05 Jun How the Woolwich murder got me on Page 1 of Google
What do you get if you mix the Woolwich murder, Public Relations and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) together?
In my case it’s a story, which has seen thousands of new visitors to my website this week, and has proven a point long held by me, which applies to businesses throughout the land.
It is that although SEO is a vital tool for organisations to get them ahead of their competitors, without engaging content it’s less than half the job done.
It may cost thousands per week to stay on page 1 of Google all the time. However, one well written article about a subject can end up being propelled to the front page of internet search engines in an instant and get you noticed a lot more.
Let me give you more detail, for those of you who don’t follow my blogs, I tend to write about my take on marketing within the legal profession, as primarily this is my arena, but also Public Relations in general.
Horrified by the sinister new use of social media in the killing of Lee Rigby, I blogged on this and to my surprise saw that my story, when you put in several of the expected search terms for the incident such as ‘Woolwich murder radical Islam, appeared on the first page of Google, ahead at times of many weighty news institutions including the BBC.
Now I’m not out to give myself a pat on the back, but instead prove a point that despite what some SEO guys will tell you that content still is vital, but the two of them aligned together make a truly powerful combination.
In this new internet age if someone thinks something is good they will share it, whether it be a story, a product, or a comedy sketch.
This is how I got to the front of the queue, but you can do it too, but only if what you’ve got to say is interesting to an audience.
You may be able to do it yourself, but my blog isn’t beginners luck. I do this stuff for a living and have written professionally for 20 or so years.
However, I hope this might be a lesson to those of you always scratching your heads about how to get noticed.
Content and presentation will always win, whether it be an interesting story, poem, book or advert and unless you have recognised skills don’t attempt it. It’s not a good use of your time.
The length and breadth of the land there are skilled communicators out there and you should call upon them – you need them as much as they need you.
