Houston SEO companies like Directory One know that a carefully worded optimized press release can be used to attract visitors to your site as well as promote your business in the traditional media.
A press release is a short news article designed to promote a business’s activities in the media. They are used to promote and attract attention for a wide assortment of recent or upcoming company events, ranging from new products and services, special events, sales and other financial information, as well as publicizing new hires, personnel promotions and awards.
A press release is a unique document with its own rules and format. Some of the common elements of a press release include: the headline (designed to grab attention), dateline (besides the date this also names the location the release is originating from), introduction (provides the basic information – who, what, when, where, how and why), the body (which elaborates on the information presented in the introduction), the “boilerplate” ( a short paragraph or two about the company and its background), media contact information (names, phone numbers, email addresses etc) and finally, the “close” (in America, this is usually expressed by -30- which indicates to journalists that the release has ended).
By carefully selecting and adding keywords and keyword phrases to a press release and posting them on your website you can attract the search engine with new content that’s specifically at attracting new visitors to your site.
Almost any SEO writer can create a press release that both promotes your business to the media and attracts new visitors to your site. Companies like Directory One provide this and other SEO services in Houston. To get more information about optimized press releases contact Directory One at 713-465-0051.
Houston SEO companies know that using keywords in your content may attract visitors, but it won’t make them stay and won’t make them come back for more.
Search engines play a crucial role in directing traffic to your website. Writing quality content and updating it often helps optimize your site for search engines, increasing the ranking of your site. The goal of a good SEO website marketing content writer is to produce useful, high quality content that is full of the keyword phrases that will attract search engines to your site.
Keywords and keyword phrases are important in getting visitors to a site. They should be carefully selected and used as often as possible. But keywords aren’t content. An awkwardly written article jammed with keywords may get people to visit your site but won’t keep them there.
Besides being fresh and relevant, the content should be well written and engaging. Visitors should be encouraged to spend time at your site, not to bounce away after a quick glance.
Producing fresh content on a regular schedule may prove a daunting task. Thankfully there are several local website marketing firms that can produce this content for you. Houston website developers like Directory One have been providing this service for years. To find out how fresh, unique content can help keep visitors coming back to your website contact Houston Search Engine Optimization experts Directory One at 713-465-0051.
information October 27, 2008 Eric Brantner
SEO Content Writer
When writing copy for your website, the first thing you should ask yourself is “What separates my company from the competition?” While your first instinct might be something like customer service, that’s just not going to cut it. Every company says they have the best customer service. Your website visitors won’t be wowed by that.
Also, avoid the use of ridiculous superlatives. Simply saying “We’re the #1 company in our industry” won’t separate you from your competitors. No, you have to find something unique that adds value to your business. Something that a customer will grab hold of and associate with your brand for years to come.
As an example, Domino’s Pizza built their brand on the 30 minute guarantee. They drilled it into their customer’s minds that they would have their pizza delivered within 30 minutes. This service added value to the Domino’s brand. It distinguished them from all the other pizza joints in town. After all, everyone has experienced waiting hours for a pizza delivery at some point.
FedEx is another prime example of a company separating itself from the competition. Through numerous TV ads, the company has dramatized how missed deliveries can ruin a company. That’s why they absolutely guarantee you will receive your packages on time. This creates the impression that other shipping companies can’t promise this (and they don’t) and it adds value to the FedEx service.
So, what really separates you from the competition? As a business owner, you should already know this going in, but if you don’t, it’s time to start brainstorming. Do you offer a unique guarantee or service that nobody else in your field does? Feature your unique qualities in your website copywriting. Don’t just talk about the features, but explain how they will benefit the reader. Your website readers don’t care about all the technical differences between you and the competition; they just want to know how your unique features will benefit them as a customer.
It’s only after you truly distinguish yourself from the competition that your online brand will have real value.
information October 20, 2008 Eric Brantner
Article distribution is a great way to help your business improve its online visibility. It also builds authority and gains you valuable inbound links. But you can’t just throw any old article on an article directory and expect it to work wonders for your brand.
That’s why I’ve come up with the anatomy of an SEO friendly article. This will help serve as a guide for creating content for article directories.
Title
It all starts with the title. Since content on article directories tends to rank well, you need to make sure your title is keyword rich. However, don’t commit the mistake of sacrificing an engaging title for the sake of keyword optimization. The key is to have a title that is both intriguing and keyword rich.
List titles seem to be the most effective at garnering attention. Titles that start with “5 Ways to…” or “11 tips for…” make users interested in reading the list you’ve created. The other reason lists are so effective is that they’re easy to scan quickly. Online users tend to scan content rather than read it; so, they are naturally attracted to lists.
