SEO isn't just for tech giants and e-commerce platforms—it's a powerful tool that the top PR agencies use strategically to attract clients.
We understand that you're busy managing your PR agency, and the idea of optimizing your website might seem like an additional burden.
But here's the thing: you don't need to be an SEO expert or invest a fortune to make it work. Just a few simple steps can significantly improve your online visibility and bring more clients to your agency.
To assist you, we have created a free SEO checklist - and for a comprehensive action plan, please check our pack of marketing tactics and strategies for PR agencies.
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The best PR agencies rank first on Google. Here is a free tool to to get you started.
What is SEO for PR agencies exactly?
Simply put, SEO is all about making your PR agency’s website more attractive to search engines like Google.
When someone searches for "top PR agency in [Your City]" or "best public relations firm," SEO helps your agency show up in the results. The goal is to get your website higher up on the search results page so more potential clients can find and engage with your services.
Why is SEO Important for PR Agencies?
SEO is incredibly important for PR agencies, and here’s why:
- Increased Online Visibility:
The higher your website ranks on search engines, the more people will see it. This means more potential clients discovering your agency online, especially when they're looking for PR services.
- Higher Rankings on Search Engines:
Most people don’t look past the first page of search results. By optimizing your site, you can climb those rankings and beat out the competition. Imagine someone searching for "crisis management PR" and finding your agency right at the top!
- Attracting More Local Clients:
SEO isn't just about getting anyone to your site—it's about getting the right people. Local SEO helps ensure that when someone nearby searches for PR services, your agency pops up. This means more inquiries and more clients signing up for your services.
Key Components of SEO
Now, let’s break down the main parts of SEO specifically for your PR agency:
On-Page SEO
This involves making sure the content on your website is optimized. It includes things like:
- Keywords:
Using the words and phrases people are searching for in your titles, descriptions, and content. For example, if you specialize in media relations, make sure you use phrases like "media relations expert" or "top media relations agency" on your site.
- Content Quality:
Providing useful, engaging, and fresh content about your agency. Share your case studies, client testimonials, industry insights, and stories about your team and successes.
- Meta Tags:
Using meta titles and descriptions that are relevant and appealing to searchers. For instance, a meta description for your homepage could be "Leading PR agency in [Your City], specializing in media relations, crisis management, and brand strategy."
Off-Page SEO
This focuses on actions taken outside your website to impact your rankings:
- Backlinks:
Getting other reputable websites to link to your site, which signals to search engines that your site is trustworthy and relevant. This could be from industry blogs, news sites, or professional associations.
- Social Media:
Being active on social media with your agency’s page can drive traffic to your site and improve your online presence. Share your latest projects, client success stories, and industry news to engage with your audience.
Technical SEO
This ensures your website meets the technical requirements of search engines:
- Site Speed:
Making sure your website loads quickly. No one likes to wait, especially potential clients looking for your services!
- Mobile-Friendliness:
Ensuring your site looks and works well on mobile devices. Many people search for PR agencies on their phones while on the go.
- Secure Website (HTTPS):
Having a secure website that users (and search engines) can trust. This is especially important if you have a client portal or contact forms.
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Which keywords should you target for your public relations agency?
PR professionals, like you, must target specific keywords in SEO because it helps your agency appear in search results when potential clients look for the type of public relations services you offer. This increases the chances that businesses will find and engage with your agency.
For example, if you specialize in crisis management, targeting keywords like "best crisis management PR agency" or "crisis communication experts near me" helps attract clients searching for those terms. This makes it easier for businesses in need of crisis management to find your agency online.
Here are some keyword ideas for you. If you want a more developed strategy with actionable steps, go check out our strategy pack for PR agencies.
Keyword | Competitiveness Level | Tips and Initiatives |
---|---|---|
Best PR agency in [Your City] | High | Optimize your website with case studies, gather client testimonials, list on local business directories, and use local SEO strategies. |
Where to find PR services for [Industry] | Medium | Create blog posts or pages on your website highlighting your expertise in specific industries, use keywords naturally in content, and engage with industry influencers. |
Top crisis management PR agency near me | Medium | Showcase your crisis management success stories, gather positive client reviews, and ensure your Google My Business profile is complete. |
Best PR firm for [Service Type] in [Your City] | Medium | Feature specific services prominently on your website (e.g., media relations, event management), use local SEO tactics, and promote your services on social media. |
[Your Specialty] PR agency in [Your City] | High | Highlight unique aspects of your services, create SEO-friendly content about your expertise, and engage with the local business community online. |
Top-rated PR agency near me | High | Encourage satisfied clients to leave positive reviews, optimize your website for mobile, and ensure accurate information on local listings. |
Affordable PR services in [Your City] | Low | Highlight affordable packages and special offers on your website, use keywords related to value, and promote deals on social media. |
Where to find media relations experts near me | Medium | Use local SEO strategies, create content around your media relations services, and ensure your website is optimized for mobile users searching nearby. |
Popular PR agency in [Your City] | Medium | Use social media to share success stories, engage with local influencers, and gather client testimonials to build credibility. |
Best PR agency for startups in [Your City] | Low | Create startup-friendly content, highlight services tailored for startups on your website, and host events or webinars to generate buzz. |
What really matters when you do SEO for a public relations (PR) agency
Actually, we think that SEO often follows the 80/20 rule, meaning that 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts. For business owners like you, this means it's crucial to focus on the right strategies to maximize impact without feeling overwhelmed.
