Selecting SEO Keywords to Optimize PR Content

Leveraging SEO in your PR strategy can immensely increase your business’s online visibility, making your offerings more accessible to both current and potential new customers alike. One of the easiest ways to maximize your PR efforts through SEO is to utilize keywords.

SEO keywords are phrases in your web content that cause your website to show up with a relative search term. By embedding keywords a potential customer is likely typing into their search engine in your web content, your business will be placed higher in search results. Ultimately, the point of using keywords is pretty similar to a key goal of PR: to create awareness of your business by getting your website placed in the top results of search engines, ultimately driving traffic to your website and increasing sales.

Even if you already have an SEO strategy in place, the best beginning practice for integrating keywords into PR efforts is to audit which keywords you are already ranking for. You can either use an SEO platform or manually search on Google to see what combination of phrases triggers your site to appear. This will give you an idea of what your business is already ranking for and can inform your strategy for increasing your rankings.

There are typically two categories of keywords you will want to include in your PR content: basic and long-tail.

Identifying your basic keywords 

Basic keywords are your tried and true terms that will rarely change. These are simple, one to two-word keywords that define your business and are directly related to your brand. They can include anything from your business name to a service you offer, your product, or your industry. 

To help define these keywords further, put yourself in the shoes of your customers. A good question to ask yourself is “If I was searching for a product or service similar to what my business offers, what would be the first thing I would google?”

It is important to note that these straightforward keywords can be more challenging to rank for because they tend to be associated with a higher search volume. For example, if you were to google “luggage”, an extensive array of results would appear as opposed to if you searched a long-tail, more concise keyword like “blue carry-on luggage”, which would produce significantly less relevant results.

Exploring long-tail keywords 

Long-tail keywords are a combination of three or more basic keywords. They can require a bit more specificity; however, long-tail keywords can offer great SEO value because they tend to have a lower search volume, making them easier to rank for.

Implementing these keywords in your PR approach is crucial to ensure that relevant and appropriate traffic is reaching your website.

When generating long-tail keywords, you can start with combinations of your basic keywords. For example, a long-tail keyword could include your company name + specific product + price. A good rule of thumb is to keep long-tail keywords between 3 to 8 terms to ensure reliability and accuracy. 

Integrating keywords into PR content

Once you have your list of targeted basic and long-tail keywords, this becomes your guidebook. With this, you can start brainstorming ways to integrate these keywords directly into your written content. Op-eds, sponsored posts, paid press releases, and blog posts are all opportunities to strategically include the keywords your business wants to rank for. 

Don’t forget to monitor and audit

Tracking the search volume of your keywords and monitoring their performance is an essential housekeeping task. This is especially important in PR because you want to confirm that your content and keywords are working cohesively to optimize impressions on your potential audience.

A simple audit can be done manually by searching the keywords you’ve selected to see if your site appears. Alternatively, specialized SEO tools and programs can be employed for more thorough analysis. If you end up restrategizing your target keywords, the good news is you will not need to scrap your initial list entirely. The fluidity of long-tail keywords allows them to be rearranged and reformulated, allowing you to adjust as needed. 

The Takeaway

Selecting the right SEO keywords and integrating them into your web content, along with monitoring these keywords for performance, is a simple and effective strategy to produce powerful results for increasing your business’s online presence. 


Need help creating a PR plan that works in tandem to maximize your business’s SEO potential? Reach out to us at [email protected]

How Does SEO Work With Your PR Strategy?

The fast-paced nature of the internet has created a consumer demand for Google search results to be delivered instantly and precisely. A survey found 60 percent of mobile users were very likely to click on the first two to three search results they saw, and more than 90 percent were likely to click on the first set of results. 

Leveraging search engine optimization (SEO) to boost your visibility online has become a highly valued and sought-after strategy for companies. Traditionally, SEO has been a marketing practice but this is no longer the case. The ever-changing nature of today’s digital landscape offers new possibilities for PR pros to incorporate SEO tactics in their work to strengthen their clients’ presence in search results.

The ever-changing nature of today’s digital landscape offers new possibilities for PR pros to incorporate SEO tactics in their work to strengthen their clients’ presence in search results.

The Relationship Between SEO and PR

SEO and PR can work cohesively to increase brand recognition. They are reliant on one another, often more than we think. How effective can PR efforts be if consumers cannot find your company on Google? There is little content and opportunity for SEO to grow organically without PR. 

Including SEO tactics in your PR strategy can differentiate between how you and your competitors stand in search rankings, ultimately deciding which sites both new and returning consumers choose to visit. PR pros can incorporate two components in their daily practices to achieve optimal SEO for their clients: keywords and backlinking. 

Keywords and backlinking are essential in the relationship between SEO and PR as they are easily manipulated and offer significant influence when utilized correctly.

Identifying the Keywords You Want to Rank For

Keywords are phrases included in your content that make it possible for search engines to list your company as a reliable and accurate result. This is where most will look to start in their SEO journey.

You first will want to audit the keywords your company is already ranking for. This builds your foundational understanding of which keywords are influencing your ranking. You are likely to see your company rank highly for obvious keywords relative to your company, like your name, service, or product. An audit can provide insight into what phrases are commonly addressed in already published content and help in identifying new opportunities to focus on in the future to target those infrequently used keywords.

It’s crucial to note keyword selections are not set in stone. They can be adjusted to cater to new product offerings or different PR campaigns, but be careful in selecting which ones and how many you want to monitor. The best practice is to start basic and simple before expanding to longer, more complex keywords.

Person working on a computer looking for SEO keywords they would like to rank for to boost visibility online.

Your search ranking is also determined by the number and quality of outside websites that link back to your website within their published content. Backlinks from credible and trustworthy sites positively influence your SEO ranking, making earning digital media placements one of the most beneficial SEO-boosting tactics. These placements work to increase your brand’s searchability, ultimately enhancing the quality and quantity of website traffic you receive. To ensure a published story results in an SEO-boosting backlink, your PR rep can ask a journalist to include a link to your company’s website along with including relevant links in their pitch for the journalist to reference and embed. 

Owned media, which includes things like press releases and blog posts, also presents opportunities for PR pros to help you drive your SEO rankings. Linking to other relevant content you own within a piece of media on your website can increase domain authority and traffic to other landing pages. Overall, we see this as a win-win!

The Takeaway

Your SEO ranking determines your accessibility, affecting how both new and returning customers can find you. Working with the right team of PR professionals can ensure your company ranks for relevant search terms and generates a healthy stream of backlinks to achieve maximum visibility.


At Segal Communications, we’re here to help your business reach its full SEO potential. Ready for a custom audit to identify your business’s optimal keywords and assess backlink health?

Reach us at [email protected].