The advent of semantic search created a greater need for truly interesting and engaging “quality” content. The headlines proclaimed content to be king. So it goes that SEOs are being asked to be content experts in order to help their clients and their own company rank high in the search results. Ultimately, this is a good thing because the strange and sometimes ridiculous content of the past is being replaced by information that customers might actually be interested in reading. Does this mean SEOs need to become great writers?

Not necessarily. It means that strong writers are now an important part of the greater Internet marketing team, which includes SEO. It means that your search engine optimization experts also need to think about content and how best to market that content as a way to increase natural inbound links and improve your voice and stature in the social media sphere. Both of which are significant ranking factors for the search engines.

PR has become the darling of content marketing these days. The media world has changed dramatically over the past 10 to 15 years. Bloggers now have as much or more clout as traditional newspaper and trade publication reporters. Cutbacks at traditional media outlets, mean they are forced to rely on contributors more than ever and have much less time to develop their own content then they once did. What hasn’t changed is what constitutes news and how to give your stories a better chance to be picked up. The tools have changed but a good story is still a good story.

So when you approach the media today, make sure you first know their audience and their beat. What does this reporter, blogger usually write about and why do they care about your story? Make a good match and you will likely get interest and coverage. Mass outreach has never worked and if anything will turn a good reporter or producer off. They remember and it taints your next effort. Also, remember that the first three letters of news are N-E-W. Is your story new and fresh? Does it deal with a trending topic? Why is it important to be covered now? What is the urgency? If you can provide meaningful, accurate, timely and relevant story ideas and information to a reporter or blogger, you have a friend for life. That relationship can and will bear fruit for a long time.