The Dos and Don’ts of Optimizing Your Press Release

I was pleasantly surprised this morning to find a practical tips piece by eReleases.com founder, Mickie Kennedy, on the dos and don’ts and of writing SEO-optimized press releases in my email inbox. As PR professionals, we are always trying to leverage the power of SEO to drive the organic search result placement of our client’s products and services, and I think Mickie did a very nice job at summing up the steps to take when writing your next press release to ensure that it is search-engine friendly, but not overkill.

Happy writing and remember, be natural about it all!

1. Do keyword research before you start writing: When done properly, keyword research can help you figure out the exact terms your customers are using when searching for your products or services. Never just assume or guess what you think the best keywords are. Use a free keyword research tool to discover the terms you should be targeting. Make a list of some of the top keywords, and use these as a foundation for your press release.

2. Don’t sacrifice readability for SEO: Why do SEO writers always seem to get carried away with stuffing keywords in every possible piece of their copy? Good press release optimization isn’t about seeing how many times you can get the keyword in your copy. It’s about creating an easy-to-read piece that just happens to also be optimized for the search engines.

3. Do place keywords toward the top: Keyword placement is an important, yet often overlooked, aspect of optimizing a press release. To give yourself the best chance of having a well-ranked press release, you should try to include the targeted keyword in the headline, subhead, and first paragraph of the press release. You should also use the keyword throughout the rest of the press release when it makes sense to do so. Remember, the goal is to include the keyword naturally, so don’t force it if it doesn’t work.

4. Don’t get caught up measuring keyword density: Keyword density is one of those old SEO myths that just won’t die. Some people still swear that by using a keyword a certain percentage of the time in your copy, you can rank better in the search engines. It’s total BS. Don’t waste your time measuring keyword density, because there is no magic number you need to hit. Instead, focus on creating a natural flow in your press release.

5. Do use keyword-rich backlinks: Many times, you can include links back to your website within your press release. This lets readers get more information about your story, and it drives traffic to your website. But that’s not the only purpose of doing this. If you use keyword-rich anchor text in your backlinks, you can actually help improve the rankings of the pages being linked to. For example, if you’re linking to a page on your website about ABC widgets, your backlink should include should include the words “ABC widgets.” This lets the search engines know what the target page is about, helping to rank it accordingly.

6. Don’t write press releases just for the sake of SEO: While press release marketing can be an effective SEO tactic, you shouldn’t do it solely for the sake of improving your search engine presence. That’s how you end up sending out high volumes of poorly-written, uninteresting press releases. Always focus on writing newsworthy, interesting press releases.

If you follow these six tips, you should be able to enjoy the best of both worlds: media coverage and high search engine placement. The key is to always write newsworthy press releases with a strong hook that draws readers in.

Less experimentation, more collaboration may drive digital entertainment sales – notes from ESCA

Our MOD Systems team just returned from the Entertainment Supply Chain Academy (ESCA) Edge conference and came away with a strong sense of how the entertainment industry has evolved their packaged and digital entertainment distribution strategies. It was encouraging to hear the highest-level executives in operations and supply chain management for the major studios discuss their efforts to streamline their supply chains, adopt industry standards that benefit all studios individually, and develop processes that might still enable competitive advantage. These executives are some of the most respected operations chiefs in Hollywood, all executive or senior vice presidents at Lionsgate, Disney, Universal, Fox, Warner and Sony. All wearing suits and ties, all professional and respectful of one another, and all strategic in their discussion of the issues facing their business, inroads achieved over the past two years, and expectations for the coming years. In a word: Impressive.

And then came the digital executives, sharing insights into the digital supply chain and how to drive digital forward. Again, a seasoned crew with directors, COOs or senior VPs at Sony, Warner, Amazon, Rovi, and Technicolor. However, the contrast with the previous panel was stark. None were in suits, all sitting quite casually and interrupting each other frequently. Since I’ve spent my career in technology, these personalities are familiar, and I love their energy and passion for the road ahead. I also know that the digital guys are often prepped by their respective PR pros to own the panel (one said PR pro sitting next to me admitted as such. “I told him to own the panel,” she said. “Which one’s yours?” Um, none. I’m hear to learn from these guys.) At one point a simultaneous discussion had three gentleman vying for the point, each raising his voice in an effort to secure sole stage, neither backing down until the volume and annoyance factor was so great the audience erupted with laughter.

