If you take a look at modern press releases, you’ll notice something unique, which is the presence of links. Because most press releases appear on digital platforms, text can be hyperlinked, allowing readers to be directed to different URLs. It’s not unusual to see several links within a single press release, as well as a dedicated media links section.
But why are these links important? It’s clear that the creators of these press releases put a lot of effort into them. But why? This article will look at some of the benefits of press releases with multiple links.
Passing Information
At the end of the day, one of the goals of a press release is to pass valuable information to the reader. Depending on what is being announced, this can be quite a tedious process and can end up stretching the press release beyond a reasonable word count. This is one of the ways links come in handy, as they allow you to explain the development further or provide more information while condensing word count.
If you’ve described your new project, for example, you can direct the reader to get more information by clicking on a specific link. Rather than having several more paragraphs of text, you can redirect them to an appropriate link with more in-depth information. Visually, this lends itself to a concise and presentable press release. In terms of the actual content, it keeps things organized.
Driving Traffic
Oftentimes, you want readers to visit a particular webpage for various reasons. This could be getting more organic traffic to your website, getting more followers on your social media, and much more. Inserting a link means that you can easily drive this traffic without too much effort on your part. Consider this: Telling a user to search for a particular name, online or manually type in the website URL can feel a bit tedious. Some people will forget or simply not bother to do it.
But a hyperlink can be accessed with a single click, saving them a lot of time. In turn, a press release with links to your website will drive traffic in a way that a press release without links simply won’t. This is also why many press releases feature multiple links to the project’s webpage to make sure that if a reader misses it the first time, they will see it the second and third time.
Driving Sales
If you’re looking to drive sales, a press release, especially one that is widely distributed, is a great way to do so. Think of it this way: the press release will likely describe the product or service being offered, and hopefully, it will be written in such a way that it will entice users to get involved.
After doing this, linking to the website means that the reader can immediately take action and make a purchase. If the same press release is then widely distributed, using one of the packages we offer here at XpressWire, you’ll see tens of thousands of people exposed to the link and possibly going to the website. This is why, as much as press releases are a way to communicate information, they are also a valuable marketing tool that you can easily take advantage of.
Search Engine Optimization
In this day and age, succeeding in business means having the power of search engines by your side. Statistics consistently show that most of us turn to search engines when looking for businesses to patronize, and oftentimes, we rely on the first page of search engine results. This means that any business trying to succeed in the digital age will want to rank as highly as possible, and part of the process involves valuable links.
Specifically, links to a website coming from another valuable website signal credibility to the search engine. If a highly rated website like Forbes or Business Insider publishes a post that links to your website, it essentially tells the search engine algorithm that this website endorses yours and thus, you should be ranked higher on results pages. Consider the packages we offer here at XpressWire, and Howard grants publication on these top-ranking sites. This means that if you publish a press release with us that has a link to your website, it will enjoy search engine optimization benefits.
Greater Visibility
Press releases are a common way to get the word out about a very particular business, and links contribute very much to this. When the person sees your press release on the top website, they become more aware of what you are doing and what you are about, even if they do not immediately take action. Seeing the link to your website and social media handles makes them more aware of you overall. This means that they can subconsciously develop more trust for your business, and should they need the soda products or services you offer, you’ll be at the top of the list. This is why you are recommended to add a dedicated media link section as well as links within the article itself.
Media Links Tips
Now that you understand the importance of having links within your press release, it’s worth noting the ways to effectively do this. First, you want to choose an appropriate number of links. While linking to a website offers SEO benefits, if the press release is spammed full of links, it might come off as disingenuous to the search engine optimization algorithm, and you might even be penalized. As a rule of thumb, have one link per 100 to 150 words. This would mean 3 to 5 links for a 500-word press release.
Another thing you should do is include a media link section with links to your website, social media pages, press office, and an email address for others to get involved. This means you don’t have a single link in a single article, but rather a variety.
Conclusion
Links are, and will continue to be, an important part of modern press releases as they offer a myriad of benefits. Consider some of the points we made in this article, and your next press release should deliver you these benefits and more.