What’s Google’s stance on links in news releases?

Ali Glemser

I was reading the June PRSA Tactics newsletter when I came across an interesting and useful article about Google’s take on hyperlinks in news releases by Carrie Morgan, a public relations consultant. One of the million-dollar questions surrounding Google’s secretive search algorithms is: How does it judge the quality of content? The search engine works hard to make sure it is always pushing quality and relevant information to the top of its results. In an effort to always improve, its algorithms are constantly changing, so below are some high points worth knowing about using hyperlinks in your releases.

The long and short of it is YES, Google does recognize links in press releases, but it’s to your benefit to keep them relevant. In other words, they should help elaborate on the story as opposed to being a plug for extraneous subjects. Google can calculate this relevancy and therefore discount the quality of releases with spam or other suspicious links. Examples of ways to incorporate links are: linking a quoted figure’s bio from your company’s website to their name in the release or linking the public stock symbol for your company’s name to further information, if available.

It’s also worth noting that using a wire service to distribute press releases does not have a direct correlation to your website’s ranking. Rest assured, the guys at Google have done their homework. They can recognize syndicated release sites and discount their value.

Some other tips to remember about Google and publishing news releases include focusing on the length of the release and the content of your lead sentence. Google will only be able to accommodate the first 65 to 80 characters of your headline in its search results, so look to work your company name and any important keywords as close to the front as possible. Likewise, look to include as many keywords – that make sense – in your first sentence for SEO purposes.

In conclusion, links can definitely add to the quality of your release, but use them wisely. Morgan recommends specifically using no more than three in a release. Most importantly, think about the person reading the release for the first time. Do you want them to focus on the great content within it or direct them to five other pages before they reach the end?

On a scale of 1 to 10, how boring are your news releases?

If you ranked six or under - it’s time to revamp your newsworthy content. 

Tiffany Cunningham

How many times have you had an important announcement and think to yourself, “How can I make this different than any other company announcement out there?” I don’t know about you, but that thought replays continually in my mind every time one of my clients has important news to share to a broader audience. 

I have no doubt that the news is significant to the organization or company wanting a news release written and distributed, but it’s not likely to make front page news on its own. 

As a PR professional, you could beg and plead with a reporter who has covered your clients before or write a traditional news release and think positive thoughts in the hope it will get picked out of the thousands of pitches reporters and writers skim through on a daily basis. But, success is hard to accomplish, even for the “PR Gods” in our universe. 

So, the most important thing to remember is not to write a boring news release. There are some cases where it can’t be avoided, but try implementing these tips to your current news release writing approach: 

• Headline makes perfect.
• The most important element is the headline. A striking headline must communicate your subject matter instantly and convey why the content is new and interesting. 
• If headlines are not the easiest for you, try writing several headlines and then combining the best of each. Rework and simplify so what remains is no longer than one sentence. 
• To keep creative juices flowing and understand exceptionally written headlines, check out local and national publications – editors are among the best at sparking a readers’ interest in three to five words. 
• Transition your headline into your email subject line. Half the battle is getting a reporter to open the email that contains your news release. 
• Promote like a salesperson. 
• This is important to consider so you will understand the best way to present the news. 
• The information in the first paragraph must be a summary of what is presented in the full body of the news release. The first paragraph will give the who, what, when, where, why and how of the event or news distributed. 
• If the reporter is sucked in quickly, it will increase the likelihood that they continue reading and find the call to action within the news release. 
• Don’t forget to tap into a reporter’s innate desire to find the next big thing or know about the latest and greatest product that is newsworthy. 
• News releases are not a story or a novel. Be specific. 
• Keep the sentences short and to the point. 
• News releases should not exceed one page – most journalists and readers will lose interest after the first page. 
• Tell reporters exactly what they can expect from reading the news release. Will they learn how one company tripled its inquiries, or how to take advantage of frequent flier miles?
• Infuse the news release with facts and numbers with which they can relate and see themselves benefiting from by the details presented and become motivated by the call-to-action. 

Next time you browse the magazine/newspaper rack and start reading a story that interests you, take time to understand what attracted you to those headlines and leverage that in your own news release content. 

Have a question about news releases or insight into writing a great release? Comment below!

History lesson: The first news release published

Tiffany Cunningham

On Oct. 28, 1906 (108 years ago), public relations expert Ivy Lee wrote the first news release to journalists about a tragic train accident that happened on the Pennsylvania Railroad. Fifty passengers were killed when a three-car train of the Pennsylvania Railroad's new electric service jumped a trestle at Atlantic City, N.J., and plunged into the Thoroughfare creek.

According to About.com, Lee convinced the railroad company to release the news to journalists before any rumors were spread or reported on about the accident. The New York Times printed the news release, word-for-word, on Oct. 29, 1906. 

On the left is an image of the printed version of the news release in The New York Times. Since 1906, there have been two major changes to news releases: distribution and multimedia platforms. Distribution methods evolved along with technology. Today, there are four main points of distribution: email, wire service, post on website, and social media platforms. There are many things added to the distribution of a news release, i.e. SEO keywords, videos, photos and links to websites, but the core messaging in a news release have not changed that much over time. Technology has helped news releases to transition as a modern tool while still maintaining its original roots. 

News releases are simply written public relations announcements made to draw media attention to a specific event or product launch that is newsworthy for readers and viewers of various outlets. Never forget your “five W’s” for a release and always research the writer, editor or blogger you would like to send the release to before actually clicking send in your email box. 

Have a question about news releases or insight into writing a great release? Comment below!

News Releases: Things you thought were OK but really aren’t

Lauren Hannaford

During some weeks, my colleagues and I may send out a dozen or more news releases for our clients to local media. There’s no doubt reporters in Memphis get hundreds or even thousands of emails, some relevant and some not. Part of our job is to help reporters do their job more quickly. We help make it easier and more seamless for them.
 
Sometimes, new clients aren’t fully aware of what all that entails, and that’s OK because we take time to explain and educate clients about our processes. For example, when a client has news that warrants a full news release, we write the release according to Associated Press guidelines. We do that because that’s how it has to appear and will appear in the news. It also makes it easier for the reporter or editor to pull language from the release. If you’re wondering what AP Style looks like, here are a few examples.
 
•    Memphis, Tenn. not Memphis, TN.
•    John Smith, chief executive officer of ABC Company not John Smith, Chief Executive Officer of ABC Company (unless the title must precede the name, like, Mayor A C Wharton)
•    4 p.m. not 4 PM, noon not 12 p.m.
•    “More than” not “over”
•    The New York Times not “The New York Times”
 
Beyond AP Style rules, there are other AP guidelines we follow, as well. In news releases,

we avoid fluffy sensational language because it hurts credibility. Saying that your new service is “the absolute best service and the only one you will ever need” is an opinion and is meant for paid advertising (although we wouldn’t recommend saying that in an ad either). We also try our best to be concise. That goes back to helping out the reporter. It’s important to be straightforward and avoid flowery language. Jargon, language that applies only to certain professions and industries, is also an issue. When it’s absolutely necessary to include jargon in a news release, it must be explained. However, who wants to read a news release full of explanations? We coach our clients on how to cut out jargon during interviews. 
 
We understand that many businesses have brand guidelines and writing style preferences, and that’s OK for internal use. However, it’s simply not appropriate for the news. While we will always stick to our clients’ brand guidelines, it’s not incorrect to change something to AP Style. Journalists who read properly written news releases, or pitches, will be more likely to respond, and that’s how Obsidian gets great news coverage for our clients!