But it wasn’t just about bravado. There is an obvious contrast in the efforts, focus and collaboration that exists in traditional content distribution versus that from the digital regimes. Of course the businesses are vastly different, but not so much that we shouldn’t have standards in place that demand that the product — film, trailers, bonus material, subtitles, format, DRM, etc. — be aligned across the industry. Instead, the entertainment industry has pushed many of these decisions onto retailers in an effort to share distribution costs. It might make good business sense in the short run, but it’s created an environment where each etailer has its own strategy for delivering digital content to their customers, in different formats, through different platforms, to different devices. This complexity has hurt the industry overall: 1) high costs of digital platform development and distribution technologies have driven many away from the game altogether, 2) consumers pay for far less than 1% of the total video consumed online, and 3) digital sales represent just 3% of the total entertainment industry revenues nearly a decade in.

It was fascinating for me to hear the differing views held by traditional and new media execs in Hollywood. I forgive the digital guys a bit because it’s still a nascent business comparatively, and technology provides easy opportunity for experimentation. Unfortunately, we’re experimenting individually and competitively, rather than as a united industry with shared goals that can still leave room for competitive differentiation and advantage. There is hope, as most of these companies are members of the DECE who’s mission is to help establish these standards and processes for collaboration.

When you’re laying the foundation, don’t blaze a new trail. There are plenty of other areas for creativity and innovation, we’ll just never get there without structure and standards. I hope the digital execs will look across the office at their colleagues in the packaged media supply chain and see that collaboration and respect will present a more effective roadmap forward.

C2 Client Gracenote Powers smart drive App for the iPhone with Streaming Music Identification Technology

Gracenote’s MusicID-Stream in New smart drive kit for the iPhone Represents First Deployment of Streaming Music Identification Technology from an Automotive Manufacturer

EMERYVILLE, Calif. — May 24, 2010 —Gracenote^® today announced its MusicID-Stream™ technology is powering the new smart drive app for the iPhone for smart fortwo owners, representing the world’s first deployment of a streaming music identification solution by an automotive manufacturer (smart is a brand of Daimler AG).  As part of the smart drive app, Gracenote’s technology allows smart fortwo drivers to use their iPhone to identify music playing in their car from any audio source.  The app will then return information about the identified track including artist and track name, album cover art and a purchase link for convenient download.

Click here to read full details on the new iPhone app and technology.

MusicID with Lyrics Wins Mobile Merit Award for Best iPhone App

Gravity Mobile’s MusicID with Lyrics, is coming off the excitement of its global availability launch, and just landed the Mobile Merit Awards for the Best iPhone App this week.

Launched in the U.S. last year, MusicID is now available in 90 countries, with language support for Japanese, French, German and Spanish. The award-winning app provides a comprehensive music discovery guide enabling consumers to identify music, search lyrics and view artist biographies as well as purchase songs via iTunes.

The Mobile Merit Awards recognizes companies, individuals and technologies that have shaped the way in which the world communicates and notes the excellence achieved in the global mobile industry.  This year’s winners were judged based on industry impact, innovation, technologies, social importance, implementation and overall success factor.

To see all the mobile award categories and list of winners, click here.

To learn more about MusicID with Lyrics and to download it today, please click here or visit the iTunes App Store.

ROFO PARTNERS WITH JUNAIO TO CREATE FIRST U.S. COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE AUGMENTED REALITY MOBILE APPLICATION

Office Space Search Engine Now Lets Business Owners Point & Discover Available Properties While Strolling Through Favorite Neighborhoods

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – May 19, 2010 – Searching for your next business location just got easier, thanks to a partnership announced today between Rofo (www.rofo.com), the first search engine dedicated solely to matching businesses with office space, and junaio (www.junaio.com), a new mobile augmented reality platform. Available now as a free app on the iPhone 3GS and coming soon to Android devices, junaio 2.0 features a new Rofo commercial real estate channel, giving business owners instant access to complete information on available property listings by simply pointing their phone at a building of interest as they stroll through their favorite city or neighborhood.

Click here to read the full announcement on this exciting technology.

