5 Ways To Measure And Improve The Success Of Online Press Releases

In the past, businesses issued paper-based press releases that were sent out to any and all important or relevant media outlets. Today, online press release distribution has revolutionized the method and speed at which journalists (and now consumers!) obtain newsworthy announcements. Every day, a higher percentage of people do an online search before choosing which companies to do business with, making SEO press releases that much more important. A properly written SEO press release can result in long lasting, quality organic search engine results, helping you rise above your competitors.

What is an SEO press release? Simply stated, it is a newsworthy announcement about your company that includes anchor text keywords in certain key places such as the press release title and in anchor text links within the release itself. These keywords link back to pages on your company website for which you want to improve search engine ranking. Each unique web domain that publishes that announcement (with keywords intact) creates a backlink. The more backlinks a keyword obtains, the more authority Google 'sees' the associated page on your site having as it relates to those keywords, meaning you move on up in the search rankings.

There are many reasons to publish a press release, however. So how do you know if your efforts are bearing fruit? Once you have a goal in mind, you can easily measure your success and alter your strategy accordingly. Below are six ways to measure specific goals from publishing an online press release, and how to maximize your chances of meeting your goal.

Improved Search Engine Ranking

The most obvious reason to distribute SEO press releases is to improve the search engine ranking for your keywords. To measure your progress for this goal, periodically do search engine searches for each of your keywords individually. Ideally, you want your site to appear on the first page of search results, and preferably 'above the fold.'

How To Improve: Because they are factual and objective, Google sees press releases as credible sources for links. Place a keyword in your title, and try to include two others in your summary for the best impact.

Increased Site Traffic, Sales, Or Subscriptions

When you want a reader to take action after reading your release, such as subscribing to an email list or newsletter, clicking over to your website, or making a purchase, it's fairly easy to track. Set up an analytical tool, such as Google Analytics, to monitor your site traffic. These programs also track the source of your traffic, as well as what activity the person took once they arrived on your website.

How To Improve: Include multimedia elements in the release that will demonstrate the message in your release. Images and videos can be included with press releases and do a great deal for getting readers interested in taking the next step. Be sure to include a link to the page where readers can take action -- or better yet, included the page where readers can take action in an iFrame below the press release. This way, readers can navigate to the page without ever leaving the press release.

Brand Reputation On The Net

Whether your company has been around for a while or is brand new, you want your brand to be talked about online. The more "buzz" your brand has, the more influential it becomes, and the more aware the industry becomes of your presence. This takes many forms, such as a well-known blogger posting about their experience with your product or company, your Tweets being "retweeted," people having discussions about you on message boards, or the inclusion within an online publication. Set Google Alerts up (for free!) for your company name, product name, and keywords. You'll then be alerted anytime someone mentions those terms.

How To Improve: Share your press releases on Twitter and Facebook. Get involved in industry conversations. Maintain an active social presence, and form relationships with your fans. Happy customers equal loyal followers who will share your content.

A Growing Social Media Following

With over 800 million active Facebook users, and over 50 million daily active Twitter users, your business may be trying to establish a social media following. Using press releases is a great way to show those on social media that you are an industry expert. To measure your success, use Twitter as a search engine and conduct a search for your keywords or your company name. Shorten your URL for your release when sharing on social media (such as owl.ly or bit.ly) as you can easily track traffic from that source.

How To Improve: Share your press release, and share it often. This is where you can be witty or clever with your title. Be enticing, and change up how you share it each time. Don't be spammy, or you'll achieve the opposite of your goal. Use hashtags (#) and your keyword in your Tweets, to make the PR easy to find for anyone searching that term.

World Domination (aka Expand Beyond Google)

Maybe your keywords or press releases are ranking very highly in Google, and you're ready to take on other search engines like Bing and Yahoo. In addition, the more places your site ranks well, the easier it is for media outlets and consumers to find your business. You can measure your progress fairly easily here by simply searching for your keywords (or press release title, in full) on other search engines.

How To Improve: Be active, and publish press releases often. Ensure they are newsworthy, and that your keywords are consistent. This helps establish your credibility and longevity. The more reputable you are, the wider spread your news will spread.