Credit: BigStockPhoto.com

“Google can make or break my business, so I have to do whatever they say.” I can’t even count how many times I’ve heard similar things from small business owners and webmasters. Do you know what I say to them?

“Then you don’t know enough about running a website to be making this your business.”

Why so harsh? Because I’m tired of the “Google God” nonsense, where people truly believe Google is the be all and end all for any site on the Web. It’s not. It’s a search engine. More importantly, Google is a tool — a tool for finding websites and a tool for helping people find your website.

There’s nothing wrong with Google on the surface (okay, so that’s a bit debatable), and there’s nothing wrong with making reasonable efforts to rank well for truly relevant terms. Still, that’s a far cry from Google making or breaking a business. And if you know what you’re doing, neither Google , nor any other third party will have that much control over your project. Why? You’ll diversify.

Website Survival With or Without Big G

There are other traffic sources out there; some are much better than search engines when it comes to bringing targeted traffic. Even if your Google traffic disappeared tomorrow, you could still run a highly successful site or online business.

“But where would my traffic come from?” you might ask. Here’s a quick list with some ideas to get you started. All of these things can help you attract targeted visitors to your website, without worrying about SEO and potential Google bans if you happen to do something they don’t approve of:

• Run a Blog – If your site already has some traffic, add a blog. The subscribers will keep coming back regardless of search engine rankings.
• Issue Press Releases – If you’re doing something newsworthy in your niche or industry, put out a press release / news release. They’re a great way to build relevant links and traffic not only directly but through your pick-ups (each time the release is republished or used as a source for a story in the media or on other blogs). If you don’t have anything release-worthy, come up with ideas. Release a new tool. Publish a free report. No matter what industry you’re in, you can be newsworthy with your audience with just a little bit of effort.
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  Credit: BigStockPhoto.com

  Use Social media – Social networks, social bookmarking, Twitter, etc. can be fantastic sources of traffic that by-pass the whims of search engines. You’ll want to spend a bit of time building your network with these social media tools. The bigger your audience there, the more traffic those tools can bring.
• Advertise - If you have an advertising budget, use it! If not, maybe it’s time to consider one. Sure, free traffic can seem more appealing than paid traffic, but advertising has its benefits. It might save time (and let’s face it, time really is money) when compared to things like maintaining a strong social media presence. It allows you to target very specific audiences as well, by picking and choosing which sites you want to advertise on. Of course, if you’d rather not bother with manually choosing publishers to advertise with, there’s always the option of going with ad networks.

Those are just a few of the most popular and effective ways to get traffic to your website without having to rely on search engines. Can you think of any others? Leave a comment and share your tips with other readers.

The fact that Google is really just a single tool in a much bigger toolbox of smart webmasters everywhere is just one thing site owners seem to forget. Just for fun, here are a few other helpful “reminders.”

• No, industry jargon is not cool. Lose the buzzwords already. If your neighbor’s kid in the 8th grade couldn’t understand your site, it’s time to re-work things. If you cater to the small group that understands and actually likes to talk that way, you’re missing out on a potentially huge market segment that doesn’t.
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  Credit: BigStockPhoto.com

  That splash page you think is really sweet, really isn’t. People don’t want to wait for your page to load. They click a link or type in your URL and they expect the information they want to appear… like magic… yeah, that quick. If yours doesn’t, optimize. Trying to be “with it” creatively can really piss off your visitors who frankly couldn’t care less. Unless your site exists specifically to show off such designs or it’s absolutely necessary, don’t. You can be stylish without being slow.
• Your site might be online all the time, but your audience is not. If you’re neglecting offline marketing tactics for your website, you’re losing out on visitors (and potentially buyers). Don’t assume Internet marketing is the only way to market your website or online business.

Have you made these mistakes? Have you made others you’d like to share? Leave us a comment and let us know what else website owners sometimes forget when it comes to managing and marketing their sites.

The Directory Journal is happy to announce the release of our first free e-book! This e-book serves as a basic introduction to writing four common types of Web marketing and PR copy — basic Web marketing copy for your website, sales letters, online press releases, and email marketing copy.