Dear John (aka Microsoft)

Our relationship dates nearly 20 years. Longer than my marriage. Longer than the entire span of my relationship with my husband. I was young, but it was a long, healthy, productive relationship. Even fun. It had just the right amount of freedom sprinkled with ties that bound.

You made it difficult to leave but I knew that was always an option. You were always there for me, despite what others said. I loved you so much I even worked with you for a while. Those were the days, weren’t they? Late 90s, Internet boom. CRAZY!

I was happier with you than any other, even when I was tempted. I had a brief encounter with Mac after we met, but I didn’t see the appeal. Fewer options, less freedom, lots of flash that made me skeptical about the whole package. Just a taste of Mac was all I needed, then I moved on. It wasn’t difficult, and you were right there waiting for me. I loved that about you.

But 20 years is a long time and temptations continued. Remember Palm? The Pilot took a lot of my attention in the late 90s. We met in 1999. I’ll never forget. It was my 30th birthday. Palm opened my eyes to something else, a new way of living, working, thinking. Of course Palm wasn’t a replacement for you, just a thrilling diversion. I loved the simplicity. The relationship was stripped of complexity. It just worked. And then one day, well, it just didn’t.

I have a hard time truly letting go of these relationships. My Pilot is still right here in my Industry Standard backpack (another intense love affair that ended badly), along side so many memories…and heartaches. My pager, my Diamond Rio (wow, you were fun), a Dell DJ, disks of the hard and floppy sorts, first portable video player (Archos), my StarTac phone (loooved you!).

I had all of you. Your operating system, your productivity apps, your media players and even your hardware. Your keyboard  still excites me today, especially the quiet ones. And your mouse still lives right under my index and middle fingers. You’ve aged well, mouse. I think we’ll be together many years still.

I know exactly the moment things started to shift. I wanted so badly to say that it wasn’t you, that it was me. But, well, it was you. Part of you, anyway. A part that was too important to overlook. It was 2008 and I was working through my 5th or 6th laptop (current infatuation was with Dell, but I’d tried them all), and began seeing Windows Mobile. I was so excited. YOU, on my favorite device. I could carry you with me everywhere. I jumped into that relationship without reservation. The reviews couldn’t possibly be right. I would ignore those.

It started right away. The questioning, confusion, crashing, illogical behavior, shutting me out, not recognizing me. I tried so hard to change your behavior. I wanted to help you. I changed your interface, went back to the way things were when we met, added and deleted applications, kept you clean and fast…. You didn’t respond. At the same time, there was a new infatuation turning every head. I resisted. I fought. I defended you. I was good friends with your publicists. I didn’t want to betray them either. I gave it everything I had. YOU MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SUPPORT YOU.

I bought an iPhone.

I felt disloyal but by this time I was angry. My relationship with iPhone was lovely and peaceful. Exactly what I needed coming off of a highly dysfunctional one. iPhone worked so well, was great fun and supported me exactly the way I needed. So much so, that after 20 years I started looking at Mac. (Gasp!) I shake my head today at the thought. How could I do that.

I did my research, talked to others who’ve left similar relationships, read reviews. I followed bloggers who might shed a reason to block the thought. No such reason came. I struggled, pros and conned it, slept on it and tested it out in the store a few times. Finally, after 20 years, I bought my first Mac.

We’re still getting to know each other and we have our ups and downs, but, for the most part, Mac is an exciting opportunity for me. I can say with certainty that iPhone will remain in my clutches forever, as that love is intense and lasting. It’s the kind of love that makes you question if what you felt before was really love, or a functional blend of loyalty and familiarity and ease. Mac still has to earn that love, but it’s with me here today in front of me, under my fingers, nestled on my desk. iPhone is in my lap. He doesn’t go far.

You and Dell are on the floor. I still look at you from time to time and still encounter you in the kitchen. I imagine you’ll always be in my life to some extent — at least until my favorite little version of you in my kitchen can no longer support me. And then, I already have my sights on iPad. Whew! I have the butterflies for that one.

We’ve had a wonderful ride together. You were there for me when and how I needed you. I’ve grown, matured. But I’m afraid you didn’t. With two kids of my own now, and so many opportunities for fun and entertainment, I need more versatility from my relationship.

