Things I continue to learn at the PRSA International Conference
(Live blogging (Day Two) from the PRSA International Conference in San Diego, California)
If you ever have the opportunity to attend a session, Webinar or seminar by Lee Odden, CEO of Top Rank Online Marketing, do it! His session, while fast, is full of information and was sold out! Major focus of talk was about search engine optimization for news and press releases. This is what I learned:
PR Tactics that can be affected by Search Engine Optimization (SEO): 
- Public Relations in general
- Letters to the Editor
- Press kits
- Corporate blogs
- White papers
- Webinars
- Newsletters
- Real world interviews published digitally
Basically, if YOU are not optimizing your press releases for the Web, you better re-think your strategy, especially now that the world is full of far fewer journalists.
How can you get more from your press release?
- Research keyword using Google ad words
- Optimize your content
- Include a call to action within the release; link to a landing page and use a tracking URL to ascertain ROI
PR SEO Tips:
- Think upward and to the left
- Do not obsess on keyword density – if you have a 500 word press release, use only 2 to 4 terms
- Use keywords in links to competition Web site
- Add media such as podcast, blog, imagery, etc.
- Optimize for people first, then search engines
Check out Lee’s PPT presentation from the session.
Last takeaway from Lee’s session: PDFs are not good for SEO. But if you must use it on the Web, use links!
I then attended a session on healthcare and took away a couple items.
1) Key terms in healthcare PR right now are: A) Affordability, B) Prevention, C) Chronic health. If you create a press release or a blog, focus on the hot items.
2) Social media tools are good for hospitals. For instance, peeople who put off hip replacement surgery have worse outcomes. People are nervous because they do not know what surgery is like. Videos on YouTube and other sites, that show an actual surgery, help ease the mind. Always start a video with a patient, then the surgery, and follow up months later with a final story.
3) When developing a social media plan, always work with your legal department first. Getting them into the process, although is sometimes painful for PR professionals, helps in the end!
4) Always start with a goal! Don’t do social media for the sake of just doing it… figure out what you want to accomplish first, then measure what is relevant.
…good night!
