How to write a press release that Google will love.

Keyword Planning.
Your press releases should include keywords, which are the words that people enter when they search for information on Google and other search engines.

First, you need to identify those words for your company or client. Here's how to select the main keyword phrase for the release:

• Your press release will already include brand and product/service names, so choose a literal, descriptive phrase that matches how people search for the topic.

• Use keyword research tools such as Google AdWords Keyword Tool and Google Insight for Search to evaluate and refine words and discover popular variations. Look for keyword phrases with reasonable search volume that accurately convey the key concept.

• Check what news stories and press releases currently come up for your top candidates in Google News and Yahoo News.

How much competition is there?

• Use Google Trends to compare keyword candidates, seeing how often they have been searched for in Google over time and how frequently they have appeared in Google News stories.

Content optimization.
 Now that you’ve identified your keywords, you need to build them into your press release. Here’s how:

1. Title/headline

• Include the main keyword phrase in the title, close to the beginning when possible;

• Reduce unnecessary words to improve keyword weight;

• Put the most important information first.

2. Subheading/summary (when present)

• Include the main keyword phrase or a common variation.

3. First paragraph

• Include the main keyword phrase in the first paragraph, ideally in the first sentence.

4. Rest of body

• Include the main keyword phrase (and/or variations of it) approximately one time for every 100 words. This is a very rough guideline, not a strict rule. The key is to blend in keyword support without harming readability.

• Total length: 250 to 500 words total is optimal, however longer releases are often necessary and not a problem.

• Avoid over-use of “marketing speak” Use direct, straightforward language.

• Use the full form of terms throughout the release, unless the shortened forms or abbreviations also have search demand.

• As possible, include the keyword phrase in executive quotes as that content may be highlighted by some services or used in resulting media coverage.

• Optimize and tag images and multimedia content with target keywords.

5. Links

• Link directly to specific pages in the release (not just the home page);

• Use keywords in the anchor text of links;

• Three to four links per release maximum.

6. For press releases on your own site

• Optimize the page’s title tag, URL, and META description tag based on SEO best practices.

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