seo-tipsIf you ask someone how they heard about your business, chances are they found it through a Google search.

Journalists are also looking for sources online. TopRank’s Journalists Use of Search Survey revealed that 91% of journalists use Google. Journalists are also searching blogs and social media to get story ideas.

What is SEO? Search engine optimization is a way to make sure your website appears in search engines when people are looking for your type of business or service. There are no guarantees with SEO and algorithms are always changing with search engines, but there are some basic ways to improve your website search ranking.

Here are a few simple SEO tips for PR:

Know Your Keywords

Review your website analytics to see what keywords people are using to search for your site. Ask customers what words they would use to search for your type of business. Research what keywords your competitors are using in their online advertising. Create a spreadsheet with your keywords and share with your team. Knowing your most relevant industry keywords is crucial as you optimize your online campaigns.

Check Your Current Online Messaging

Review social media profiles, websites, blogs and other relevant content for keywords. Include keywords in your About Us, Products/Services and News sections and keep them up to date. If you have a blog, consider writing a post that utilizes each top keyword or keyword phrase and talk about a topic in your industry. Utilize your meta tags – add title tags, descriptions and keywords. Optimize images and video on your website.

Make Your Content Social

Google recognizes links shared through social media. If you have a newsletter, be sure to add it to your website and include social sharing buttons in the newsletter and on the website. Share your content such as presentations, webinars, videos and articles over your social networks. Utilize sites such as YouTube, Slideshare.net and Flickr.

Go Local

Be sure to create listings for your business in Google, Yahoo and Bing. If you are a small local business, check your listings on Yelp and CitySearch and your local Patch. Make sure you are listed on FourSquare and offer specials if it is relevant.

Monitor and Measure As You Go

Set up Google alerts for your keywords and your company name. Monitor your industry and watch for new trends and keywords to add to your list. Read industry blogs and comments to see how people describe your business or industry. Measure your traffic and compare metrics back to the start of the optimization process. Schedule quarterly audits to review traffic, keywords and messaging.

More Information

SEO: The Free Beginner’s Guide from SEOmoz. This is a visually compelling and fully detailed SEO guide for anyone who works in marketing and public relations.

The internet has changed the way we search for and share information. People are searching for your business for many reasons – make sure they can find you.

Image via TopRank Online Marketing.