How PR and SEO Work Together

By Mark Macias

Just when you thought your SEO strategy was in place, Google changes the rules again. It now places a larger role in how PR and SEO work together. The latest algorithm, nicknamed “Hummingbird,” impacted roughly 90 percent of all search engine traffic in 2014, according to industry reports.

Google will never reveal its search algorithm but one thing Hummingbird does reinforce is the growing importance of PR and its influence on SEO.

Unlike the past, where keywords were used to find topics with search engines, Google now places a higher emphasis on content that delivers valuable information. That means articles that explain your expertise, or talk about your business will tell Google that your business deserves a higher location in the world of search.

PR and SEO Work Together

Public Relations is primarily about getting your stories told in the media, and this is one of the most crucial components Google uses to determine how high a website should be listed. It scours the web and looks to see what kinds of news organizations or bloggers are talking about your business. If it sees a high correlation of conversation on your topic, aka blogger and media content, it will assume that you have more value to the public.

That’s when your website is pushed higher.

How Media Stories Improve your Search Ranking

Google is now taking a closer look at content and determining which content is answering consumer questions.

For example, if you own a business and want to know the return on investment from PR, you might ask Google: “What is the ROI of PR?”or “PR ROI” if you’re short on time.

Google search is influenced by many factors, including location, but if you type those phrases into Google, you should see on the first page of Google, a link to MaciasPR. That page leads readers to content that explains the ROI of Public Relations.

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Macias PR was named the 2015 top “PR Consultant Firm of the Year – USA” by Finance Monthly. The firm was founded by Mark Macias – a former Executive Producer with NBC and Senior Producer with CBS in New York. Macias is a weekly contributor with CNBC.com and author of the communications book, Beat the Press: Your Guide to Managing the Media, which has been featured in the NY Times, Fox Business, NY Post and others. Macias PR has run media campaigns for tech startups, financial groups, service providers, nonprofits and politicians.