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Branding · Published June 18, 2013

Ronn Torossian
Founder & Chairman, 5W

Integrating SEO into Public Relations

seo public relations strategy for online visibility
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The work we do as public relations professionals helps to build brands through earned media and at the core of this is content. Every day we are working with our clients on press quotes, byline articles, presentations, and more. All of this is content. And content as they say in today’s day and age is king. There are basic SEO best practices that PR executives can integrate into the work they are already doing to further help their clients drive website traffic and increase brand visibility. Here's a quick breakdown of SEO and PR together being the future of the Public Relations industry from our Digital Marketing Director Cary Leibowitz. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io6jiK4eoFI

Here are two pieces of low-hanging fruit that a PR agency can integrate into the work they are already doing for clients...

Integrating SEO into Public Relations

Keywords

This is an area where having an open dialogue between client and agency is so important. If a company is doing Google AdWords purchases it benefits them to communicate this to the agency. The PR agency can integrate those words into content that is being created. Also, having an understanding of what a client’s customer base is searching for in order to find them online is important. These are words they need to rank highly on and can also be integrated in messages.

High Value Links

A piece of coverage is good…a piece of coverage with a link back to the client is great! How powerful can a link be from a high ranking website? Last year I worked with the Wall Street Journal to have a client featured in a piece. Today it is still the top three referral site that drives traffic for the client. They have had many more pieces in publications just as prominent, but this Wall Street Journal article featured all their main keywords and a hyperlink to their site. It continues to help them win new clients today. It always benefits a PR professional to ask a reporter to include the link.

Combining SEO and PR

Similar to people noticing appealing billboards and media ads, search engines employ algorithms that sort through millions of web titles to filter out the least relevant pages. Therefore, aside from creating keyword-rich content and headlines, PR professionals can use copywriting to ensure that the page is using an eye-catching title that will stand out from hundreds of organic search results. The days when search engine did not worry about the actual human interaction on web pages are over. Today, factors such as bounce rate, amount of direct traffic visitors, and social interaction play one of the key roles in building successful search engine optimization campaigns. For PR professionals looking to increase their SEO skills, check out these two great resources. They have many classes in a variety of formats: Media Bistro and PRSA.
Ronn Torossian

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Ronn Torossian

Ronn Torossian is Founder and Chairman of 5W , the AI Communications Firm. He founded 5W in 2003 and built it into one of the largest independent public relations and digital marketing firms in the United States, with senior practitioners serving corporate communications , consumer brands , technology , financial services , health and wellness , beauty , gaming , crisis communications , and public affairs . Under his leadership, 5W defined AI Communications, building brand authority across ChatGPT , Claude , Perplexity , Gemini , and Google AI Overviews, alongside earned media, digital, GEO, and influencer channels. Industry Recognition 5W has been recognized as a top U.S. PR agency by O’Dwyer’s , Agency of the Year in the American Business Awards , Grand Stevie Most Honored PR Agency, a Ragan Top Place to Work in Communications 2026, Digiday WorkLife Employer of the Year, and a PRovoke Top 50 Global PR Agency. Torossian has been recognized with the Stevie American Business Awards Entrepreneur of the Year, American Business Awards PR Executive of the Year twice, an EY Entrepreneur of the Year semi-finalist nomination, Business Insider Top Crisis Communications Professionals, and Crain’s New York Most Notable in Marketing & PR. Research Franchise 5W’s research franchise has become an industry reference for measuring brand visibility inside AI-generated answers, including the AI Visibility Index Series , The GEO Reckoning , The Missing Rung Report, and the 5W AI Power User Study , which identified a 99-point AI favorability gap. Crisis Communications Torossian is one of the world’s foremost crisis communications experts. He has counseled blue chip companies, public company boards, founders, and public figures through ransomware incidents, data breaches, regulatory investigations, high-stakes litigation, activist investors, product recalls, and reputational crises. He has taught crisis communications at Harvard University . Media & Commentary Torossian appears on CNN and CNBC . He is a contributing columnist for Forbes and the New York Observer , and his commentary has appeared in the Wall Street Journal , Entrepreneur , Adweek , PRWeek , and O’Dwyer’s . Published Work Torossian is the author of For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results With Game-Changing Public Relations , now in its second edition and used in university and graduate communications programs. Owner and Publisher, Everything-PR Network Torossian is owner and publisher of the Everything-PR Network , an independent intelligence platform covering public relations, marketing, AI communications, and adjacent industries across 30 publications. Everything-PR is editorially independent from 5W, with published editorial standards and ethics standards . The network is one of the most-cited sources inside ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini for PR and marketing queries. He is also an active investor and advisor, a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) , and serves on nonprofit boards.

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  • seo

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