The e-book isn’t so much for marketing and PR professionals (who already know this information), but is instead for business owners, webmasters, and independent professionals who would like to be able to write some types of Web copy on their own. We understand that not everyone has the budget to hire professional copywriters, and that others simply prefer the DIY approach when possible. This e-book is for those readers.

This e-book won’t turn you into a master copywriter overnight, but it will give you a basic foundation in understanding different types of Web copy, how these kinds of Web copywriting can benefit your business, and some of the things you’ll need to know about your target market or audience before being able to write copy that delivers.

You can get your free copy of The Business Owner’s Guide to Better Web Marketing Copy today! Just sign up for our email list near the top of this blog, and your free copy will be delivered right to your inbox. Even better, you’ll receive special offers, DirJournal.com news, and any future e-books we release automatically!

Still not sure about signing up? You can download the first chapter for free right now to help you decide.

Getting ready to write a press release to generate coverage for your company? Before you put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard), take a look at these 8 common press release writing mistakes. Avoiding them can be your ticket to success.

1. A Boring Headline—When you send your press release out to journalists, you need to remember they’re sifting through hundreds of these releases. The first thing they’ll see on your press release is the headline. If the headline is bland and lifeless, your press release probably won’t even get read.

Your headline needs to immediately grab the reader’s attention. It should be strong and bold, but make sure it isn’t gimmicky or salesy.

2. A Misleading Headline—The only thing worse than a boring headline is a misleading headline. The goal of your headline is to grab the interest of the reader and to clearly communicate what your story is about. Don’t “cry wolf” in your headline just to get the attention of the reader… unless, of course, there really is a wolf.

Here’s a simple way to tell if your headline is misleading. Show only the headline to a few other people. Have them take a guess as to what the story’s about. If they aren’t even close to being right, it’s probably time to rewrite the headline.

3. Hype instead of facts—This is a press release, not an infomercial. Journalists are interested in delivering newsworthy content to their readers. A sales pitch is NOT newsworthy content. Not only will writing your press release as an advertisement cause it to end up in the trash, but it will also damage your credibility with the journalist for a long time to come.

When writing your press release, just stick to the facts. Don’t stretch the truth, and don’t use salesy language. Whenever possible, include statistics and hard proof to back up all of your claims. Be objective but engaging at the same time.

4. Lifeless quotes—It’s always a good idea to use a quote from a reputable source in your press release. This helps to back up your claims, go into greater detail about a certain point, and add a personal touch to the story. However, you won’t achieve any of this if you use stale, lifeless quotes in your press releases. Unfortunately, that’s what most press releases end up containing. Safe, boring quotes that add nothing to the story.

How can you tell if your quote is pointless? If you can remove it without it having any effect on the story, then it’s not adding anything of value.

5. Too much jargon—Get rid of all jargon from your press release. These include industry-specific lingo, and terms only used inside your company. Journalists and their readers won’t understand your jargon.

Instead, focus on using clear language that everyone can understand. Remember, the average newspaper is written at an 8th grade level, so try to keep that in mind while writing your press release.

6. Ignoring SEO basics—With online press release marketing, you can now get more impact from your press releases. See, Google loves press releases. They tend to rank very well in the search engines.

What does this mean for you? It means your press releases need to have keyword-rich headlines, well-placed keywords throughout the story, and keyword-rich back links when allowed. All of this will allow you to increase your search engine presence from your press release marketing efforts.

7. Grammar errors—No better way to look like an amateur than to distribute a press release with grammar errors and other typos. Seriously, it’s not that hard to run a grammar and spelling check. After you do that, proofread it again. It’s also a good idea to let a few other people proofread it too, so that you’ll be bringing fresh eyes to it.

8. Rambling on for too long—Thanks to the internet and social media, news is delivered faster than ever before. Journalists and their readers want their news as quickly as possible.

This means you need to keep your press release short and to the point. Cover all of the necessary details, but don’t throw in anything that doesn’t add to the story. When in doubt, leave it out.

