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Search Engine Optimization and Visibility How to Drive Traffic and Transactions OnlineMay 17, 2007: 

Search Engine Optimization and Visibility How to Drive Traffic and Transactions Online May 17, 2007 Jamie O’Donnell Co-founder of SEO-PR Jamie.odonnell@seo-pr.com (415) 643 8947 www.seo-pr.com

How press release SEO can help increase publicity, traffic and sales: 

How press release SEO can help increase publicity, traffic and sales Why news search engines matter to PR Basics of press release SEO The role of blogs and news sites Power of press release SEO and online promotion Southwest Airlines Windows Secrets Clicktracks

Why news search engines matter to PR: Changing news landscape: 

Why news search engines matter to PR: Changing news landscape Audience that gets news online jumped from 0% to 31% of Americans Audiences for: Local TV news dropped from 77% to 54% Nightly network news dropped from 60% to 28% Newspapers dropped from 58% to 40% Radio dropped from 47% to 36% Source: The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, July 30, 2006

Yahoo! News is #1 US news and media site and Google News is #5: 

Yahoo! News is #1 US news and media site and Google News is #5 Yahoo! News has larger market share than The Weather Channel, CNN.com or MSNBC Google News has larger market share than New York Times, USA Today or BBC News Source: Hitwise, July 2006

When you conduct a news search, you’ll often find releases in results: 

When you conduct a news search, you’ll often find releases in results Source: Google News, September 14, 2005

Press releases leading source of information for knowledge workers: 

Press releases leading source of information for knowledge workers Source: InformationWeek, June 6, 2006

Online research is also top information source for journalists: 

Online research is also top information source for journalists Online research is the number one source for journalists to obtain additional story information, with 75% indicating they search the Internet for previous stories on their subject When looking for additional information, contacting a PR professional is choice of 57% of media polled Source: Bennett & Company, Aug. 5, 2005

Even The New York Times staff has undergone SEO training: 

Even The New York Times staff has undergone SEO training Algorithms scan the “headline and at least the first hundred words or so of news articles” So, do “keyword research to determine the two or three most-searched words that relate to (your) subject – and then include them in the first few sentences” Source: The New York Times, April 9, 2006

The Search Engine Public Relation Model: 

The Search Engine Public Relation Model Research search terms and optimize your news release Distribute for optimal search engine, news site and blog reach Track and measure via standard web site analytics

Keyworddiscovery.com provides both Web and News Search terms: 

Keyworddiscovery.com provides both Web and News Search terms

News release optimization tool http://newsforce.businesswire.com: 

News release optimization tool http://newsforce.businesswire.com

A standalone version of Newsforce will be available this summer, www.newsforce.com: 

A standalone version of Newsforce will be available this summer, www.newsforce.com

Effect: Measuring success in optimizing your press releases: 

Effect: Measuring success in optimizing your press releases Source: MarketingSherpa, Search Marketing Benchmark Survey, August 2006

Southwest Airlines generated over $2.5 million in airline ticket sales: 

Southwest Airlines generated over $2.5 million in airline ticket sales Southwest Airlines with SEO-PR won 2005 Golden Ruler Award for “You Are Now Free to Link PR and Sales!” IPR selected our case study because it provided “a solid example of using new media and new techniques to tie public relations to sales” Source: http://www.instituteforpr.org/index.php/ipr/awards/2005_golden_ruler_winner

Herb Kelleher went nuts when he saw “cheap air fares” in his release: 

Herb Kelleher went nuts when he saw “cheap air fares” in his release

So, we optimized for low fares to Philadelphia ($29 to $99 one-way): 

So, we optimized for low fares to Philadelphia ($29 to $99 one-way) Source: Google News, February 13, 2004

Press release generated $42,000 in ticket sales, then over $80,000: 

Press release generated $42,000 in ticket sales, then over $80,000 Unique tracking links in press release weren’t used by The New York Times, Washington Post, or other major media Unique landing pages enabled Southwest Airlines to track clicks, sales, revenue and passengers Source: The Measurement Standard, April 6, 2004

ClickTracks launched ClickTracks 6 web analytics suite on Oct. 5, 2006: 

