| The fact that you are reading this should be testament | | | | press release promotion and optimization he provides |
| enough to the fact that internet publishing is changing | | | | one example after another. It’s not hard to |
| the way businesses communicate with consumers. | | | | imagine the impression even a beginning writer can |
| That being said, of the thousands of press releases | | | | make with a prospective client calling to inquire about |
| and/or articles published on the internet every day only | | | | his/her press release services. “By way of |
| a small handful are seen, let alone read and for a | | | | introduction, our publicists ask callers to Google a |
| number of good reasons. The vast majority of writers | | | | specific search term so they can see an illustration of |
| producing those releases not only don’t know | | | | what we can do for them. They can’t help but |
| how to write, most know very little about the world of | | | | be impressed when they one press release after |
| internet press release distribution, let alone the value of | | | | another holding a top ranking on eleven of the |
| writing optimized, search engine friendly copy. | | | | world’s most popular search engines including |
| This blind spot affords aspiring freelancers, an | | | | Google. |
| extraordinary opportunity to generate a substantial | | | | “When we point out that these releases |
| income writing promotional copy that gets local, | | | | aren’t just sitting at the top of search results, |
| regional, national, and international exposure as well as | | | | they are sitting at the top of millions of competing |
| continuing readership on the first page of natural | | | | pages, we get their undivided attention. Needless to |
| search engine results for months on end. A well placed | | | | say, once they’ve seen the results we get, the |
| release will generate 50,000-100,000 online readers in a | | | | cost of our services is superceded by the need to |
| week or less. An well optimized one will continue to be | | | | know how long it will take for us to get them the same |
| read month after month. | | | | kind of exposure,” Scott says . |
| As a freelance writing opportunity, a knowledge of the | | | | And that’s not all. “When we also inform |
| intricacies of internet press release distribution and | | | | them that a release they are looking at generated |
| search engine optimization is even opening doors for | | | | 50,000 to 100,000 reads the first week and further |
| veteran writers looking for a way to get the attention | | | | explain that our clients don’t pay us anything until |
| of prospective clients. Sharon Dotson, President of and | | | | they actually see their release online, any resistance |
| highly respected publicist in Houston, can attest to that. | | | | they might have put up is buried beneath the positive |
| “As a traditional publicist and website copywriter, | | | | impression they already have of our ability to |
| I had been trying for years to get my foot in the door | | | | perform,” he says. |
| with a large national service provider here in Houston, | | | | Most business owners and publicists these days are |
| but I was turned away time and time again. | | | | savvy enough to know that it is to their advantage to |
| “That all changed after I completed Fast Track | | | | publish their releases on the web but, according to |
| SEOP’s press release promotion and | | | | Scott, that’s just not good enough. |
| optimization training program. When I showed the | | | | “Recognizing the value of long term exposure, |
| company’s marketing director a press release I | | | | most of these companies now offer press release |
| had written on my own behalf not only sitting in Google | | | | optimization services and are charging as much as |
| and Yahoo News but at the top of Google’s | | | | $250 a release for those services alone,” he |
| natural search results, I had her attention. When he | | | | says. |
| discovered that I’d placed that release in less | | | | "Unfortunately, none of the articles published by |
| than a week, he gave me the proverbial key to the | | | | companies charging those optimization fees ever find |
| executive washroom,” she says. | | | | their way to the top of Google's natural search results," |
| Freelance writing opportunities abound, but the process | | | | Scott says. |
| is cumbersome and the pay is all too often paltry. For | | | | The market for an internet publicist is not restricted to |
| the writer without credentials, it’s an experience | | | | companies with web sites. “The skills we teach |
| often fraught with frustration and disenchantment. | | | | enable freelancers to secure top rankings for their |
| Typically, the budding freelancer will send a query letter | | | | clients even if they don’t have a web presence. |
