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Submitting a news release is one of the more effective methods of grabbing the attention of your target market and the search engines. Anyone can write a news release but not all news releases are effective. When you write a news release your aim is to get noticed by the people searching for your business, services and/or products and to ensure that the search engines list your release on the search results for people to find.

It is possible to write a great news release that generates qualified traffic and strengthens the reputation of your business if you follow some time proven guidelines. We will be taking a closer look at the guidelines to follow and the structure of a news release.

Guidelines:

• Grab the Attention of Readers – The headline and summary of a news release should provide a clear picture of what the release is about.
• Tell People Who You Are – Your business, product or brand name should feature prominently within the first few paragraphs of the release.
• Be Clear, Concise and Informative – Beware of slang or the excessive use of hype and stay away from technical language or jargon. The release should not be viewed as an advertisement and should be neutral and objective.
• Use Current Events and Examples – Tying in to current events or using examples of how your company can solve problems or provide solutions is very effective.
• Stick to the Truth – Provide facts and don’t exaggerate. You can severely damage your brand and reputation if you over promise and under deliver.
• Provide a Call to Action – It is very important to provide the readers with a reason to visit your website. Link to a page on your website that contains more information and entice readers to click on the link.
• Check for Readability and Grammar – Always proof read and spell check the release and ask your colleagues to provide feedback prior to submitting the release.

Structure:

• Headline – Contains your keywords and should aim to grab attention.
• Summary – Provides a brief description of your business and a summary of the information contained within the release.
• Dateline and Lead Paragraph – Provide answers to who, what, why, where, when and how.
• Body – The meat of the release containing neutral and objective information consisting of 300-800 words.
• About – Brief description of your company.
• Contact Details – Contains your company name, website details, telephone number and email address.

You can release news about any changes or developments within your business that you want to share with a broader audience. New appointments, partnerships, product launches, social causes and new services are newsworthy and could be written about. News releases should form part of your broader search optimization strategy and it could become a vital part of your business if done correctly. There are some great news release websites that you could approach for assistance (e.g. PRWeb.com.)

Heinrich Muller is the owner of The Link Building Guy and he provides SEO Link Building, Keyword Optimization and Social Media Optimization services.