Website link building is imperative for every type of business. Link building is
crucial for brands that want to improve search engine optimization (SEO) and
their rankings. Public relations (PR) activities, including partnerships and
cross-promotion, traditional press releases, and community events, can help
build and strengthen links to achieve these goals and beyond. Here are a few PR
activities that can help improve your company's digital presence through link
building.
PR Activities to Improve Link Building
In addition to traditional PR methods, digital PR has become quite significant for
link building, as it has opened the door for more collaboration opportunities.
Following are some traditional and digital PR activities that help with quality
link-building.
1. Partnerships and Cross-Promotion
Defining an equal partnership with a non-competitor can boost both a business's sales and credibility in the eyes of consumers! PR teams can work with internal stakeholders to identify well-aligned brands in the community that have a similar mission or similar target audience. Then, through collaboration, PR professionals can employ a variety of tactics, including releasing a joint press release or statement, hosting an event together, posting collaboratively on social media, and more. All of these PR activities will bring equal awareness and link-building opportunities to both sides of the partnership, thus expanding their reach and increasing sales.
In the same vein, PR teams can work with partners to outline
terms of cross-promotion. This can come to life in many different ways. For
example, each company can agree to post on social media about the other once a
month. Or, perhaps each company can agree to post flyers for the other business
in their own storefront or include the other in newsletters and emails. Not
only does this type of partnership bring added value to each business's
customers, but it helps improve brand awareness and trust for both.
Finally, cross-promotion provides an opportunity to improve
website link-building. Consumers trust brands they are loyal to, and if a new
company's site is linked to a more established partner's site, this will
improve trust in the new organization. When digital partnerships are formed,
brands can build links while building long-term relationships.
2. Crisis Management
Unfortunately, bad news spreads much faster than good news. A significant PR activity is reputation management, and that includes the management of a brand's digital presence.
When dealing with an online crisis, PR firms have the
opportunity to improve backlinks to the company's website. Rather than deleting
negative comments, PR professionals should use the opportunity to reply with a
well-though-out statement including links where viewers can learn more details.
These links can be to the company's press page, to a special page addressing
the crisis at hand, or to articles covering the company that highlight positives
of the business. These types of actions will improve customer service, loyalty,
and retention all while subtly boosting SEO.
As you can seen, link building is not confined to perfect
partnerships. The practice can and should be worked into nearly any PR activity
to keep the company's digital presence healthy and thriving.
3. Community Events and Social Causes
Getting involved in community events is a great PR tactic for several reasons. First, it builds goodwill in the community. Second, it can introduce your brand to entirely new audiences and different demographic groups than you might typically target. Third, it gives you the opportunity to network and explore new partnerships. And finally, it provides another great opportunity to expand on your link building strategy.
Participation in or sponsorship of events often comes with
the opportunity to be featured on the event's webpage, social media channels,
and beyond. Each of these backlinks will help bolster your SEO and improve
credibility for your brand.
Taking a stance on social issues can lead to the same
desirable outcomes. Brands should consider cause marketing opportunities in the
social justice space and find ways to get involved with local organizations
where they can form a symbiotic partnership that includes backlinks for both
parties.
4. Press Releases and Traditional Media Relations
You can't deny the power of the media. Traditional media relations strategies and PR activities including press releases, media alerts, broadcast interviews, and beyond can all bolster link building.
These activities also contribute to the general public's
trust of an organization”and this is one of the major proponents of link
building in the first place. A brand that has many backlinks to their site,
especially from large, wide-reaching and trustworthy news sources, proves to
both search engines and the public that they are a sound, credible brand. This
level of trust directly correlates with sales.
How to Get Started
Quality link-building is ultimately about coordination,
collaboration, and supporting community partners”all of which can be improved
through traditional and non-traditional PR activities. It helps brands stay
connected with current audiences and reach new ones while improving SEO,
credibility, customer support, and revenue. Link-building strategies help
brands develop lucrative, long-term relationships with customers and the
business community.
If you need assistance layering a link-building strategy
into your PR and marketing plan, contact a PR firm today to schedule a call.