1. Search Leveraged Public Relations

2. Francis Skipper
Director of Search Marketing
415.542.6250
francis@451marketing.com
linkedin.com/in/francisskipper
@fskip

4. Agenda
• Background on Search
• How Events Shape Search Results
• Search Strategies
• SEO
• PPC
• Crises and Search
• Resources

5. A Few Search Stats
80% of users click on organic listings
(50% of users ignore paid ads)
Market share of search engines 75% of users never scroll past the
first page of search results
4%
73% 23% ASK
YAHOO
GOOGLE + BING

6. To put that into perspective…
Worldwide, 88,000,000,000 searches
are conducted on Google per month.
34,000 Per Second
2,000,000 Per Minute
121,000,000 Per Hour
3,000,000,000 Per Day

7. Search Engine Results Page (SERP)
Search
Query
Paid
Results
Organic
Results

9. But…
I’m in PR, Why Should I Care?
• Breaking News Drives Online
Searches
• Breaking News Fuels Growth Of
Online Content
• Competitors, Lawyers, and Injured
Parties First to Post

10. Breaking News Drives Online Searches
www.google.com/insights/search/

11. Search Strategies
Search Engine Pay-Per-Click
Optimization (PPC)
(SEO)

12. PPC (Pay-Per-Click)
• Client’s Agency Runs
• Advertisers Pay Engines
• Ads based on Keywords
• Bid/Auction System
• Ads go live immediately

13. SEO Has Three Core Components
Code Content Connections

14. Press Releases
• Press Releases are Web Pages
• Same SEO Rules Apply
– Keywords
– Good Content
– Juicy Backlinks
• Help Dominate the SERPs
• Link Directly to Conversion Page

15. Elements of Press Release
1. Title
2. Summary
3. Body
4. About the Company
(Boilerplate)
5. Press Contact

16. Title: Include the keyword phrase in the title
Summary: synopsis of the press release using 1-2 secondary keywords

17. Body
• 1-2 quotes/testimonials
• 3-4 keyword phrases
• Keyword rich links
• Links to home page
• Links to social networks

18. About the Company (Boilerplate):
• Your standard boilerplate should be optimized for search using keywords and links
• Include a link to your homepage in the summary (preferably in anchor text.)

20. Managing Crisis Online

21. Peanut Butter Recall Spinach / Lettuce Recall
1.8 Million Pages on the Web 1.95 Million Pages on the Web
8,405 Blog Posts 6,750 Blog Posts
2
1

22. Competitors, Lawyers, and Consumer Action
Groups are Often First to React
2
2

23. Get Out In Front of the Issue
• The Moment Information is Available, Make it Findable:
• Optimize PR’s
• Launch PPC campaigns
• Route all info to PR’s, official statements (away from negative info)
• Use Site, Sound and Motion for Maximum Impact
• Youtube, Facebook, Twitter
• Videos of official statements, rebuttals, corrections
• Target Searches and Content in Post-Event Proactive Branding
Campaigns:
• Launch micro-site targeted toward the issue
• Get the Word Out about Positive Community Relations
• Use the above to lead with any positive press
• Community relations, corporate governance, charity work

24. Make it Findable
Wal-Mart funnelled searches for its class action
discrimination lawsuit to a target portion of it’s site
that addressed the claims.
2
4

25. Video Statements
“JetBlue Stories” “JetBlue Apology”
Jet Blue passengers were stranded on the tarmac at JFK leading frustrated customers to post
videos on YouTube.
JetBlue’s Founder responded by posting an apology on YouTube, which
became one of the Top Ten Most Viewed Videos of the week
His apology received more than
85K views in 48 Hours and 272K total views to date.
2
5

26. Proactive Branding Campaigns
The “Splenda Truth” campaign was set up to counter
negative press coming from the “Truth About Splenda”
splenda facts

27. Positive Wins – Community Relations
2
7

28. Tools & Resources
Keyword Research: http://tools.seobook.com/keyword-tools/seobook/
Beginners Guide to SEO: http://www.seomoz.org/beginners-guide-to-seo
SEO Copy Writing: http://451heat.com/2010/12/03/how-to-write-a-press-release-
wearing-an-seo-hat/
Industry Insights and Trends: www.google.com/insights/search/

29. Francis Skipper
Director of Search Marketing
415.542.6250
francis@451marketing.com
linkedin.com/in/francisskipper
@fskip