Where PR fits into your SEO strategy can sometimes be confusing. Some companies are already using PR tactics to improve SEO without even realizing they’re doing it, while others keep the two very separated. PR focuses on the public image of the company as a whole—managing major publication mentions, press releases, TV and radio appearances, outside events, etc.—where SEO is strictly about getting your website to the top of Google and providing a good user experience on the website.
While the two definitely have different roles and are two different departments for a reason, they can work together well if you spend a little bit of time finding compliments to your two strategies. Fortunately this is easy to do whether you’re an established company or just getting started.
How to Get Started Finding Compliments Between PR and SEO
In order to start using PR methods and approaches to help improve your SEO you have to actually know how and in what areas they can help. The cool thing here is that as you get started you’re able to easily see the impact. Consider the steps to getting started below:
Step #1: Make sure PR departments know how SEO works.
This is kind of an inverse way to use PR to help SEO. The first thing to make sure you do is talk with your PR department or person about how SEO works. Because PR pros are always posting press releases online or writing newsletters, it’s important that they understand what they can do to help aid in SEO efforts. For example, if they can internally link, link back to certain pages, or target specific keywords while still doing their job and building relationships and great content, that will help improve SEO over time.
Step #2: Leverage different contacts PR pros have in the industry.
It’s true that if you work in PR you don’t want to give out your contacts or your relationships with just anyone because you’re a trusted source. However, if done correctly there are ways that PR pros can introduce SEOs to some of their contacts. It won’t always be the direct contact who can help someone in SEO who, for example, is maybe trying to contribute content, but sometimes PR pros have an “in” with a publication and can help connect an SEO with the right person. The more both departments can work to get the brand in front of a large audience and connected with authoritative online sources, the better.
Step #3: Discuss a system for distributing content.
This goes right along with the last point. Aside from just using connections to introduce people to one another, you can use those connections to simply get content published. Whether it’s a blog post or a press release, the more you can push it out there the better. This is a case where SEO departments should also be able to help PR departments.
Step #4: Check your communication regarding social media.
You always want to make sure that whoever is in charge of social media is not favoring one department over the other. It’s also important that your PR pros don’t assume they have nothing to do with social media. Anytime they publish content, consider having a system in place that has them send that content over to whoever is managing social accounts. From there your social media person can make a decision about whether or not to use the content.
Extra: This same thing can be said for those who are in charge of the blog. If a PR pro writes something great, this is a perfect opportunity to publish it on your blog and gain more exposure.
Step #5: Always talk about data and events.
What PR pros are up to is usually something newsworthy for your blog, which of course will help improve your SEO (if your SEO department is writing it correctly of course). Always make sure that your PR department or person is giving a run down of what happened at an event or at a conference that may offer up some case study opportunities for SEOs.
Do you have any ideas to add to the list? Let us know in the comments below.