Do you write press releases to generate publicity for your company? Share your best press release writing tips by leaving a comment.

An op-ed is an opinion piece, often published in newspapers, and more recently in online publications. The term “op-ed” means opposite the editorial. In newspapers, it describes the common placement of an op-ed piece being on the page opposite an editorial. Op-eds are most often published by the author’s local newspaper, and can be regarding everything from major national (or international) news stories, to smaller local town issues.

Purposes of Op-eds

Op-eds are designed to offer an alternate position, generally from an expert in the industry or subject area (or occasionally a more general reader in the case of local news angles). In a general sense, op-eds are offered to educate members of the public about an issue, beyond what the media outlet may have been covering independently.

From a PR perspective, op-eds are about exposure, awareness, and image-building. Exposure comes by the simple act of having someone’s name and thoughts shared publicly through the media. Op-eds can be used to raise awareness by bringing attention to political, social, or other issues of particular importance to both the writer of the op-ed and the public they’re trying to reach. Op-eds help as an image-building tool as well, by helping to brand the author of the piece as an authority source on the particular issue at hand.

How to Get an Op-ed Published

One of the most important factors in whether an op-ed piece will be published is whether or not its author has the appropriate experience or credentials in the subject matter to make them appear as an expert. So only write op-eds relating to areas that can be covered with authority. It’s easier to have an op-ed picked up by a local newspaper than a national publication, so start local when distributing the op-ed. An op-ed should only be distributed to one media outlet at a time. They’re not designed to be mass-distributed. Chances of having an op-ed published can also be increased by having its style correspond (at least somewhat) to that of the publication being targeted. It’s also important to make sure the information contained within the op-ed is actually of interest to the publication’s target readers, and preferably on a subject that they would be passionate about.

Press releases are often lumped together as one single tool in PR writing or publicity. However, there are many different types of press releases, all with their own rules, formats, and other subtle differences in how they convey a message to members of the media. Some examples of types of press releases include general news releases, launch releases, product press releases, executive / staff announcement news releases, expert positioning press releases, and event releases. Here’s more on those six types of press releases:

General News Releases – General press releases are what most people think of when they think of press releases. A general press release simply includes news that needs to be disseminated to members of the media in the hopes of media coverage and exposure. For example, a general news release might be used if a company runs a contest, wins an award, or has some other general news about the company, organization, person, or website.

Launch Releases – Launch press releases tend to follow the format of a general news release, but with a more specific function. Launch releases have to carry an extra air or urgency or timeliness to generate buzz around the launch of a company, website, organization, or initiative of some kind.

Product Press Releases – Product press releases can sometimes carry a slightly different format than general press releases, because they’ll often include specs for the product. Product press releases can overlap with launch releases when a new product is launched, and can also be used if products win awards, reach sales milestones, have to be recalled for some reason, have an upgraded version released, and can be used with any other product-focused news. Product press releases will often benefit from including photos.

Executive / Staff Announcements – Companies often send press releases when there are staff changes, especially in high levels of management. The primary difference with staff announcements (as opposed to general news releases) is that more of the release can be biographical as supporting information to justify the staff change and introduce the new staff member. These will also often include at least one photo.

Expert Positioning Press Releases – These press releases are often less urgent than more general news releases. They may revolve around a report issued by the company, by offering statistics and results, or they may involve news from a third party organization with quotes or other supporting information from the issuing company or individual. These releases are used to demonstrate someone’s expertise in a certain subject matter, to hopefully make them a go-to source for information in the future for members of the media.

Event Press Releases – Event press releases are often formatted differently than a general news release, because they need to very clearly lay out the who, what, when, where, and why, often in a list or outline form rather than laid out in paragraphs. As opposed to media advisories, which are intended to convince members of the media to actually attend an event, event press releases are usually issued in hopes that the media will announce the event details to the public.

