Maximizing Online Public Relations

Do you already write and place news releases with traditional media -- magazines, newspapers, TV and radio? Have you thought about placing this same news online? With 80 to 90-percent of homebuyers shopping online first, having multiple ways for them to reach your site is important.
Repurposing and optimizing traditional news releases and positioning them in relevant ways online is important for 5 reasons:

1. Organic Search Engine Traffic - Google and other search engines LOVE fresh content -- whether it is on your website or posted to another URL (such as a press release distribution service) and linked back to your site.
2. Social Media - many bloggers and others who have embraced Web 2.0 are seeking content for their posts. If your content is easily accessible, it is more likely to be used.
3. Reputation Management - do you have negative stories online? Posting additional content that you have approved online to relevant and respected sources will often change your search engine results placements and bump the bad stories to page two.
4. Links - posting releases online can increase the number of incoming links to your site, and through the use of anchor text increase your site's relevance for key words and phrases.
5. Traditional Media - guess what? Reporters read online stories too. Posting new home community releases online can tweak a reporters interest and result in a traditional media placement.