PressReleaseInsider

What Is Google Thinking About With The YouTube Deal?

2006-10-13T20:24:00.000-07:00

What was Google thinking when they paid $1.6 billion for YouTube - a business without a model it would seem, started by college kids in a garage a couple of weeks back? Advertising? Of course.

Well, they know it's got traffic (14th most-visited site on the web). But what else?

Umm. That's got me thinking. Hard. I just can't see what else there is.

Google's CEO Eric Schmidt said "This is the next step in the evolution of the Internet."

Okay. Those are smart guys. But they're also guys who have never been through a recession or bust. They're bursting with Google dollars and I just hope they haven't gone to their heads because very quickly that company is going to have to clean out the YouTube house - by that I mean tidy up the copyright issues that are going to come home to roost faster than the sinking of the North Korean economy.

Watch this YouTube space.

Wordtracker's Free Tools For Key Word Research - Yes, I said 'Free'

2006-09-18T19:25:00.000-07:00

Keywords have always been essential for any marketing or PR campaign online, as we have been told repeatedly and endlessly. Quite true. So if you want to keep on top of the keyword game you need to keep using the words of wisdom from the people at Wordtracker, as people at the very top of their game.

And in that respect, Wordtracker have just introduced some new fancy tools to make your job easier. To start with, try out their absolutely free pdf 'Researcher' and check out the entertaining and informing and FREE video from Andy Jenkins and Brad Fallen. These guys are good, know their stuff and provide some highly useful and powerful information for free.

Download the info right now. It's absolutely true that some of the best things in Web life are free.

PRWeb Deal - The Press Release Master Sells

2006-08-15T22:22:00.000-07:00

PRWeb's sale to Vocus PR is unlikely to immediately change the company's press release service and that's certainly the reassurance given by PRWeb founder and maestro David McInnis. PRWeb's own blog confirms that. In fact, McInnis points out that enhanced publicity opportunities will be presented as a result of the acquisition.

For an interview with David McInnis and some background to the deal, have a look at Lee Odden's TopRankingBlog

Blog SEO Tips: How to get the most from your blog

2006-08-11T17:06:00.000-07:00

Using blogs for PR and getting good blog SEO ratings is an increasing trend and readers should check an article by iPrioritize's Adam McFarland on SiteProNews. As blogging becomes more ubquitious so too does it become more authoritative and read by media outlets and others. To promote your business, website or whatever you need to put blogs near the top of the 'must do' list and to become recognized by them McFarland points out an interesting fact: a personal email will secure amazining results.

McFarland's rules for your email:

* Have a simple subject. You probably won't get many responses by treating your email like a press release and writing RELEASE in the subject line. Try something simple like "fan of your blog" or "comment about your blog."

* Start by complementing them. Since you've read their blog and learned about them from their bio, you know quite a bit about them. Use it to your advantage.

* Request them to post about you. Be direct and to the point. They will respect that.

* Offer something in return. You have something that could help them.

* Close with something nice. Thank them for their time and wish them luck with their blog and/or business ventures.

Try it. blog seo blog seo

Press Release Optimization Comes of Age

2006-08-08T22:13:00.000-07:00

Well, press release optimization has doubtless come of age some time ago, but tech tools designed to improve optimization results continue to arrive, the latest being a tool announced a couple of days ago called "Newsforce".

The tool partners major SEO/software players like SEO-PR, SiteLab Intl and Primero Systems with BusinessWire and is open to BusinessWire customers. These are similar to the optimization tools launched by innovative PRWeb in June, the SEO Wizard, which are part of the wire service fee.

Essentially, 'Newsforce' allows press release posters to research keywords, analyze the press release and add links to it, with the results exported directly to the BusinessWire account. As more businesses wake up to the need for optimization of their news these tools are going to become a more essential component of the PR Department's arsenal.

Press Release Optimization : SEO Tools Anyone Can Use

2006-07-20T20:20:00.000-07:00

A useful article on search engine optimization and free tools that are available to anyone who wants the search engines to come calling can be seen at this Site Reference article by Christos Varsamis. These tools, or their often paid-for equivalents, can be extremely helpful. You should check them out and see what you may NOT have been using.

Check out the new LawFuel

2006-07-19T21:09:00.000-07:00

Hey, it's taken a bit, but the new Lawfuel is up and going. This site has taken major steps to upgrade its back-end, as well as to update the whole appearance and 'feel' of the site - including RSS feeds, MY Yahoo! etc functions, pics, video (very shortly) and the rest.

PLUS - we can still provide our discounted PRWebDirect service (http://lawfuel.prwebdirect.com) as well as create for clients a direct-to-Google News service.

Have a look and send us comments.

