PR (public relations) and SEO (search engine optimisation) at one time could be considered completely alien to one another in terms of their specific goals and strategies. Now, in today’s digital landscape, the lines between digital PR and SEO begin to blur, with practitioners looking to leverage the best elements of both disciplines in order to achieve success.
Businesses that have engaged the services of an SEO agency are increasingly realising the need to supplement their digital strategy with the help of a quality PR agency Sydney. This is because, as evidenced by Google’s latest algorithmic updates, digital success relies on a sincere and well-managed online reputation rather than on the presence of purely technical optimisation signals.
So, how did this change occur?
This change comes out of necessity, as Google begins to openly place more importance on the authoritative quality of web content rather than its exact match relevance to keyword terms. This means that, in order to get a high ranking in Google’s results page, you need to be developing and distributing high quality, authoritative content that earns you links on other domains.
In this way, the need for authoritative links and high quality content has bound PR and SEO together.
The shared goals of PR and SEO
Creating content that is accurately targeted to the right audience works not only to boost your brand awareness but also encourages people to organically share said content around the internet. Both of these end goals are shared by both PR and SEO practitioners.
The positive connections PR consultants are able to create with influential bloggers and publications are invaluable for any SEO practitioner. This explains why it’s more common to see PR and SEO experts working together on projects that seek to leverage high quality content in exchange for inbound links.
Put simply; PR and SEO, while having different metrics of success, both deal with the management of positive brand awareness through cooperation with other entities.
Managing the intersection of PR and SEO strategies
Communication is critical in any kind of relationship and this is no different when it comes to PR and SEO. This is especially important in circumstances where a PR team must work closely with their SEO counterparts and there is a risk of accidentally doubling up on similar tasks.
Because so many PR and SEO functions go hand in hand, it can be disastrous if there isn’t adequate correspondence between the two teams. For PR and SEO to work harmoniously, one hand must always know what the other is doing.
Using PR and SEO in concert
As the lines between PR and SEO continue to blur, practitioners are using this knowledge to attract higher quality links to their domains. In recent years, social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram have become extremely important as vehicles for generating organic buzz around your website.
Inbound links from high authority publications are still highly sought after; however there is still a lot of opportunity to build relationships with bloggers and social media audiences that also have a valuable impact.
Ultimately, PR and SEO make for a strong collaborative mix of tools and strategies that can rescue even the most obscure brands. As search engine algorithms continue to get smarter and more human-like in how they evaluate web content, the importance of where, when and how that content is distributed becomes ever more important.
This means that while SEO deals with the creation of and optimisation of content, PR manages media coverage and secures the best places for that content to be shared. It’s clear that using PR and SEO in tandem is not only recommended, but essential for achieving success in a marketing landscape that’s rewarding quality over quantity.