Tweet

Elliot Jones asks Does PR have a place in today's Search Marketing

Written by: Elliot Jones

Article Overview: The rise of forums, social networks, and user-generated content has meant that how you use these to promote your brand online has become increasingly important. We look at the role PR has to play in search and the subsequent impact on a brand, its reputation and potentially the sale of its products

Elliot Jones asks Does PR have a place in today's Search Marketing

Hitting the first pages in the search engines is the holy grail of online marketing for the vast majority of businesses, but with the seemingly complex features of Web 2.0 and near infinite array of initialisms and acronyms including SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), PPC (Pay Per Click) and now SMO (Social Media Optimisation), marketing traditionalists would be forgiven for finding the whole ordeal a little daunting.

Interestingly, a significant proportion of search engine ranking shares more than you might think with traditional roots – public relations. Indeed a number of SEO agencies are offering online PR as part of their remit, not least because it is an integral aspect of their SEO work anyway.

But why? At its simplest form, off-site SEO (work that occurs outside the client site’s domain) consists of linking relevant content back to the client’s site, thereby building their site’s relevance and authority on the web. And in many instances that is achieved by submitting press releases to third party sites and embedding links back to the client’s own portal, thereby building its authority in the search engines.

However, with the rapid expansion of social networks such as Facebook and YouTube, the demands for further developing new and exciting online publicity activities have been heightened, and it seems simple press releases, aside from the obvious benefit of back links, are not quite going to have the requisite effect on brand or development. Seemingly everyone is now wondering whether if they don’t make a hysterical video post on YouTube, their online business activity will surely collapse. But the truth is that if your company makes, for example, carpet-tiles, are you really going to benefit from trying to positively influence potential customers by posting a 3 minute video on a forum or trying to generate more than 30 friends on MySpace by releasing a cheesy jingle? Quite possibly not.

I see both opportunities and pitfalls in Social Media and PR relating to Search - Like so many forms of marketing, the key is looking at the company and their core offering, then creating a service to match. Results are going to be much harder to achieve if you shoe-horn a company campaign into a marketing strategy for which it quite simply doesn’t suit. Understanding a client’s business and marrying it to the best online activity can be tricky, and businesses shouldn’t be drawn into engaging in something simply because of hype.

The facts to bear in mind are, as always, traffic and target audiences when looking at online activity. By cleverly structuring online PR in line with these requirements, companies should be able to benefit massively from online exposure (particularly when looking at recent improvements such as the ubiquitous Google and their Universal Search) and make the most of Social Media and Web 2.0 – ensuring it is targeted, relevant and generates the most profitable level of traffic – traffic specific to them.

Related Articles
  Elliot Jones on Online Search Marketing and your Big Idea
  Elliot Jones on SEM SEO PPC and SMO do you know your initialisms and acronyms
  USE REVERSE REFERRALS
  Selling Insurance in the Land of Opportunity
  Sales Training London: Why Aren't You Making R.E.C.O.N. Calls to Your Customers to Keep Them

Article Tags: back links, business activity, carpet tiles, facebook, holy grail, infinite array, initialisms, integral aspect, myspace, publicity activities, rapid expansion, relevant content, remit, search engine optimisation, search engines, simplest form, social networks, traditional roots, traditionalists, video post



Related Forum Posts
Re: What is your Business? - We are running a Online Marketing Firm and we have some good clients to which we are offering a complete Digital Marketing strategy like Search, Mobile Marketing, Branding and Design. I think in Online Marketing company online presence can be a wining factor for the success of the company.
Re: SES Toronto Next Week - In that case, how about the following? Track: Get Me Up to Speed * State of Search Marketing in Canada Track: Practical & Actionable * Beyond Linkbait: Getting Authoritative Online Mentions Track: Advanced * User Search Behavior * Social Media Success * Web 2.0 & Search Engines * Giving Credit Where It’s Due: Which Campaign Sold What?
Re: Let’s talk about the ways of marketing your products, servic - I agree with some of the others who responded it depends on what your selling... but to answer your questions here are some of the methods I use. Forum Marketing Yahoo Answers (I need to use more of) SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Bum Marketing or Article marketing P-P-C (Pay Per Click) Marketing Online Directories Hope this helps.
What Do You Want To Be Taught? - Hi, My name is Jeff Foster, I will be moderating this new section. I want to get your opinion on topics you would like to discuss & be taught on. I see a great need for small business owners to learn how to perform basic Search Engine Marketing (SEM) which would include the basics about Search Engine Optimization (SEO). What do you want to be taught on? Jeff
Mafia Joke!! - A Mafia Godfather finds out that his bookkeeper has screwed him out of ten million bucks; his bookkeeper is deaf. It was considered an occupational benefit, and the reason he got the job in the first place, since it was assumed that a deaf bookkeeper would not be able to hear anything that he’d ever have to testify about in court. When the Godfather goes to shakedown the bookkeeper about his missing $10 million bucks, he brings along his attorney, who knows sign language. The Godfather asks the bookkeeper: “Where is the 10 million bucks you embezzled from me?” The attorney, using sign language, asks the bookkeeper where the 10 million bucks is hidden. The bookkeeper signs back: “I don’t know what you are talking about.” The attorney tells the Godfather: “He says he doesn’t know what you’re talking about.” That’s when the Godfather pulls out a 9 mm pistol, puts it to the bookkeeper?s temple, cocks it, and says: “Ask him again!” The attorney signs to the underling: “He’ll kill you for sure if you don’t tell him!” The bookkeeper signs back: “OK! You win! The money is in a brown briefcase, buried behind the shed in my cousin Enzo’s backyard in Queens!” The Godfather asks the attorney: “Well, what’d he say?” The attorney replies: “He says you don’t have the balls to pull the trigger.”


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Resolving A Conflict Between Two Sales Staffs

Effective Leadership

Tips for the Novice Traveler

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.