Pain-Free Press Releases for Local Business SEO

prlog I never really liked doing press releases so I had to find an easier way to submit them for my offline clients and I thought I would share my simple method at a high-level. You will note that I don’t go into pain staking details but the major elements are all here.

Essentially there are four parts to the process:

  1. Writing the press release (ugggh)
  2. Optimizing and Formatting
  3. Selecting the PR services and creating the PR accounts
  4. Submitting the press release

Not terribly complicated but also not something I enjoy too much. So I made it as simple for you as possible and outlined the process in a video:

The Basic Tools You Need

Using need-an-article is the first step for me. It might not be necessary if your a “writer” … but I tend to be lazy and would rather have someone else do it. So I use NeedandArticle.com. Then you need to make sure that the format is correct and understand what a press release should look like. You can use the Microsoft office templates and the guidelines for publicity insider for the formatting and such.

Finally… you need to submit the press release to one or more free distribution services. Now, for local business stuff you probably need to follow Bill’s guidelines and avoid the hype.. unless it is purely for SEO purposes. In that case you might just take the article straight out of needanarticle.com.. as-is.

Automated Submission

I used to use a tool called SENuke but it was $147 a month (ouch) and had a real steep learning curve. I have also tried submission services that had monthly subscriptions which are ok..but you still have to create the content and I don’t do it often enough to justify a monthly expense.

So..

Since the release of Viral Submitter Pro which is a one-time, low-cost purchase.. I can just use that as I see fit. It also does video and articles distribution which is great but I was primarily interested in the press release feature. Of course you can also submit them to the press release sites directly.

Final Overview

So.. what you need to make this relatively painless is the following:

1 – A written press release ( needanarticle.com )

2 – A proper format ( Microsoft Office Press ReleasePublicity Insider )

3 – Free Press Release Accounts ( Free press releases distribution accounts)

4 – (Optional) Distribution software or service ( Viral Submitter Pro )

So that’s it in a nutshell…..please feel free to leave a comment. And if you found this useful please “retweet” or share on facebook.

Regards,

rs-signature

25 thoughts on “Pain-Free Press Releases for Local Business SEO

  1. Wayne Strickland

    Hi Robert,

    Thanks for putting together that short video on how to put together a press release, particularly the Viral Submitter Pro software, which looks pretty useful.

    I currently use Webfire for this sort of thing, but it’s always good to see what else is available and may be used as an alternate.

    Thanks again,
    Wayne Strickland
    http://localwebmarketer.co.uk/

  2. Jim Iannelli

    Rob,

    Just sent out my first press release (had someone do it for me) for an attorney client. Anxious to see what results (backlinks) etc
    it brings forth.

    Jim Iannelli

  3. Bob

    Thank you Rob- Its static HTML and I’ll use Feedage to convert.

    Is there a quick way to see if your page is indexed?

  4. SEO Guru Atlanta

    I have uses prlog.org with mixed results. For some sporting events, it got the word out and I’ve made a bundle.

    For all of my other sites, I cannot find a single backlink that I can attribute to prlog. I have not used the Word template so I will try that and see if the results are any better. Good idea.

  5. Bob

    thanks rob- but if i have 50 new pages on my site- is VSP the best way to get them indexed quickly or is there another way?
    Not sure i get what you mean by looking them up on these other sites?

    1. rstanley

      If your site is wordpress based then the pages will be automatically “pinged” and indexed. If this is static html the best way would be to use an HTML to RSS conversion tool and submit the feed or…. just bookmark all the pages with a social bookmark tool like Folkd or Reddit.

    1. rstanley

      You can get pages indexed without ViralSubmitterPro (VSP)… just do a lookup for your website on quantcast.com, semrush.com and the google external keyword tool. That will do it. VSP is more about ranking your site and getting backlinks.

  6. Dr. Michael

    Thanks for the video, Robert.

    I’ve been looking for a set of guidelines that outline Press Releases, so this is right on time!

    By the way, I just bought Viral Submitter Pro, this afternoon. I’m really looking forward to using it to upload my articles, press releases, bookmarks and videos.

    Thanks again for your no-nonsense approach to content delivery 🙂

    Dr. Michael (The D.O.C)
    “Keep On, Keeping On…”

  7. Paul Facey

    Great video Robert!

    My advice for using automated softwares that requires a monthly payment is this:

    – Make sure you have the time for the learning curve involved.
    – Use one-time purchase software that are very cheap but get the job done – like the ones from Incansoft.
    – After you’ve made enough profits, then look into programs like SEnuke and such like.

    Just a basic knowledge of SEO coupled with some elbow grease will get you some decent results. Always start small then scale your business as increase your profits.

    A great place to get your press release written and submitted for your, for around (less than) $30 is getarticlesdone.com

    Hope this helps.

    Paul

  8. Derek

    Anyone know how Viral Submitter compares to Traffic Geyser?

    What about how it is uploaded? Does it upload right away or can you schedule it? Does the upload come from the same IP?

    Thanks

    Derek

  9. Don Dolenec

    Thank you for the video Robert.
    I enjoy doing press releases more now. I purchased Banklink Automation Software. Cheap also. It submits to 35 press release sites.
    When done others pick up the press releases and get an average of 1000-4000 backlinks.
    I have a writer for $2 bucks,submit it in 30 seconds and go golfing.
    And the backlinks supercharge a site.Do this 6 times in one month for a client and he will zoom to the top of the serps
    Don
    Maui,HI

  10. [email protected]

    Good info about Press releases, especially useful is where to get a template for it.
    I’ve gotten several emails on Viral Submitter Pro and it does seem limited but they say they will be adding to it. If they add more places to submit to and Bookmarking
    which they say they will, then could be a bangup tool for the price.

  11. Chrissanne

    Since we’re discussing some editing issues and getting freebies for doing so :D, I thought I’d mention that the “Free Press Releases Distribution” link is not correct. (Takes me to an error page)

    It’s funny how things pop up when you need them! Lots of discussion within my company these past few days about automating and utilizing free (aka more SEO-friendly = better results) Press Release Submission Tools. Paying $400 a pop and not getting the results is getting O-L-D!

  12. Whit W.

    “So I made it as simple for you ass possible and outlined the process in a video:”

    Do I win a book or something for my instantaneous, real-time editing tip-off?

  13. buygranturismo5

    Thanx for sharing this Robert. I am not using press releases yet because I am not sure how to use them properly. But for SEO purposes it is wise that I start using them! I will use your information.

  14. David

    I use SENuke and think it’s great but I agree the monthly fee sucks. I’ve actually been testing out a few other programs that are less money per month to see if they can do everything I want.

    I went to the Viral Submitter page and was immediately turned off. The video can’t be paused, there is no information at all on the page about what the product does or where it submits too. The price looks good (depending on what it does), but I can’t be bothered to watch a video that I have no clue when it will end. I don’t need the hype I just want to know what I’m getting for the money.

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