As I described it, a Press Release is like one of those impressive Fireworks – it shoots up into the sky, it glows very brightly, it attracts a lot of attention, it explodes into lots of smaller bright lights (more pick-ups and more keywords) and they can hand around in the sky for days, weeks, months. We apply some magic juice designed to boost the chances of this.
However, reality is that many of the News organizations “purge” their Press releases after 90 days. Our primary News Carrier, where I publish it, does NOT purge; so this, combined with the secret sauce means a Press release can stay ranked for months and even, sometimes, years. But the shape of the traffic to the press release tends to be a surge then a reducing number. And the shape of the traffic to your website tends to be the same.
That said, if a Press Release gets recognized by Google as an entirely valid piece of content, and not just “News,” it can stay ranked and get eyeballs and steady traffic for a long time.
But you can see the case for any of several actions.
1. Consider it a 1-off experience, it gained you publicity and attention and success could be measured in the form of new customers and increased sales. Those customers might be with you for years.
2. Consider a Press Release each month or 2 or 3 months to repeat the surge and always be getting some publicity and attention; Once per 3 months deals with the 90-day purge from the pick-up media outlets.
3. Consider multiple Press Releases as part of a well-planned 3-pack campaign. I don’t do these campaigns — but I can put you in touch with people who do.
Beyond these, there are a few other things to think about.
a) If you discover that a particular Press Release hits a hot button and it gets ranked and lots of pick-ups and it attracts a lot of eyeballs and generates a lot of click-through traffic, you can make a case for paying for some ‘secret sauce” to try to keep it ranked as long as possible and even, get it ranked higher and for more search terms.
b) If you discover that a particular Press Release hits a hot button and it gets ranked and lots of pick-ups and it attracts a lot of eyeballs and generates a lot of click-through traffic, this could be excellent justification for you creating a new page or post on your web site, and perhaps even an associated Youtube video, and investing some SEO time and money to get a permanent ranking of something that is clearly working.
c) If you discover that a particular Press Release is staying ranked and is consistently attracting eyeballs and creating traffic, consider asking us to run a sidebar advert — basically, you’d be treating the ranked Press release just like a popular page of any website where you might choose to place an ad. I’d charge you — but if it was a worthwhile campaign you’d have no trouble in getting a substantial ROI from the campaign, of course.
A summary of useful Press Release links
The video is the best starting point.
So for the introduction to Press Releases, go here to Intro to Press Releases and see the next step.
But if you want to get the ball rolling, go here to get Details and Pricing and see the next step.
Why local businesses should be VERY interested in press releases.
What would my Press Release be about?
Why Press Releases are not quite Perfect
Avoid the 5 big Press Release Mistakes
FAQ About Our Press release Service
An advanced advertising tactic (This is really advanced — beyond most small business owner’s radar)