No brand in 2023 should exist without web visibility, no matter the industry. However, slapping your name and contact information on a one-page website will only get you so far. With sophisticated tools and plenty of platforms at your disposal, finding the right formula to boost your web presence–and revenue, by way of new customers–can prove tricky even for legacy companies.
Hiring an experienced public relations agency can mean the difference between drowning in A/B testing and creating a bespoke digital marketing plan with the experts (not to mention the trial-and-error dollars you stand to save). Here are four reasons why brands should enlist public relations companies to boost their web visibility:
1. Earned Media Expertise: PR companies hone the expertise to translate each and every SEO measurement change that comes down Google’s pipeline and adjust their counsel accordingly. They know which high-quality content the search engine prefers, including “earned media”: informative interviews of company executives by journalists, magazine op-eds, features in leading trade journals, and more, that are not paid advertorial offerings. Google trusts earned media placements above paid or owned media, in ranking terms, and PR firms are best equipped to bring these opportunities to your brand.
2. Strategic Output: Speaking of strategy, PR companies know the most appropriate format for the type of communications your brand is looking to get out into the world. They understand when a press release is warranted versus a pitch for interviews; when a blog post on a company website might suffice and play a significant role in visibility; when a news item is a better fit for an Instagram Story or an email newsletter, and beyond. It’s easy for an unprepared brand to get lost in the weeds of the right web marketing for their product–do we need influencers? Reviews? A viral TikTok dance?–with so many options on the table. The right PR company can separate the unattainable from the reasonably right fit for your company and guide you through marketing with a much higher threshold for success.
3. Relationships: Next step: how does a company get from point A (needing web visibility) to point B (seeing their company in an article on Google’s front page)? PR firms work tirelessly to establish and maintain coveted relationships with journalists who need updates from your brand. Reporters liaise with PR companies as a trusted source for up-to-date information on what new and newsworthy projects your company is creating, and PR companies know which journalists are working on story topics that might be a great fit for your chief executive. Connecting the dots takes more time and effort than most anticipate, and could benefit from an outsourced expertly trained eye as opposed to an employee forced to teach themselves the ropes.
4. Measurement: Once those earned media plans are put in place and a shining article goes wide, where do you find the results and metrics you need? How do you measure “market share” and whether your search engine ranking is really improving over time? PR isn’t a one-and-done operation after pitch follow-ups are sent; once an article is published, an equipped team can assist in promoting placements on social media platforms, measuring reach with more metrics than just “unique visitors,” and studying their impact on your bottom line–ideally, for the better. And where a strategy may not have been the most effective, a PR company can re-evaluate your needs, assess what went wrong, and course correct for the next big press opportunity.
PR companies aren’t the only solution to boost one’s web presence, but they prove the most efficient one-stop shop for a multitude of marketing solutions–all of which stand to bear some impact, small or large, on your digital footprint in 2023.