Action / Initiative | Why It Matters / How It Helps Build Your Brand |
---|---|
Optimize Google My Business profile | Ensures your PR agency appears in local search results, provides essential information (hours, location, services), and collects reviews to build trust. |
Gather and respond to online reviews | Positive reviews build credibility and trust. Responding to reviews shows you value client feedback, encouraging more businesses to engage with you. |
Create high-quality content with targeted keywords | Helps your website rank higher in search results for relevant queries, attracting clients looking for specific PR services or expertise. |
Optimize for local SEO | Ensures your PR agency shows up in local searches (e.g., "PR agencies near me"), driving inquiries from nearby potential clients. |
Ensure website is mobile-friendly | Most users search for services on their phones. A mobile-friendly site provides a better user experience, leading to higher engagement and conversions. |
Use high-quality images of your team and office | Attractive photos showcase your professional environment and team, which can significantly influence a potential client's decision to contact you. |
Include a detailed services page with keywords | Allows search engines to index your services, helping you appear in searches for specific PR needs, and makes it easy for clients to see what you offer. |
List your agency on local directories | Increases your online presence and backlinks, improving your search engine ranking and making it easier for clients to find you. |
Engage with local business bloggers and influencers | Generates buzz and word-of-mouth, reaching a wider audience and attracting clients who trust these local voices. |
Promote case studies and success stories | Creates a sense of credibility and expertise, encouraging potential clients to choose your agency for their PR needs. |
Utilize social media to share updates and engage with clients | Builds a community around your agency, keeps clients informed about new services, and drives traffic to your website. |
Ensure accurate and consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information across all platforms | Prevents confusion, helps search engines trust your business information, and improves your local SEO ranking. |
Offer online consultations and booking | Makes it convenient for clients to plan their consultations, leading to increased bookings and client engagement. |
Create blog posts about PR strategies and industry trends | Attracts visitors to your site through informative and engaging content, improving SEO and showcasing your agency's expertise. |
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What is always useless when you do SEO for a public relations (PR) agency
We have studied a lot of PR agencies when we built our strategy pack and we saw a lot of SEO-related initiatives that don't help attract new clients. We explain here why they might be a waste of time or even counterproductive.
Action / Initiative | Why It Doesn't Matter / How It Doesn't Help Bring New Clients |
---|---|
Using meta keyword tags | Search engines no longer use meta keyword tags to rank pages, so focusing on them doesn't improve SEO for your PR agency. |
Keyword stuffing in service descriptions | Overusing keywords in service descriptions makes them hard to read and can be penalized by search engines, turning away potential clients. |
Paying for backlinks from unrelated websites | Backlinks from non-PR related or low-quality websites don't improve your SEO and can even hurt your ranking if considered spammy by search engines. |
Using exact match domains like bestpragency.com | Having an exact match domain has minimal impact on SEO and can appear spammy, especially if it doesn't reflect your brand well. |
Creating multiple pages for the same service offerings | Duplicate content confuses search engines and can dilute your SEO efforts. Focus on one high-quality page for each unique service or topic. |
Using Flash for portfolio or contact pages | Flash is outdated, not supported by many devices, and negatively impacts SEO. Modern alternatives like HTML5 should be used instead. |
Focusing only on desktop optimization | Many clients search for PR services on mobile devices. Ignoring mobile optimization leads to poor user experience and lower search rankings. |
Using automated link-building tools | These tools often create low-quality or spammy links that can be penalized by search engines, hurting your PR agency's SEO efforts. |
Ignoring structured data for services | Structured data helps search engines understand your services better. Ignoring it means missing out on potential SEO benefits like rich snippets. |
Not updating your case studies regularly | Outdated case study information can frustrate clients and harm your SEO. Regular updates keep content relevant and maintain search rankings. |
Using irrelevant stock photos on your site | Low-quality or irrelevant images can negatively impact user experience and SEO. Use high-quality photos of your actual team and events. |
Over-optimizing anchor text in links | Using exact match keywords for every link appears unnatural and can be penalized by search engines. Use varied, natural anchor text instead. |
Ignoring page load speed for your website | Slow-loading pages frustrate users and can lead to higher bounce rates, negatively impacting your PR agency's SEO. Ensure your site loads quickly. |
Using too many ads above the fold on your homepage | Too many ads at the top of the page can be off-putting for users and may be penalized by search engines, impacting your SEO negatively. |
Should you pay someone for the SEO of your public relations agency?
