PR Newswire Enhances Premiere National Newsline with Search Engine Optimization Capabilities
PRNewswire
NEW YORK

News releases issued over PR Newswire's premier national newsline, US1, will now automatically be optimized for better search engine placement and enhanced access reporting, the company announced today.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000306/PRNLOGO )

This enhancement to US1, which is scheduled to go live on October 12, will allow news release issuers to monitor which search engines direct more readers to their releases, and which keywords and phrases are used most frequently.

"Our Search Engine Visibility (SEV) tool has been widely embraced in the marketplace by PR professionals who want to leverage the opportunities to reach 'pre-qualified' audiences who are looking for news and information using search engines," said David B. Armon, chief operating officer, PR Newswire. "In an effort to add even more value to news releases issued through PR Newswire, we are now including SEV with all distributions through our premier national newsline, US1, that currently reaches thousands of media points, millions of investment professionals and the general public."

SEV was launched in April 2004 to provide PR professionals with better visibility for their messages on leading search engines. SEV helps to place PR Newswire members' news releases higher in search rankings and provides valuable data on how much traffic the news releases receive from these engines, including which search phrases were used to find the news release. Knowing which search phrases resonate best with the target audience, deliver the most actions, and drive the most qualified traffic, allows customers of SEV to tailor future messaging, giving them a powerful advantage.

"As a business-to-business services company, we are always looking for new ways to differentiate ourselves in the marketplace and reach potential customers," said Zach Wittenberg, senior vice president of BenefitNation, a Bertelsmann company. "We have used different methods of distributing our press releases in the past, but none have provided the return-on-investment that we are experiencing with PR Newswire's Search Engine Visibility tool. For a very reasonable fee, we have been able to extend the life of our messages in major search engines and gain valuable feedback on the keywords that are used to find our news release, allowing us to better tap into the mindset of our potential customers."

With more than 550 million searches conducted every day, SEV assists marketing and communications specialists in leveraging the power of search to reach and increase the visibility of their news release messages to anyone searching on the Web, including media, consumers, customers, and prospects, as well as the stakeholders and influencers that affect media coverage. Now, users of PR Newswire's premier national newsline, US1, can experience the power of SEV at no additional cost.

"While every news release distributed through PR Newswire reaches more than 3,600 websites and online databases, without specific optimization techniques that make the news release more search engine-friendly, many of these releases are not retrievable high up in the results. SEV provides the optimization needed not only to increase the visibility of the news release, but also to increase the shelf-life of the news release so it can be found for up to six months. This is a first for the PR industry and we are happy to be able to offer it as part of our national distribution packages," concluded Armon.

About PR Newswire

Now in its 50th year, PR Newswire Association LLC (www.prnewswire.com) provides electronic distribution, targeting, measurement, translation and broadcast services on behalf of some 40,000 corporate, government, association, labor, non-profit, and other customers worldwide who seek to reach a variety of critical audiences including the news media, the investment community, government decision-makers, and the general public with their up-to-the-minute, full-text news developments. Established in 1954, PR Newswire has offices in 14 countries and routinely sends its customers' news to outlets in 135 countries and in 30 languages. Utilizing the latest in communications technology, PR Newswire content is considered a mainstay among news reporters, investors and individuals who seek breaking news from the source. PR Newswire's leading brands include ProfNet(SM), eWatch™, MEDIAtlas™, NewsPrompt™ and MultiVu™. PR Newswire is a subsidiary of United Business Media plc of London.

Contact: Rachel Asche, Director of Public Relations, PR Newswire, +1-212-282-1929 or rachel.asche@prnewswire.com.

Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click appropriate link. David B. Armon http://www.profnet.com/ud_public.jsp?userid=345162

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SOURCE: PR Newswire Association LLC

CONTACT: Rachel Asche, Director of Public Relations, PR Newswire,
+1-212-282-1929 or rachel.asche@prnewswire.com