I’m saddened at the thought that I’m not the only one who’s leaving you for these reasons. I’m not happy to have made this choice, but it’s the right one. Please, Microsoft, grow up. Evolve. Look closely at us and then inside yourself. Who do you want to be with? Try to win us back. It will be tough for you, but you must try.

I will forever speak well of you. I hope we can still be friends.

The Solution to Small Business Moving Hassles – Rofo.com Office Space Search Engine Named Official Webby Honoree

ROFO.COM NAMED OFFICIAL WEBBY AWARDS HONOREE IN REAL ESTATE CATEGORY

Office Space Search Engine Recognized in Top 15-Percent of All Webby Nominations for Outstanding Site Content, Functionality and Overall Excellence

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – April 21, 2010 – The leading international Webby Awards honoring excellence on the Internet, selected Rofo, the first search engine dedicated solely to matching small businesses with office space, as an Official Honoree of the 2010 Webby Awards in the Real Estate Category.  This prestigious honoree recognition credits Rofo as being in the top 15-percent of nearly 10,000 Webby entries received from more than 60 countries for its remarkable work and innovative approach to the online commercial real estate market.

Founded by a team of commercial real estate and technology experts, Rofo is the only search engine provider focusing solely on helping small businesses and entrepreneurs locate office space. Smaller office spaces, ranging from 2-5,000 square feet, most suitable for small businesses, are not easy to find. Given that the lease values are lower than larger office spaces, they are traditionally passed over by commercial real estate brokers and larger commercial real estate websites, or the listings are buried in general-purpose classified sites. Rofo addresses these challenges by dramatically simplifying the search phase of the moving process – which enables small business owners to remain productive and sane.

With its comprehensive search results, robust real estate inventory, and easy-to-use search interface, Rofo gives small business owners a one-stop office space search solution by matching them with properties that meet their specific business needs. At the same time, commercial real estate brokers and landlords are provided an online marketplace to post their properties and instantly connect with local businesses on the move.

“We are thrilled to be chosen as a Webby Award Honoree in the Real Estate category, as it reinforces our mission of connecting small business tenants with landlords and brokers in the online commercial real estate marketplace,” said Alan Bernier, chief executive officer of Rofo.  “With our core focus on smaller office space and one-stop-searching, Rofo is meeting a market need that remains unfulfilled on the Web and in the off-line world and this honorary mention certainly helps validate our service.”

The Webby Awards judges evaluated nearly 10,000 entries from all 50 states and more than 60 countries, where less than 15-percent were awarded the status of Official Honoree. Entries for Website companies were judged on criteria such as content, structure, navigation, visual design, functionality, interactivity and overall experience. Webby Award winners will be announced during New York’s Internet Week on June 13, 2010.

To learn more about Rofo or to locate your next dream office space, start searching here.

C2 Client News – JAPAN’S COPYRIGHT DATA CLEARINGHOUSE SELECTS GRACENOTE AS OFFICIAL IDENTICATION AND CONTENT PROVIDER

Japanese Music Data Clearinghouse Adopts Gracenote’s MusicID to Streamline Digital Content Clearance and Compensation Processes

TOKYO, Japan — March 31, 2010 — Japan’s Copyright Data Clearinghouse (CDC) today announced “Fluzo”, a service which uses Gracenote’s audio fingerprinting technology to ensure music recognition, clearance and compensation processes for copyrighted works are streamlined in the world’s largest digital market. Through this agreement, the CDC has implemented Gracenote’s MusicID® service, the industry standard in music identification, and will utilize Gracenote’s Global Media Database, the world’s largest and most comprehensive repository of music information, to establish reliable music recognition processes for downloaded content in Japan.

Due to the rapid growth and development of digital content consumption in Japan, the CDC was formed in conjunction with the JASRAC, the Japanese copyright holders’ society, in 2009 to create a common and legitimate infrastructure for digital content distribution in Japan. The CDC issues universal work codes for all downloaded music to track and manage copyrighted material. By integrating Gracenote’s MusicID into its existing identification processes, the CDC will be able to provide the most accurate and up-to-date music information based on Gracenote’s Global Media Database of more than 100 million tracks from more than 200 countries and territories.

