Integrated marketing relies on being able to capitalize across channels and disciplines that were once, and often still are, perceived as unique "silos" in the marcom universe: Each discipline can do great work, yet typically mainly serves the goals of that department.

PR and social media are about creating and spreading fame. Driving awareness and positive impressions relies on being top of mind, being present, and being found. And, as each day passes, the importance of ongoing SEO becomes even more critical.

To achieve the greatest publicity—being found and heard from, both online and offline—we have to transition away from the way we think about marketing in general. Having all functions of marketing, from PR to SEO/SEM to social media, working on a planar level increases the power of the keyword strategy.

Here's how marketing used to look:

Strong marketing performance requires coordinating across platforms at a high level:

Why is PR important to SEO, and vice versa?

Outbound marketing, like PR, creates new demand and awareness. Inbound fulfills existing demand. The best "off-page SEO" methods have always just been PR by other names. "Guest posts" are just bylined articles. "Content plus outreach" predates the Web. Asking anyone for links (link building) is essentially a form of PR.

Integrating PR and SEO

In some ways, SEO and PR work together unknowingly.

  • High-quality content helps earn links back to a brand's website; links from reputable, credible media sources rank high in Google's algorithm, leading to better search results.
  • The more media coverage a brand receives, the more links the brand has leading back to its website.
  • As PR pros increasingly work with influencers, the result is more links from blog posts and social media, thus increasing SEO.

That integration between SEO and PR is even stronger when executed in a strategic manner.

PR focuses on messaging and SEO focuses on data, so what's the best way to integrate the two for best results? The following process should always occur concurrently:

1. Align goals across PR, SEO, and all other marketing disciplines

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

image of Brian Bennett

Brian Bennett is the founder and president of STIR Advertising + Integrated Messaging, a full-service agency that specializes in B2B integrated and digital marketing.

LinkedIn: Brian Bennett

Twitter: @STIRstuff