How to Write a Press Release for People and Search Engines

Press releases are a way to get the word out about your business. People are often more open to news stories than they are to advertising. The key to press releases is to provide valuable information. There are two audiences for your press release: people and search engines. People care about the words and the value of the news itself. Search engines care about the keywords and the links in your press release.

In the past most press releases were written just to members of the press in hopes of getting an article written about your business. Today, on the internet, many press releases are written directly to the customer. You want them to take an action like visit your web site, look at your products or specials, or sign up for a newsletter.

Reasons to Write a Press Release

• You can use keywords and links in your press release so you get in search engines.
• Some sites let you put pictures in your press release
• A press release is another page on your web site where people can learn more about your business.
• More and more journalists go online to do research and to find news to write about.
• Bloggers can pick up your press release and write about the news. You can even submit a summary of the news along with a press release to blogger directly.

Be sure to use your keywords in the title and body of your press release for maximum effect in search engines. Focus on one or two keyword phrases that relate to your story. Use them in headlines, quotes, and at the end of your press release.

I always use a template and include quotes in my press release. PRWeb has a lot of tips, including a press release template here: http://www.prweb.com/pressreleasetips.php

How to Write a Press Release

• Headline - grab the reader’s attention and briefly summarize the news. Use your keyword phrase in the headline.
• Dateline - contains the release date and usually the originating city of the press release.
• Introduction - first paragraph in a press release, that generally gives basic answers to the questions of who, what, when, where and why.
• Body - further explanation, statistics, background, or other details relevant to the news. Insert quotes from credible sources. Use keywords.
• Boilerplate - generally a short “about us” section, providing background on the issuing company, organization, or individual. Make it relate to the news and use keywords.
• Close - Summarize the news and invite the reader to take a specific action.
• Media Contact Information - name, phone number, email address, mailing address, or other contact information for the PR or other media relations contact person.

Here are some articles to help you learn how to write a press release
How to write a press release in no-nonsense terms.
The PRLeap Squidoo page with a lot more helpful tips on writing a press release.
Tips for writing press release titles
Tips for tracking your press release
How to write a press release for Google News

Press Release Distribution Sites
Here are some of my favorite press release web sites. They distribute your press release to places like Google News, Yahoo News, bloggers, and journalists. If you want search engines to find your press release, look for a service that allows you to put in links in the text. It can be worth paying for!

PRWeb - http://www.prweb.com

I recommend the $200 level for SEO and social media if you’re more advanced. At this level you can put links directly in the press release. PRWeb is one of the largest distributors of press releases online. For more advanced training, they have a free webinar to help you maximize all of the features of the site.

Your press release will have a permanent link on their site. PRWeb gets a lot of traffic and has a high page rank.

PRLeap - http://www.prleap.com

They have a free option but if you pay $50 you can put links in your press release. Be sure to read their article on how to get your press release approved the first time.

Clickpress - http://www.clickpress.com

You can submit your press release free on this site.

Other Press Release Resources
List of Media Outlets by State that you could submit your press release to (print and web)
PR blogger - press release information
How to pitch to bloggers
Find out who is reading your blog or site free, with Quantcast.
Care and Feeding of the Press - How to talk to the media.
Example of PR for book publishing (from parapublishing).
Creating a press release

This is a list of press release directories where you can submit your press release after you write it. There are links and the page rank of each site. Some are free and some cost money.

Be sure to post the press release you write on your web site. If you used a free service that didn’t allow links, you can add them. Don’t just link to your home page, but to specific product pages or other pages on your web site that relate to the news.

By Janet Meiners