Today we're doing a webinar (2:00 pm EST) with PRWeb on the topic of leveraging search engine optimization and news content for improved search engine marketing performance.  Registrations for this webinar were capped at 2,500, so if you didn't make it in time, please visit the comments for this post as we're contining the conversation there after the webinar.

The bottom line for the presentation is that there are opportunities to gain advantage from optimizing content according to it's purpose or goals. In the case of news content, make it easy for consumers and journalists alike to find your message on the channels and in the format they prefer. That means understanding the difference in search behaviors for consumers vs journalists and analysts doing research on companies/individuals.

TopRank conducted a survey late last year with journalists and reporters to discover their use of search and social media for researching stories. We wanted to know how they found companies and individuals that were ultimately referenced in the articles and media they produce.

Of the respondents (multiple answers were allowed), 95% said they use search to research past stories, 91% to research new sources and 59% to research press releases.  As for the type of search used most often, 91% use standard search (Google, Yahoo), 27% use  news search, 27% use search on social media sites and 18% use image search. There were more questions and answers in the survey than this which I'll be presenting in the webinar. 

Using SEO as part of a Pull PR effort, ie optimizing news content, puts a company's news content in the places where the media are looking. Pitching directly to journalists and analysts via email and phone is hit or miss. With thousands of press releases distributed each day, it's a challenge to stand out. That's why optimizing news content to facilitate self discovery by the media is a perfect compliment to any SEO or Media Relations effort.

The most fundamental types of news content to optimize are press releases and online newsrooms.  Since most SEO advice centers around lead generation, it's an important distinction to make when optimizing news content for researchers vs consumers looking to buy.

There are many content types that can get indexed by general and niche search engines. If something can be searched on, it can be optimized for search. This applies not only to news content but also to job listings, FAQ or Knowledgebase content and even events.

The larger opportunity for companies is to realize that by treating content optimization for search holistically, can result in much greater impact than siloing SEO to specific departments or purposes. Common keyword glossaries can be leveraged in the way key messaging is leveraged with PR, marketing/sales and corporate communications. This approach makes keyword optimization a part of routine communications and not only improves search based discovery of company content, but might also improve usability.

If you're on this blog post after PRWeb webinar, I encourage you to post any questions you have in the comments below.