ClickTracks launched ClickTracks 6 web analytics suite on Oct. 5, 2006 Source: Google News, Oct. 5, 2005

A month later, Google re-launched Urchin as its free Google Analytics: 

A month later, Google re-launched Urchin as its free Google Analytics Source: The New York Times, Nov. 6, 2005

We thought searches for click fraud would continue to spike in 2006: 

We thought searches for click fraud would continue to spike in 2006 Source: Google Trends, Dec. 27, 2006

We knew Google’s PR agency didn’t use press release SEO: 

We knew Google’s PR agency didn’t use press release SEO Google’s tactics 1 release per topic Mainstream media React to forums Google Alerts Can’t impact rankings Our strategy 19 releases per topic Search engine media Interact with bloggers Web traffic Can improve rankings

19 optimized press releases got 6,758 actual page views in 2006: 

19 optimized press releases got 6,758 actual page views in 2006 Source: PrimeZone, Dec. 15, 2006

19 releases generated 354 visitors to ClickTracks’ site for a 5.2% CTR: 

19 releases generated 354 visitors to ClickTracks’ site for a 5.2% CTR

We also pitched stories and case studies to journalists and bloggers: 

We also pitched stories and case studies to journalists and bloggers Source: Internet Financial News, Nov. 22, 2006

This helped generate 350 stories about ClickTracks in the past year: 

This helped generate 350 stories about ClickTracks in the past year Source: Topix.net, Dec. 27, 2006

Stories generated 15,660 visitors, 44 times more than the releases: 

Stories generated 15,660 visitors, 44 times more than the releases

917 links to www.ClickTracks.com from blog posts with any authority: 

917 links to www.ClickTracks.com from blog posts with any authority Source: Technorati, Dec. 27, 2006

ClickTracks is #3 out of 46,700,000 organic listings for web analytics: 

ClickTracks is #3 out of 46,700,000 organic listings for web analytics Source: Google, May 15, 2007

While others may have panicked, we beat Google at its own game : 

While others may have panicked, we beat Google at its own game 19 releases got 6,758 actual page views Releases generated 354 visitors to ClickTracks’ site for a 5.2% click through rate 350 stories about ClickTracks in 2006 Stories generated 15,660 visitors to ClickTracks’ site, 44 times more than releases Blogs generated 917 links to ClickTracks’ site ClickTracks has #3 ranking for web analytics The digital PR campaign in 2006 drove over 5% of the total traffic to the Clicktracks site in 2006

Windows Secrets Newsletter gives 270,000 subscribers essential tips: 

Windows Secrets Newsletter gives 270,000 subscribers essential tips

Editorial director Brian Livingston found bypass to Vista activation: 

Editorial director Brian Livingston found bypass to Vista activation

We mapped 40 influential bloggers and journalists in this conversation: 

We mapped 40 influential bloggers and journalists in this conversation

We invited influential bloggers and journalists to an online meeting: 

We invited influential bloggers and journalists to an online meeting 8 of the targeted bloggers and journalists attended the online meeting with Brian Livingston, including Chris Pirillo of Lockergnome and Gregg Keizer, a reporter and blogger for Computerworld

Chris Pirillo posted an approved preview of the “embargoed” story: 

Chris Pirillo posted an approved preview of the “embargoed” story

Gregg Keizer wrote an initial article about the story for Computerworld: 

Gregg Keizer wrote an initial article about the story for Computerworld

Frank Hayes wrote a follow-up post for one of Computerworld’s blogs: 

Frank Hayes wrote a follow-up post for one of Computerworld’s blogs

15 of the targeted bloggers wrote about the story over next 6 days: 

15 of the targeted bloggers wrote about the story over next 6 days

155,681 unique visitors that week, 64,370 more than previous record: 

155,681 unique visitors that week, 64,370 more than previous record

3,528 new subscriptions a week, 1,800 more than previous record: 

3,528 new subscriptions a week, 1,800 more than previous record

Three tips you can use on Monday to optimize your first press release: 

Three tips you can use on Monday to optimize your first press release Use Google Trends to find two or three terms that relate to your subject Include these terms in your headline and first two paragraphs Add hyperlinks to help people find interesting, related content