Many press releases look the same. Journalists, and even bloggers, can receive dozens (or hundreds or more) of press releases daily. Because press release writing can be simplified with press release templates, and because press releases can be distributed inexpensively online, it’s become harder to have a press release really stand out among the crowd. Here are five tips for better press release writing, to help a press release avoid being ignored.

1. Keep it short! Three hundred to four hundred words are generally enough for effective press release writing. When distributing a print copy of a press release (or via fax), stick to the “one page rule.”

2. Make the news clear in the headline! While a headline should be catchy to grab a journalist’s attention, it also has to make the news angle clear immediately.

3. Answer Who?, What?, When?, Where?, and Why? early! When possible, answer these five basic questions all within the first body paragraph of a press release. Don’t make journalists dig for answers.

4. Provide full contact information! If a journalist is interested in a story, they need to be able to easily, and quickly, contact someone for more information. Include an address, email address, phone and fax number (or as much as possible), plus the full name of a media contact person.

5. Avoid promotional language! Don’t include testimonials, first person quotes, or any hype in a press release. Avoid any overuse of adjectives in press release writing that may make the news read more like an advertisement.

The “little things” in press release writing are what often get a news story noticed, picked up, and covered thoroughly in the media. In essence, just remember to give the journalists what they need, give it to them quickly, and let them know where they can learn more.

There are plenty of tips available about how to write a press release. Instead, let’s look at some press release “sins,” with these five easy ways to have a press release ignored by the media.

1. Forget to include media contact information. If a news angle catches the attention of a journalist, they need to be able to know where they can contact someone for additional information or interviews. If there’s no way for them to contact the sender of the press release (generally through either email or a phone number), the press release can be discarded no matter how strong the news angle is.

2. Don’t make the news angle clear in the headline of the press release. Headlines should be “catchy,” and not “cutesy.” While they have to be able to grab a reader’s attention, it’s just as important that the press release headline makes the basic news value of the story clear immediately.

3. Distribute a press release full of typographical errors. If a company can’t be bothered to proofread a press release, it’s like telling a journalist directly that the news must not be that important after all.

4. Make the press release read like an advertorial. Filling a press release with hype, marketing copy (using adjectives such as saying it’s the “best,” “wonderful,” etc.), or testimonials will turn off most journalists instantly. PR and advertising are not one and the same, and members of the media can tell the difference.

5. Write the press release in long blocks of text, or make it multiple pages. Journalists can receive a large number of press releases every day, and they have to separate the quality news from the rubbish. If they can’t get the basic idea of your news by glancing at your release (through a descriptive headline and summary, and easy-to-scan paragraphs in the press release body), they won’t likely even finish reading it.

Even though there are many different types of press releases, all press releases should include several common components. Here are the basic components of a press release, and what should be included in each section:

Release Time – The release time of a press release is where you would note “For Immediate Release” or “Embargoed Until” followed by a specific date (for releases that aren’t permitted to be published immediately).

Headline – The headline, or press release title, should be attention-grabbing while still telling journalists the essence of the news contained in the press release.

Summary – The press release summary should be a brief paragraph presenting more details about the actual news contained in the body of the press release. In online press release distribution, the summary is often displayed in listings with the headline.

Dateline – This will include the distribution date of the press release, followed by the hometown of the person or company presenting the news, and finally followed by the start of the first body paragraph.

Press Release Body – The body of the press release will go into further detail about the news. The who, what, when, where, and why questions should all be answered in the first paragraph if possible, followed by any quotes and supporting facts.

Boilerplate – A press release boilerplate is a paragraph after the press release body, often preceded with a line saying “About CompanyXYZ,” which gives general background (not usually directly related to the news angle) about the person, organization, or company issuing the press release.

Call to Action – Generally a one-sentence closer following the boilerplate of the news release, and starting with something like “For more information about CompanyXYZ or this news angle…” followed by a media contact person’s name and phone number, and sometimes email address.

Contact Info – Full contact info, or at least as much as possible, including a full media contact name, phone number, and email address. A mailing address, fax number, and cell phone number can also be included.

Closing – To close a press release (to let the journalist know there isn’t a second page), center ### or -30- at the bottom of the page.