Not many businesses would think about major media sources when they think of link building resources. Media will certainly come to mind when a business is considering its online marketing strategy, as some news coverage can help establish an online presence. What most businesses don’t consider is how getting a mention in the press can result in a direct, high-quality link. Getting into the news is an SEO jackpot.
Approaching the media isn’t an easy task, but it can be worth the effort if you manage to net a link. Many media sources are high-ranking, and their pages can be quite relevant to your keywords. You can talk to us at SEO Consult Australia about link building, but here are some sources to consider:
- Local media: Everyone has a locality. Even if your business is completely online, you and your laptop have to be located somewhere. Local news outlets are usually far easier to get stories into, so consider drafting up a media release that targets this group. Most local media have online components these days, and a link from these sources can help you build your profile with Google Local.
- Industry media: Again, the smaller focus of these kids of media sources will give you an advantage. Industry media should be a particularly valuable link-building resource, as you can approach them in a number of ways. Most industry publications are open to guest writers, particularly if their industry experience will impress readers. These are often websites that should be considered as part of your off-page search engine optimisation anyway, so drafting up a few article ideas is a good idea.
- National media: Links from places like the ABC, SBS and even the BBC are link profile gold. These major media outlets generally have excellent rankings, and being associated with their pages is a very good thing.
It might seem like an impossible task to appeal to these kinds of major news sources, but it isn’t. The best thing about each of these news giants is that they have regional and specialist departments that are much easier to access. Have a look on their websites for subsections that might suit you.
It’s important to note that none of these news sources will be open to anything that seems like outright marketing. Some publicly-funded news sources are specifically forbidden from promoting products or services. It is vital to approach a news source much as you would any other link possibility, with an eye for what you can do for them. With these sources, it should be an idea for a story.
Newsworthiness and media attraction
Not every business event is going to attract media attention, but it should be possible for any business to get itself into the news. It’s all a matter of finding the right story and the right angle.
Objectivity is important when you’re thinking about approaching media sources with article ideas. Think about the news site’s audience and what they might be interested in. It can be helpful to do some research in order to get an idea of what sort of articles the site usually publishes.
