You may have a website, but a website is only as effective as its optimization. Search engine optimization encompasses many different activities, all of which boil down to making the search engines find you and your content, bringing traffic to and conversions on your site. Two of the most effective ways to do this are by publishing press releases and submitting your website to directories, online references that categorize and link to other websites – hopefully yours.

By submitting your website to fee-free directories like Yahoo! Directory and the Open Directory Project, you can gain exposure, increase your page rank, become more visible on search results pages and, ultimately, get your customers’ attention before your competitors do. (The SEO Advantage.) Directories are often administrated by the equivalent of librarians, who accept manual directory submissions and are often experts in a particular field. That said some directories have been criticized for delayed approvals, rigid organizational structures and editorial disputes. (Wikipedia) The result was the inception of “wikis,” collections of web pages designed to enable anyone who accesses them to contribute or modify content. Wikis generate meaningful topic association and offer the same advantages as directory submissions, but without the tedious submission and approval process.

While you’re submitting your website to directories and wikis, press releases should be a regular addition to your online content. If properly optimized, press releases have been proven to increase traffic to websites, improve search engine rankings and secure greater coverage in the media. (Shift Communications) Five questions can help you develop SEO-friendly press releases:

Is this press release consistent with my other SEO strategies or initiatives?

What are my website’s top keywords/phrases, and are they relevant to the press release?

Are there additional keywords that would be appropriate for the press release and enable it to generate more traffic?

Are there specific components of my website I want to emphasize or promote with this press release?

 Is it appropriate to add multimedia (video, podcast, images, etc.) to the press release?

Start with a strong title and, if appropriate, subheading with keywords; search engines give more weight to bolded headings. When writing your press release, determine the best keywords to include, then supplement them with colloquialisms that would be more commonly used in conversation. Try to mention your three most important keywords at least three times throughout the press release, but don’t fall into the trap of overusing hyperlinks. Focus on the important key phrases to avoid irrelevant search results or, worse yet, getting labeled as spam. The keyword density of your press release should always lie within 2 to 8 percent, depending on its length. By visiting www.keyworddensity.com, you can enter your URL and a particular keyword to get an accurate keyword density analysis.

Remember that press releases are informational announcements, and therefore should be kept between 300 and 500 words. The length of your press release should determine how frequently you use your keywords and how you use hyperlinks. Furthermore, be sure that hyperlinks aren’t the only way to redirect readers to your website; list your complete URL somewhere in the copy.

Finally, put it out there! Your press release should not only be permanently linked in a specified section of your website that readers can always find, it should also be in as many relevant online locations as possible. Once readers catch on to your content in a third-party location, they’ll start going straight to the source – your website. Optimize it, and they will come.

You can assign a person at your store to write, manage and submit your press-releases. The same person may be responsible for your SEO strategy. Alternatively you may consider hiring a third-party agency to manage your press releases. If you are an izmocars (http://www.izmocars.com/) Rainmaker customer, press releases and directory submissions are part of our SEO strategy. Our Strategic account manager works with you to identify press worthy events and specials, and we issue the releases on your behalf. Our online marketing specialist make and maintain submissions in directories that are relevant to your website, geography and products, including consumer-focused wikis, free and paid directories.

Please contact us to learn more about our Rainmaker program and how it can help you get more traffic to your website.