This project also enhances Gracenote metadata for local songs coming out of Japan, ensuring it has the most accurate and complete information on Japanese music and further establishing the company as the definitive source for powering online services in the global music content community.  It also provides labels and music service providers with additional ways to drive sales and capitalize on the momentum from a song.

“We are pleased to have been chosen as the official music identification technology provider for the CDC,” said Aki Kodama, president of Gracenote Japan. “By integrating MusicID into their services, we are helping to enable the growth of legitimate digital music consumption in one of the fastest growing digital markets in the world, while ensuring Gracenote has the most up-to-date information on music content coming out of the Japan.  The CDC’s decision to choose Gracenote is a clear endorsement of our capabilities and furthers our lead in the global market.”

About Copyright Data Clearinghouse (CDC)

CDC, a non-profit incorporated association, was established in March 2009 to promote the legitimate and smooth use of copyrighted works. The CDC aims to reduce the cost and workload for license application procedures and reporting conducted by the music content providers, as well as for the licensing and royalty distribution conducted by the copyright management business operators.

About Gracenote
A pioneer in the digital media industry, Gracenote combines information, technology, services and applications to create ingenious entertainment solutions for the global market.  From media management, enrichment and discovery products to content identification technologies, Gracenote allows providers of digital media products and the content community to make their offerings more powerful and intuitive, enabling superior consumer experiences. The company’s solutions integrate the broadest, deepest, and highest quality global metadata and enriched content with an infrastructure that services billions of searches a month from thousands of products used by hundreds of millions consumers. Gracenote’s customers include the biggest names in the consumer electronics, mobile, automotive, software and Internet industries.  The company’s partners in the entertainment community include major music publishers and labels, prominent independents and movie studios.  Gracenote, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, is headquartered in Emeryville, California. www.gracenote.com.

C2 Client DXG Expands Luxe Collection HD Camcorders with Chic Tartan, Houndstooth & Paisley Designs

Couture Camcorder Line Features Three New Models, Kensington, Chelsea, and Paisley in Eye-Catching Colors with True HD Recording for up to 8 Hours of Video

DXG-Kensington in Blue

CITY OF INDUSTRY, CALIF. – March 18, 2010 –DXG’s popular Luxe Collection line of fashionable HD camcorders has expanded to include three new chic and trendy designs with vibrant color combinations, stylish details and matching clutch cases. The DXG Luxe Collection marries fashion with the latest digital camcorder technology, creating the perfect gadget for stylish moms, trend-setting teens, and fashionistas of any age.

Available today for $149.99, the latest DXG Luxe Collection camcorders include the DXG-Kensington, which features a hip tartan plaid design and comes in red, blue or black; the DXG-Paisley with stylish paisley patterns in vibrant purple, pink or blue; and the DXG-Chelsea featuring a sporty houndstooth design in white or black. In addition to these new models, the popular DXG-Riviera quilted series has introduced a new baby blue eye-catching color.

All Luxe Collection products record video in true high definition (720p), take vibrant 8-megapixel still photos, capture up to 8 hours of video on a 16GB card, and feature a 3-inch LCD screen on a slim1½-inches-thick casing.

Visit www.dxgusa.com and enjoy a 20% discount off any camcorder by entering promo code, “madness20″.

DXG-Paisley in Purple

“Our popular DXG Luxe Collection broke new ground last year in consumer electronics by combining fashion and gadgets for the first time, and this year we’ve created even more designs and colors options to suit the individual tastes of our consumers,” said Paul Goldberg, senior vice president of sales and marketing at DXG USA. “The Luxe products are truly the perfect everyday accessory that not only provide full-featured video and photo capabilities at a very affordable price, but also give your camcorder a style all in its own.”

Click here for more photos of the new Luxe designs and colors.

Tech Tuesday – C2 Client DXG’s Latest Pro Gear Camcorder Featured on CBS KOLD TV

Happy Tech Tuesday!

C2 client DXG is always blazing trails in the digital camcorder space and today KOLD TV CBS contributor and Executive Producer of TechTalk Radio, Andy Taylor, featured their latest Pro Gear product, the DXG-A80V for its impressive feature set, ease of use and incredible price of point of just $299. Watch the segment below.

To learn more about DXG and check out their latest 2010 HD camcorders, please click here.