A well-performing website may become one of a company’s most valuable assets. Not only does it tell the public about your goods as well as services, but it also captures search traffic which you will be able to change into revenue.
That’s why improving your website’s search position using search engine optimization (SEO) techniques is a crucial component of your marketing efforts. This process doesn’t happen overnight, however. Instead, appeasing the search engine gods takes time, discipline and plenty of technical know-how.
PR can drive web results, just as advertising, social media as well as other endeavours. It’s all a part of the correct marketing mix. In fact, it’s really one of the best ways in which PR can make an immediate, traceable impact on your organisation’s communications efforts. Each PR tactic that you undertake — from pitching a story to media to going after speaking opportunities — can lead individuals to find out accurate information. It also can lead to immediate decisions.
Earned Media Provides A Boost in Quality Traffic
Perhaps the most apparent way that PR can lead to an increase in website traffic is through positive earned media mentions, particularly if they include links. When you have attained an earned media mention, watch for a related bump in traffic and make sure that you track which of those visitors were referred by the publication.
Not only will this assist with proving the ROI for PR, but it will also help you to determine which publications or authors are able to produce the most visitors. If a publication or post does not contain a link to your website, be sure to ask for one. Most of the authors are very happy to oblige with a relevant link.
When a visitor reaches your website as they’ve seen an article about, or produced by, your brand, they tend to be extremely interested in your products and services. This makes PR traffic higher quality and more likely to convert than traffic from other sources. It is a good idea to track the conversion rates of visitors from PR resources, once again helping to establish the value of PR activities.
Which PR Activities Should You Pursue?
Here are three PR activities that you can try out in your organisation.
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Targeted Media Relations
Before you pitch any idea to a reporter, you should know what they write about and also why your organisation is worth their time. However, when you find the correct outlet, a reporter who gets it, and a product, service or human-interest story is well-worth telling, the result can be amazing —both online and offline.
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Researched blogger outreach
Individuals who write blogs want to share information with the public. However, like reporters they prefer to speak about things which are relevant to their content area of coverage. If you come across a blog that speaks about a subject which you have an answer to (such as a product or service to solve the problem), you should pitch them on a future blog post mention. If they decide to put together a piece about your company, chances are they will link directly to your website.
Informative e-Newsletters
Although not exactly a PR function, e-newsletters are ideal for communicating directly to interested parties (people who have opted-in to get them). A monthly or quarterly e-newsletter sets your organisation up to deliver relevant content directly to consumers. If you use embedded URLs, you can lead readers to additional information on your website.
These are just some of the great ideas for getting PR to drive traffic to your website.
Get in touch with the Digital School of Marketing
If you would like to discover more then you need to do our Digital Public Relations Course. Follow this link to find out more.
