative experience with an online merchant (more like fraudulent) and reported the incident to my bank. I followed the bank’s “company procedures” for reporting & filing disputes and followed up with them (as instructed) a couple of days later. To make a long story short (I’ll spare you the “war o’ words”), they claimed to have no record of my dispute and I was now responsible for over $300 worth of fees the bank had imposed on my account. I was taken for a ride by the merchant & now my bank wanted to do the same?

How can I get my voice heard and get some traction against this giant corporation? I’m one person, one voice up against a large company with endless resources…

Next week I’ll reveal the conclusion in Part III of the Power of the Almighty Blog! Guaranteed to raise some eyebrows…

Social media marketing encompasses a wide range of tactics, but which ones really work? Well, it depends on a few things. You have to identify the needs and niche of the client. Having a clear understanding of these things will allow you as the social media guru to market them in places that will allow for the greatest success, versus trying to “spam” them in every outlet available.

At Amplify Interactive, we’ve identified 3 avenues to explore when a client is looking to engage in SMM:

1) Create a blog that supplements the client’s service or product offering & acts as a valuable resource for visitors.

2) Identify relevant communities to join. Create a user profile & actively engage in discussions with members.

3) Bookmarking (or as Ben says: “bookmarketing“). It’s like trick-or-treating on Halloween. You’re in search of the best candy (articles, websites, etc.), using your favorite bucket (del.icio.us, StumbleUpon, ect.) to store it, so you can share it!

In my opinion, a blog offers the greatest SMM leverage. It consolidates and integrates so much of what social media has to offer and at the same time becomes an additional asset for the client.

That being said, social media marketing is powered by user-generated content & spread by word-of-mouth. In theory, this all sounds great. When put to the test, does a blog have the power to affect change, create a sense of urgency or a call to action?

Can a blog post really get the attention of the “big wigs”? I decided put this theory to the test with a recent “unsatisfactory customer service experience” I had with a large financial institution (will remain anonymous).

In this three part series, I’ll share the trials & tribulations of my “experience” and the final outcome. You just might be surprised…(I sure was!)