We live in a world dominated by search. Search is where people look for information: In today's digital world, search engines are often the first place people turn to when they want to find information. Whether it's researching a product, looking for news, or seeking answers to questions, search engines like Google are the go-to source for many people.
When customers first hear about a business, product or service, the first thing they will do an online search. When customers have a problem or question, they are looking for answer to, they search for it and have the opportunity to discover new businesses, products and services they didn’t know about before. If they discover a news story about or mentioning your company, they will feel even more compelled to check it out.
This is why search is the one strategy you need today and in the future.
By having a strong presence in search results, your PR campaign can ensure that your brand and messages are visible to your target audience when they are actively searching for relevant information, even months or years after your PR campaign has finished.
There are several compelling reasons why search should be at the center of your PR (Public Relations) campaign. Here are a few key reasons:
Search results shape perception and reputation: The search results that appear when someone searches for your brand or related keywords can greatly influence how they perceive your brand and its reputation. Positive search results can build trust and credibility, while negative results can damage your brand's reputation. We know, as mentioned above, that PR – generating positive news stories about your company – can improve the odds of your product or service to be searched and discovered. The credibility it brings can create curiosity to learn more and even a sale.
By proactively managing your search results through PR efforts, you can shape the narrative around your brand, control what information is available to the public, and protect your brand's online reputation.
Search provides long-term visibility: In general, search results have the potential to provide long-term visibility. Media and news stories have longevity online. Once your content is indexed by search engines, it can continue to appear in search results for months or even years, providing ongoing exposure for your brand and messages and generating long-term results from your PR campaign.
Search is cost-effective: It’s no secret that search visibility can be a relatively cost-effective marketing strategy with long term effects. Everything is searchable today and not every person is going to learn about your startup or small enterprise from the same source. That’s why PR is much more than media relations. Being able to tell your compelling story across searchable platforms is key to improving the online visibility of a company. Social media, video, infographics and more are all searchable today and are a key component to your PR campaign.
While it may require investment in content creation, optimization, and monitoring, the long-term benefits of having a strong search presence can outweigh the costs. Additionally, the organic nature of search results means that you can potentially achieve visibility without having to pay for every click or impression.
Search amplifies PR efforts: Search can work synergistically with other PR efforts to amplify your brand's messages. For example, if your brand receives media coverage, creating new content to leverage that coverage can help reinforce the message and increase its visibility in search results and on various platforms people use for search. Similarly, using PR tactics such as press releases or social media campaigns to promote your brand can also drive search queries, leading to increased visibility in search results. Integrating search into your PR campaign can create a cohesive and comprehensive approach to building brand visibility and reputation.
The results from press release services have shifted over the years. Long gone are the days that we would receive inquiries from media from a press release that a client pays to have distributed on services. Today, you are really paying for the search exposure. You are better off, from a search perspective, to create an online newsroom that presents press releases in their full form. If media are searching for companies like yours, they will find it and they will get all of the assets and information they need to tell your story.
It’s a bit of a new way of thinking, but still not so much. Reconsidering the possibilities of the credibility and impact PR can have on your search visibility is a must as we look to the future of PR. Search should be considered a fundamental element of your PR campaign due to its ability to provide visibility, shape perception and reputation, offer long-term results, be cost-effective, and complement other digital marketing efforts. By leveraging search effectively, you can strengthen your brand's online presence and improve your overall PR outcomes.