Well, we will be transparent. Here’s the thing: SEO can get pretty complex, and having some support can really make a difference. Imagine trying to juggle running your PR agency, managing clients, crafting compelling campaigns, and then on top of that, diving into the world of search engine optimization. It’s a lot, right?
Having someone handle your SEO means you can focus on what you do best—running your PR agency. SEO experts know the ins and outs of getting your website to rank higher on search engines. They stay updated on the latest trends and algorithms, which means your site will be optimized correctly and consistently. This can lead to more potential clients finding your agency online, and ultimately, more business opportunities.
- But here’s the kicker: there are a lot of low-hanging fruits in SEO that you can tackle on your own, even if you don’t know much about it.
You will find a lot of low-hanging fruits that cost nothing, are quick to implement, and will make your PR agency’s website much more visible in strategy pack for PR professionals.
Simple actions like optimizing your Google My Business profile, ensuring your website is mobile-friendly, and using relevant keywords can significantly improve your online presence. These tasks don't require deep technical knowledge but can make a big impact.
So, should you increase the marketing budget of your PR agency to pay someone to manage your SEO? If you can do it, it’s a worthwhile investment. But don't underestimate what you can achieve on your own. Start with the basics, see the results, and then decide if you need more specialized help.
Make your public relations agency more profitable
We have studied the strategies of the best PR agencies in the world. All their tactics are explained in our pack!
Useful tools public agency owners can use for their SEO
Here are some essential tools that our team has collected and listed, to help you enhance your PR agency's online presence and SEO.
Tool | How It's Useful |
---|---|
Google My Business | Ensures your PR agency appears in local search results and Google Maps, provides essential information (hours, location, services), and collects client reviews. |
SEMrush | Helps identify the best keywords for your PR agency, analyze competitors, and track your search rankings. Provides insights to improve your content and visibility. |
Yext | Manages your PR agency's listings across multiple directories, ensuring consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information to boost local SEO. |
Google Search Console | Monitors your PR agency's website performance, identifies issues, and provides data on search traffic and keywords to optimize your SEO strategy. |
Yelp | Collects client reviews and ratings, which improve your PR agency's online reputation and visibility in local search results. |
BrightLocal | Offers tools for local SEO audits, citation building, and review management, helping your PR agency improve its local search presence. |
Moz | Provides keyword research, link building, and site audit tools to enhance your PR agency's SEO efforts and improve search engine rankings. |
Ahrefs | Analyzes your PR agency's backlink profile, identifies top-performing content, and tracks keyword rankings to boost your SEO strategy. |
Screaming Frog SEO Spider | Crawls your PR agency's website to identify technical SEO issues, such as broken links and duplicate content, helping improve site health and rankings. |
AnswerThePublic | Generates content ideas by showing what people are searching for related to your PR services, helping you create relevant and engaging blog posts and pages. |
Canva | Helps create visually appealing social media posts and graphics for your website, which can improve user engagement and indirectly boost SEO. |
Hotjar | Provides insights into user behavior on your PR agency's website through heatmaps and session recordings, helping you optimize user experience and reduce bounce rates. |
Copy the SEO tactics of the best public agency owners
We understand why many business owners might shy away from SEO and public relations.
Running a business is already a full-time job, and the concept of SEO and PR can seem vague and foreign. The terminology can be confusing, and it often feels like effective public relations is a luxury only big corporations can afford.
Plus, there's the constant worry about costs and whether any PR efforts will actually pay off. We get that you prefer to focus on immediate, tangible improvements to your business rather than dive into something that seems complicated and uncertain. No need to deteriorate your business’s budget here.
That's why we've created a "PR toolkit" specifically for business owners like you.
Our toolkit is designed to address all these concerns head-on. It includes easy-to-follow guides that break down SEO and PR into simple steps, so you don't need to be a tech expert to understand. We offer cost-effective strategies that fit within tight budgets, and our step-by-step plans ensure that you can implement a solid PR strategy for your business without feeling overwhelmed.
Plus, we've included real-life examples and tips that have worked for other small businesses, so you can see the tangible benefits before you even start.
Our goal is to make public relations accessible and practical, helping your business thrive without adding extra stress to your already busy life.
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