Citizen journalism vs. professional journalism - The world of press releases and the press

2006-04-29T14:35:00.000-07:00

The Editor's Weblog has been looking at the question of whether amateur citizen-journalists can ever perform "true" journalism. The issue becomes more relevant as newspapers increasingly try to develop their interactive capacity by having journalists and blogs incorporated into their media mix - with mixed results too. My view is that - with few exceptions - old line media have remained in the jurassic age so far as embracing new media is concerned. Also, 'old line' journalists trained in taking an objective stance on issues of the day are not necessarily the world's most compelling bloggers.

Online Journalism Review conducted interviews with several online journalists to see what they thought about newspapers integrating blogs into their journalism. Results were mixed. Check them out.

Press Release: What they're saying about Tony Snow

2006-04-26T14:52:00.000-07:00

So the President has announced his new press secretary. It's always an interesting exercise, diagnosing the temperament, background, proclivities and idiosyncrasies of a new press secretary and in Tony Snow he has a kind of lateral transfer from Fox News to the White House. PowerLine said he "was one of the nice people", while Think Progressive lined up his stance on a variety of issues. Either way, he's going to need every radio-host skill in his arsenal to put the spin on a White House way down in the popularity stakes. Even the President asked him about all those times Snow called him a “impotent”or “embarrassing” or “fuckface.” Evidently Snow tried the old “You shoulda seen what I said about the other guy” gag.

Press release strategies must include the Blogosphere. Here's why.

2006-04-18T20:15:00.000-07:00

Blog-watcher Dave Shifry has posted his findings from href="http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/04/state-of-the-blogosphere/"State of the Blogsophere, which identifies some interesting facts on the velocity with which blogs are growing and - according - their importance for news release hounds out to get publicity.

Among the findings:

Technorati now tracks over 35.3 Million blogs
The blogosphere is doubling in size every 6 months
It is now over 60 times bigger than it was 3 years ago
On average, a new weblog is created every second of every day
19.4 million bloggers (55%) are still posting 3 months after their blogs are created
Technorati tracks about 1.2 Million new blog posts each day, about 50,000 per hour

Press release marketing, RSS Marketing and Real-Life Marketing Experience

2006-04-11T19:41:00.000-07:00

Blogging as a press release or general marketing tool is all very easy, so they say, but so is sex, and look at the trouble you can get yourself in. The key, in both, is careful anaylsis, preparation, protection and performance. Who am I to comment on such matters, I ask myself, but hey, it's my blog.

One of the keys to good blogging has to be blog promotion, and this site from Rok Hrastnikprovides some useful tips on the all-important RSS - the syndication that gets your blog noticed and read.

Press Releases and optimization: This Boring Headline Is Written for Google - New York Times

2006-04-09T18:31:00.001-07:00

New York Times columnist Steve Lohr has written an interesting article on writing for search engines. As Lohr reports: The optimizer wizards devise some technical trick to outwit the search-engine algorithms that rank the results of a search. The search engines periodically change their algorithms to thwart such self-interested manipulation, and the game starts again.

News organizations, by contrast, have moved cautiously. Mostly, they are making titles and headlines easier for search engines to find and fathom. About a year ago, The Sacramento Bee changed online section titles. "Real Estate" became "Homes," "Scene" turned into "Lifestyle," and dining information found in newsprint under "Taste," is online under "Taste/Food."

Some news sites offer two headlines. One headline, often on the first Web page, is clever, meant to attract human readers. Then, one click to a second Web page, a more quotidian, factual headline appears with the article itself. The popular BBC News Web site does this routinely on longer articles.

Nic Newman, head of product development and technology at BBC News Interactive, pointed to a few examples from last Wednesday. The first headline a human reader sees: "Unsafe sex: Has Jacob Zuma's rape trial hit South Africa's war on AIDS?" One click down: "Zuma testimony sparks HIV fear." Another headline meant to lure the human reader: "Tulsa star: The life and career of much-loved 1960's singer." One click down: "Obituary: Gene Pitney."

Press Release Hell - What happens when a good press release winds up in bad company?

2006-04-05T23:34:00.000-07:00

It's one of those things - when the best intentions in the world and some of the biggest brands wind up in the sort of company that just looks plain . . embarrassing. As the Wall Street Journal reports this problem is just like losing luggage. It's a damn nuisance, but it happens.

Press Release advice: Learn from the Politicos

2006-04-04T17:36:00.000-07:00

It will be no surprise to learn that the Web is transforming political advertising and marketing, according to a report in The New York Times. Aspiring politicians are finding a new voice on the Web through Web sites, e-mail, blogs, podcasts, and chat and also because of the viral nature of the Web itself. All the more reason for press release-savvy operators to learn the tools politicos and others are using to employ in their own campaigns.

Press releases & the art of SEO

2006-04-03T19:07:00.000-07:00

The art of search engine optimization and its practise is reported in a free report from FathemSEO. The firm conducted a study of 350 manufacturers across the U.S. and how they utilize SEO for their websites. It was discovered that many U.S. manufacturers resist natural SEO marketing for a variety of reasons, including a lack of education, it's not a priority, or it was too much to monitor.

