29 Mar Public Relations is Google Relations
I didn’t coin that phrase but I totally subscribe to it. The primary audience of PR is Google. Your authority as an individual or company, how you’re found, what people think of you before they speak to you, and possibly the future of your business is dependent on how you’re treated by the dominant search engine. Yes, it’s Google’s world and we just live in it. Understanding that basic truism and building PR programs on it is the key to short term success and long-term impact.
Google has sharpened its algorithms to concentrate on influence, reputation and trust – the three hallmarks of successful public relations. If you produce quality, original content that has real value to your audience, then Google will reward you (AND your clients will stay, you’ll build authority and stature, and you’ll attract new business).
Satisfying the Google Beast
# Keywords. This is where all PR should start. Hashtags and keywords keep messaging from spinning apart. Often, PR people spend an inordinate amount of time on messaging and it’s rarely reviewed. Quicker and more effective – keywords and hashtags.
#Say something. This is harder than it sounds. Try to add value to the conversation, take it somewhere it hasn’t been, argue a contrarian view. Don’t echo what we already know. Don’t be overtly promotional. Be a teacher and a learner.
# Distribute widely. There are so many free content distribution channels available to amplify blog posts – LinkedIn, Twitter, financial media, newsletters, landing pages, to name the most apparent. Take advantage of them to increase your targeted audience and build authority with search engines.
These days it’s as important for PR pros to know Google Analytics and Hoot Suite as it is to whip together a media list. If clients say they want to “move the needle” or “get known to everybody in the business” or “get quality new business leads” tell them that the gatekeeper to that world of glory has a name. We know what it is.
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