| out to a number of editors hoping to generate interest | | | | A press release posted in Google News and on the |
| in an particular article. To add insult to injury, writers | | | | first page of natural search results can make the |
| have to frequently enclose a self-addressed envelop | | | | phone ring just as easily as it can be used to drive |
| the editors use to mail them a boiler plate rejection | | | | traffic to a website,” he says. |
| letter. | | | | Regarding the relative value of top search engine |
| Should an editor express interest, the writer will then | | | | placement, current research shows that more than |
| spend a couple of days, weeks, or months researching | | | | half of all internet users put greater credence on |
| and writing a spec piece, submit it, and then wait for a | | | | generic search results than they do sponsored |
| month or more to find out if it has been accepted. If | | | | advertisements. "Pay-for-performance (PPC) |
| jumping through those hoops wasn’t enough, | | | | advertising certainly has its place but it also has its |
| even when a piece is accepted, the writer sometimes | | | | limitations. Getting top search engine placement |
| doesn’t get paid until the article actually appears | | | | assures a business owner that at least 85% of the |
| in print and that may take an additional month or two. | | | | people looking for a particular product and/or service |
| As an internet publicist, freelancers don’t have to | | | | are going to see and read his/her release for an |
| cater to editors, let alone play the waiting game. | | | | extended period of time. Of those searches, the vast |
| Applying their writing skills to feature stories and | | | | majority find what they are looking for on the first |
| promotional copy, they can easily garner a $500 - | | | | page of natural search results," Scott says. |
| $1,000 fee for every piece their write and place. | | | | “Our personalized, live, online public relations |
| What’s more, they get paid within a week or | | | | training course usually doesn’t take more than |
| less. | | | | four hours to complete and we’re there to |
| “A skilled writer can put together an 800 - 1,200 | | | | mentor our students through the process until they see |
| word press release in a day or two. Once approved | | | | one of their releases getting full distribution and holding |
| by the client, it can be publihed and distributed to the | | | | top Google placement," Scott says. |
| world the following day. Even better, payment can be | | | | Is the training affordable? “That gets to the heart |
| exacted immediately,” Ron Scot, Fast Track | | | | of the matter doesn’t it,” Scott says. |
| SEOP’s president says. | | | | “College students, more often than not |
| “Devoting most of my energies to teaching, I | | | | Journalism and English students, pay 1,000s of dollars a |
| haven't been doing a lot of writing lately, but when I do | | | | semester to basically learn how to go to work for |
| have have time to write I charge two fees. The first, | | | | someone else. By contrast, Fast Track SEOP offers |
| an editorial fee of $399.95, is charged when the piece | | | | students the means to not only start their own |
| first appears in Google News. The second, an | | | | publishing business in a week or less, but the ability to |
| optimization fee of $150 is charged when the editied | | | | recoup their investment and actually show a profit |
| and optimized version of that press release appears in | | | | when they publish their first release.” |
| Google’s natural search results,” he says. | | | | Writers wanting to know more about this career |
| “Pros like Sharon Dotson charge even | | | | opportunity are encouraged to visit the |
| more.” | | | | company’s website - [ "To introduce prospective |
| Recognizing that press release optimization affords a | | | | students to the world of internet public relations, |
| rare freelance writing opportunity, Fast Track SEOP | | | | we’ve put together a free introductory |
| has recently added mentoring to its portfolio of | | | | webinar,” Scott says. "It's not a recorded pitch, it's |
| services. “We have every reason to believe this | | | | a live, interactive presentation that normally lasts about |
| particular freelance writing opportunity is sustainable, | | | | an hour. Attendees are free to interrupt the |
| timely and unique,” Scott says. “We give | | | | presentation at any time to ask questions," he says. |
| writers all the tools they need to make money quickly | | | | “To learn more prospective students only need |
| doing what they love to do. What is more, the writing | | | | to visit our services page, download the conferencing |
| opportunities our program affords are virtually | | | | software, and then drop us an email to let us know |
| unlimited.” | | | | when they would like to attend. |
| When Scott talks with freelance writers unfamiliar with | | | | |