This new SEO case study shows lack of search engine optimization for manufacturers is a result of a combination of incorrect page titles or lack thereof, little to no keyword phrases in their META descriptions and keywords, and the webpage content was not properly optimized.

Choosing the right keywords for your press release

2006-04-03T03:19:00.000-07:00

In the search for the 'right' keywords in your press release, for maximum search engine visibility, you need to ensure you have actually fixed on the right word or phrase.

You should use tools like Wordtracker (www.wordtracker.com) to help in this search process, but more importantly do some brainstorming yourself and with friends, famiily and staff. Once you have the word or phrase that you know fits your business, use it in your headline and repeat it in the press release, particularly in the first 50 words. Once is enough 'up front', but you can use it later in the body of the release as well. Also, you a properly formed link to your site with the full http://www.yourdomain.com within the text.

Press Release distribution and Blog Optimization Online Marketing Blog

2006-03-30T22:47:00.000-08:00

Lee Odden's TopRankBlog is one of the best around on SEO matters and this article on
» Blog Optimization is also one of the best. Great tips, hitting the keywords and submitting your blogs which I'll spend more time talking about in terms of the collateral you need for your press release backup. More later . .

Press releases and visibility

2006-03-28T17:22:00.000-08:00

press releases provide credibility which is a key reason for angling your release for the sort of news 'hook' that your target audience is likely to be interested in. This is another forgotten fact by the press release spammers who simply spam their release without a thought for what the press might be interested in. Dumb, really.

Press Release tips - Remember who to contact

2006-03-28T13:36:00.000-08:00

It's surprising how often press release information lacks critical information and therefore misses the cut when it comes to being received by even free press release services. Check press release tips here: Press Release writing tips

For instance, the need to provide contact information is critical if journalists are to follow up on your news. Similarly, the need to provide a company profile, so details can be checked by journalists and others.

They're simple enough - but its surprising how many 'innocents' out there overlook these critical aspects of preparing a press release.

Press Releases to where: The Death of the Newspaper

2006-03-27T15:08:00.000-08:00

Molly Ivins in The Free Press has a few words to say about journalists and the death of the newspaper.

" I don't so much mind that newspapers are dying -- it's watching them commit suicide that pisses me off."

Stop the release - I want to get off

2006-03-26T21:03:00.000-08:00

Boy, was I every having a blond moment. You try and do a good turn and - the blonds turn against you. Here's a tip from the inside: When you're handling press for friends, make sure you put on the fur-lined, lanolin-skinned kid gloves to handle their precious egos. In this case, a book launch in Godzone leads to a blood-zone of fractured egos because one of the co-authors had her name omitted from the media release.

Well, there were reasons - like lack of interest in marketing - but there's another. There's no point in putting a plethora of names at the foot of a release. We all know journalists are not blessed with the patience of Job while they wait for a response to their calls. Make a contact point easy, contactable and - most of all - someone who answers their phone. Sounds simple. Isn't though.

Getting good keywords: A key to a good SEO press release

2006-03-24T14:49:00.000-08:00

If you're looking for good keywords (which you should be) for an SEO press release, then you can use tools like Good Keywords but you need to use keywords that are unique to your services or offering.

For instance, to use the words 'cooking' or 'cook book' for a cook book sale will simply put you on the treadmill with thousands of others. You need to be specific: cajun cooking, bar-b-que recipes, indian curry secrets - whatever. Select a small number of words and test them to see what the response is before you refine and develop the market.

Keyword use is all about testing - and then using the 'golden' words that work for you business.

SEO Press Releases? Think SEO TV - John Battelle's Searchblog: The Viral TV

2006-03-23T21:02:00.000-08:00

So much for SEO Press Release distribution, what about Search Television? John Battelle's Searchblog wondered if there were a TelevisionRank or something that would notice, in real time, what people were watching -- kind of like how Yahoo places an RSS feed of the most viewed stories at the top of the My Yahoo home page--updated continuously throughout the day? Not only is that possible, Battelle says, it's probable we'll see that in the next five years--a mash of Technorati with Nielsen, YouTube and Comcast.

Google's move towards building customer loyalty

2006-03-22T17:00:00.000-08:00

Google's new finance portal demonstrates the world domination ambitions of Google management, with their move away from pure search to greater web stickability.

Whether the move is likely to succeed or not, time will tell, but Google's 'for-now, ad-free' finance site is clearly showing they're throwing their limitless money and tech talents at building customer loyalty.

Read the story right there on Yahoo!

The Modular Press Release

2006-03-20T21:50:00.000-08:00

Kami Huyse's popular post on the 'PR is dead, long live PR' debate is a useful summary of some of the PR possibilities that surround the "press release". Her preference for the modular format is one that is, I believe, finding favor in the frenetic-paced world in which journalists live with multiple feeds from multiple sources pounding them in their bunkers.
Communication Overtones: Modular News Releases