Content is Still King and Other SEO Tips from PR Newswire's Visit to InkHouse

PR Newswire’s Michael Pranikoff, Global Director of Emerging Media and Daniel Evans, Senior Director, recently stopped by InkHouse to talk about the current trends in content distribution and why everyone talks so much about ‘search’. The PR Newswire team was generous with their time and knowledge, and there’s so much we could have blogged about, but we can’t give all our secrets away! Here’s a snapshot of what we learned:

- Links are OUT. Organic conversation is IN. Who says? Oh, just Google. Ok, so links are still important, but a link for the sake of having a link doesn’t do anyone any good. Google wants relevancy and content that is going to drive engagement and actions. So be selective with links that you are going to use or feel the wrath of relegation away from Google's first page results.

- It used to be that search was all about links, but when brands were producing content that wasn’t interesting and links that weren’t relevant, Google changed its approach to bring the most engaging and valuable content to the forefront of search results. Today, Google values online mentions, and that is the driving force behind search.

- Content is king (good content and online conversations to be more specific). Good, real, relevant content that builds relationships between consumers and brands finds its way to the top. What does that mean for brands or products? It’s time to invest in building relationships with your audiences. Relationships build trust, and trust drives revenue.  

- I can hear you asking: “how do I get consumers talking?” By telling great stories and getting your voice into the arenas where the conversations are happening (enter the need for distribution).

- Conversations are sparked by emotional stories, compelling visuals and exclusive research. But without multiple platforms and channels, you won’t improve your search ranking and build brand trust. Find people where they are. Reuters Institute reports: “We seek news on Twitter, but bump into it on Facebook.” Be on many platforms and reach new audiences.

- Syndicate your content. Syndication pushes your message to consumers that aren’t already converted to your point of view, product or service. Consider syndication tools like PR Newswire, LinkedIn Pulse, or Medium. The further your reach, the more likely you are to become part of the conversation. That leads to more organic searches.

If you want to thrive in the content game, you need to have one foot in the future. That doesn’t mean you need to be an expert in content distribution, you just need to be curious and resourceful.