Immediate disclaimer . . . press releases such for link building but are great for website traffic if they are properly constructed.
My recent efforts to find an efficient way to perform a the dreaded task of link building has led me down the press release path one more time. PR services such as PR Web and PR Newswire are very enticing because they employ the use of the easy button for those of us with daunting task list. Most content distributed through these networks are simply regurgitated by content aggregators. The links from these content scrapers provide very little value.
The real value of a properly constructed press release is when it is able to cut through the clutter of information and a legitimate blogger or news source picks it up.
After reviewing a couple of webinars and doing a bit of reading for the sake of due diligence; I have reached the same conclusion as before.
- Press Releases are great for driving traffic to your website
- A press release should be considered if you truly have something newsworthy, are making a product or brand launch, or to manage your brand reputation
- A well written and legitimate press release may be picked up by several reporters, editors and trustworthy websites that may provide valuable links back to your site.
- The headline is the most valuable part of the release.
- Direct pitching to journalist is the most effective route
It all boils down to one point; there are no shortcuts to success. I consider myself to be a marketer but more specifically a web developer and an Search Engine Optimization specialist. A proper link building campaign should be more focused on organic link building strategies. I am not a Public Relations professional and should leave the press releases and pitches up to the PR folks.
Hopefully next time I journey down this path I will simply revisit this post as a reminder that there are no shortcuts to success.
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