Opening Paragraph
With online articles, it’s usually best to get to the point as quickly as possible. Readers tend to have a short attention span online, and you only have a few seconds to grab their attention. For this reason, the beginning of your article needs to give a strong, compelling overview of the topic at hand. Before posting your article online, read through the first paragraph asking yourself “Does this make me want to keep reading this article?” If the answer is no, rewrite the opening paragraph until it does make you want to keep reading.
Additionally, try to work your main keyword into the first paragraph. Again, don’t do it at the expense of the paragraph’s flow, but if you can get the keyword in early, it’s beneficial for keyword placement.
Body
The body of your text needs to be easy for readers to scan through. Since you’ll probably be using the list format, you need to start each point with a bold, descriptive heading. This way, your reader can quickly scan through the list to understand your main points. Then, if they find your list interesting, they’ll read through your support for each point on the list. On a side note, make your bolded headings keyword-rich if possible.
As well as properly placing keywords throughout the body of your article, you also want to use short paragraphs. This goes back to the point of internet readers scanning through content. If someone lands on an article that’s just one long paragraph, you can rest assured they won’t be reading that article. Keep the body of your content focused, and take advantage of white space.
Conclusion
The conclusion of you article needs to wrap everything up in the article neatly. Additionally, it should entice readers to click on your website to learn more about you. Make sure the link back to your website has keyword-rich anchor text. This is one of the few times you’ll get to control your anchor text, so take full advantage of the opportunity.
information October 13, 2008 Eric Brantner
SEO Writer
Press releases are great tools for promoting your brand and increasing your online visibility. When used properly, your business can experience many benefits. Unfortunately, many companies misuse their press releases, and they simply don’t know how to write them properly.
To get the most out of your press releases, follow these 5 tips.
1. Make it Newsworthy- The first step to writing a great press release is making sure you actually have something of value to say. Press releases are used to deliver news to interested parties. If you don’t have anything newsworthy to write about, then you might want to hold off on creating a press release. Otherwise, it will just look like a desperate attempt to promote your business.
2. Optimize the Content- Online press releases have changed the face of their distribution. Now, companies can publish their press releases on distribution websites online. For this reason, it’s important to optimize your press release for relevant terms. Since the search engines crave fresh content, your press release will rank well if optimized properly.
3. Get to the Point- The best press releases are those that can be digested easily. Within the first few sentences, readers should have an understanding of what the press release is about. You give them a brief overview of the topic first, and then, the rest of the press release includes the details.
4. Avoid Sales Jargon- Although the ultimate point of your press release is to promote your company, you don’t want it to read like a sales brochure for your products. Remember, a press release is a news item. Stick to the facts throughout the content, and avoid hyperbole at all costs. Stay professional, and your press release will be far more effective.
5. Include Contact Information- When writing your press release, you need to include as much contact information as possible. Include your website url, email address, phone number, and physical address. This will help interested parties get in touch with you quickly and effectively.
information October 12, 2008 Eric Brantner
SEO Content Writer
Copywriting is the backbone of every successful website marketing campaign. You can have the most advanced design of any website online, but without the right words, you’ll never convert your visitors into customers. Not only does SEO copywriting help you get the rankings to attract website visitors, but it also helps you convince your readers to take action.
Unfortunately, many websites are filled with boring, filler content. It’s almost as if the content was simply an afterthought.
Here are 5 common SEO copywriting mistakes.
1. Not Hiring a Professional Copywriter- To me, the biggest mistake most companies make is to not hire a professional SEO copywriter for their website. They hold the belief that just any old content will do. That’s simply not true. A professional copywriter can create results-driven content that makes your visitors take action.
2. Keyword Stuffing- As a copywriter, few things frustrate me more than landing on a website stuffed with keywords. While optimizing your content is certainly important, you have to make sure your human visitors can easily read your web copy. Like I always say, what’s the point of getting high search engine rankings if your visitors click back as soon as they see your website?
3. Boring Titles- This is another instance of SEO gone wild. Yes, placing keywords in your title is a good idea. However, you should never sacrifice the quality of your content for the sake of SEO. You can have the best of both worlds. Make your titles compelling and keyword rich.
4. Big Blocks of Text- Several studies have been conducted to determine how people view content online. All of the experts agree: online users tend to scan content rather than read it. For this reason, using long passages of text is suicide for your website. You need to break your content up into short paragraphs with bolded headings throughout. This accommodates your readers by making it more scanner-friendly.
5. No Call to Action- This is Copywriting 101—a strong call to action is necessary for getting your visitors to take action. Your readers will never take action unless you tell them what you want them to do. Your call to action should be clearly visible, incentive-based, and easy to follow. A strong call to action will improve your conversion rate exponentially.
