I talked about it a few weeks ago. I’ve been asked what would be the things to do to write a search engine optimized press release.
I’ve answered a few basic points, but I do think that creating a toolkit might be useful, especially since the audience is changing, and if you want to target journalist, but not only.
Of course, press release will remain for the press, but we have to keep in mind that Google is the biggest wire on the planet. If you want to exist somewhere, you have to be on it.

Preamble :

• The recommendations hereunder are a draft version – any additional comment is more than welcome
• The purpose of this toolkit is to facilitate the optimization of press release for Search Engine. It is not designed to become "blog release" (a press release dedicated to blog – a wrong idea), but to facilitate the recognition by a larger audience.

Content

• Title of the press release : keep it as short as possible, with key figure to immediately attract attention, keyword and the name of the brand, the name of the product.
• The text : keep it also short – keep in mind that it will be read on a computer screen. The choice of the font and the formatting is also to consider.
• Media : people pay more attention to pictures. Embedding picture on a text to illustrate it will attract more attention. I would also recommend creating a specific link to make available high res illustration and eventually a short movie hosted on youtube/dailymotion (could be an interview of a spokesperson, a demo of a product, etc).
• Include keywords / tags : could be easily identified by search engine – 3, 4 tags, no more.
• Submit the press release on web services : we’ve previously identified services on the web – they are supposed to distribute releases. Not sure that it is very efficient, but could help for the referencing (look at the list on mashable previously seen by Aaron for example – I also know that some services exists on a local scale, depending on your country)
• Link the release to social news site : digg-likes, delicous-likes, etc … You’ll find over internet services to add buttons to rate news or to add it to the major social news services (addthis for example).
• Link to content : Do not hesitate to link to previous release or to content on the company website.

Be sure that your online press room is up to dater

• Integrate a dedicated RSS feed to let reader be alerted of the latest news (we’ve discussed that topic in the past with Erica, but since then, I’ve discovered additionnal services for those who don’t have feeds such as magiepieRSS or Feed43 …)
• Create a media resource directory with your media content (HD Logo, HD Shots of products, screenshots, video, press kits, etc)
• Make an obvious access to your contact
• Create an archive section
• If you have an online press review somewhere why not integrate it (via del.icio.us) …

From a technical point of view

• Check with your IT guy that the HTML formatting of your page is well done, and that the code has all the info (because that’s where search engine looks first).
• Check also that the website is correctly declared to Google, and that Google is advised when the content of the website changes (some tools can help – thank you Google)

Just to be clear : these recommendation does not replace our work with journalists and our precious relationship with influencers. But it might help to give visibility for messages.
And if a blogger can find enough information he can use (with screenshot he can link or video he can embedd in his post) inside a press release, why not ?

Now, it’s your turn : do you think these recommendation could be helpful for some of your clients? Is it just not relevant? Do you have additionnal recommendation to share ? Have you already tried similar things?

Pierre from Paris