Stand out in the Scroll: How PR Professionals Can Utilize SEO to Break Through the Noise

By Grace Schwartz

As rising public relations professionals, search engine optimization (SEO) is essential to effectively telling your story. In an industry oversaturated with information and a seemingly endless number of voices waiting to be heard, tailoring your messaging to enhance visibility is more vital than ever. Many of us have heard of SEO, but what does it actually mean? 

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SEO focuses on strategically placing online content higher in search engine results. Whether you’re amplifying your personal brand for potential employers or publishing an article for a client, SEO has a significant impact on your reach. These are the best practices for utilizing SEO and growing your audience. 

1. Write for a Mobile Audience

Most users are viewing information on cell phones and small screens. While a few sentences may seem short on a laptop or a piece of paper, they appear much larger on a phone. 

Write in small paragraphs with one to three sentences per section so readers can easily navigate your information. If you have a lot of writing, break it up using subheads to organize your text. 

2. Customize Everything

Aside from the main text, additional elements such as headings, subheadings and meta descriptions should be customized to increase visibility. Headings and subheadings should be  short phrases and can either be conversational or informational in tone, depending on your publication. Subheadings can also be a great way to provide a brief summary of your content.

Outside of the page, meta descriptions, meta titles and URL slugs have an important effect on search engine visibility. These are the words that appear when users browse search results online. Your meta title should be slightly shorter than the article title, and the description should be under 160 words. 

3. Repeat Keyphrases

   
   

Page elements need to align with what is already in your article and include keyphrases. However, they should not repeat the same information word-for-word.

Identify key phrases to use based on your content and what a user may be searching for. Write with the intention of not just sharing information but answering a user’s search engine queries.  These should be displayed within the first 1-2 sentences of your article and should be repeated throughout your text.