1. @JudithLewis
Walking hand in hand: Combining PR and SEO
@JudithLewis

2. @JudithLewis
➡ Run DeCabbit Consultancy doing SEO, PPC, Social Media and integrated
marketing campaigns & working with bloggers for link building
➡ Got on the Internet in 1986 at my school lab
➡ Working online with search since 1996
➡ Worked in-house within e-Commerce, Publishing & High Tech
➡ Have worked with Google (SEO for product sites), Orange, COI,
NatWest/RBS, National Gallery, CIPD, Fidelity, GalaCoral, NBC Universal,
Readers Digest, Bayer, Family Search, Amadeus, AMD, AmEx, TotalJobs,
Virgin.com, Virgin Startup, Zopa, GE, Blue Cross, Vapemate & more
➡ Chosen as a founding Modern Muse, contributed to book “Pimp My Site”,
judge of the MENA, UK, US & European Search Awards, one of the SEO
Chicks, blog on Huffington Post & run MostlyAboutChocolate.com
AM I
WhoObligatory slide !
Judith Lewis

3. @JudithLewis
I give
chocolate for
*relevant*
questions

4. @JudithLewis
Walking hand in hand: Combining PR and SEO
A joint PR and SEO strategy can help your website strike gold.
Having a strong online brand reputation will only ever grow
your link acquisition without introducing any black-hat
tactics. However, many affiliates can ignore PR as a “nice to
have” rather than a “need to have” which instantly rules out
some effective wins for your SEO goals and the opportunity to
grow your business from a website to a brand.
What kind of campaigns work (ideas and themes)
How you can fast track the volume of links
How you can compete with bigger brands
Take away of 10 practical tips

5. @JudithLewis@deCabbit DeCabbit Presentation
5
PR is about
relationships,
influence and
communicating a
positive story to an
audience for the client
aka BRAND

6. @JudithLewis 6
Non-keyword optimised domain
Unique design/logo
Unique voice
Actual press coverage, not just spun
PRs
Focus on mentions of name, not links
Offline advertising (think regional radio
advertising or print ads rather than TV)
Blogger attention from *clean* blogs,
not networks
Think research, not regurgitation, which
adds value
Make a 3 year plan, not a 3 month plan
Steps: Qualities of a Brand

7. @JudithLewis
Which Looks Like A Brand?

8. @JudithLewis
SEOs build links
to help increase
visibility in
search engines
by ranking
pages higher

9. @JudithLewis
Key elements to consider
There is no point in doing any work if you don’t
understand needs – whether it is lead generation
or brand awareness (which leads to visits which
lead to conversions), money underpins everything
You cannot just do things in a random order –
strategy is understanding not only core elements
but how they best play together
PRs think paying for links is cheating – and it is

10. @JudithLewis
Yes…. I cheat

11. @JudithLewis
Cheating at link
building for fun
and profit can’t
exclude PR
though

12. @JudithLewis
When Cheating Goes Well

13. @JudithLewis

14. @JudithLewis
14
It Wasn’t
Just Bought
Links

15. @JudithLewis
Traditional Link Building aka PR Worked
15

16. @JudithLewis
What Kind of Campaigns Could Work
Innovative research or ideas
Find research on a topic and find a different angle to
promote
Look at the data behind weak infographics and find a better
angle
Repurpose research in other areas but make it relevant to
your niche
Creative twists on news
Find a different angle to a popular news story
Be a recognised voice of commentary or expert tips
Add value to the news being reported elsewhere

17. @JudithLewis
But Cheating Doesn’t Last

18. @JudithLewis
Sometimes People Build Bad Links

19. @JudithLewis
Bad Links Result in Bad Penalties

20. @JudithLewis
Sometimes PRs Get Outreach Wrong
Bloggers share: they share PR/SEO contact details and
pitches and payments - they know what you paid and to
whom

21. @JudithLewis
Facebook Outreach Groups

22. @JudithLewis
SEO
is a part of Online
Marketing which
includes PR
whether we like it
or not

23. @JudithLewis
Some SEO Approaches Gone Wrong
The following are approaches and the blogger reactions from a
closed blogger group (all spelling is theirs, not mine!)
“Repeated demands that I publish their great (great =generic) post immediately with a do follow
link”
“…those that pay for a sponsored post and then when publish demand a do follow link even though
we state no follow links”
“Offering content written by them, on the basis that 'it will help our traffic‘”
“Then a company who thinks it's ok to ask for 3/4 follow links to pages that have nothing to do with
the product being reviewed”
“One company asked me to change all my links to 'follow' links and remove the disclosure because
'they could get penalised and her boss was worried'. I explained that I couldn't do that (for obvious
reasons) - still insisted”
“…were contacted by a SEO wanting links removed (pretty normal) but this one blamed us for the
companies penalty and then threatened to report us to google if we didn't remove the link”

24. @JudithLewis
Chat with
your targets
on the phone
after initial
email contact
The way I pitch things
is carefully worded
but I make it clear
what I expect within
the law & guidelines

25. @JudithLewis

26. @JudithLewis
Changes to the Law & Google Guidelines
Google guidelines against “Link Schemes”:
https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/6635
6
ASA Reminder to bloggers about their responsibilities:
http://www.asa.org.uk/News-resources/Media-
Centre/2013/Blurring-advertising-and-blogs.aspx
CAP Guidance on the ASA guidelines:
http://www.cap.org.uk/News-reports/Media-
Centre/2014/New-words-on-the-blog.aspx
The LAW the ASA guidelines are based on:
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2008/97801108115
74/contents
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27. @JudithLewis 27
Outreach

28. @JudithLewis
Find Influencers

29. @JudithLewis
Research Other Sites

30. @JudithLewis
Research Other Sites

31. @JudithLewis
Research Other Sites

32. @JudithLewis
Check Their Stats

33. @JudithLewis
10 Link Attraction Ideas
Be Controversial
Be The Font of All Knowledge
Take a Stand
Be a Personality
Share/Curate
Be Funny
Be Prolific
Be Mysterious
Offer something unique

34. @JudithLewis@JudithLewis @MostlyAboutChoc
?
Questions?

35. @JudithLewis
You Can Stalk Me Online
Twitter: @JudithLewis
@MostlyAboutChoc
LinkedIn: http://uk.linkedin.com/in/judithlewis
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+JudithLewis
Web: http://www.decabbit.com
Blog: http://MostlyAboutChocolate.com
SEO Blog: http://www.SEO-Chicks.com
HuffPost: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/judith-lewis
...and the list goes on

36. @JudithLewis
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME
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