Adam Skalak, Head of Natural Search at iCrossing
The blurring of lines between traditional disciplines is part and parcel of digital marketing. But, explains Adam Skalak, Head of Natural Search at iCrossing, one of the most significant areas of intersection is between SEO and PR
The search landscape has changed dramatically over the last couple years, with Google being the main driving force. On one hand Google is doing a good job of eradicating old school SEO tactics and on the other increasing the importance of content’s quality, authority and popularity. This means that SEO is changing from a back office technical discipline to one that focuses on engaging people online.
This shift creates an interesting situation where SEO is starting to overlap with more traditional marcomms channels like PR. This opens up a real opportunity for brands who encourage their SEO and PR teams to collaborate. If PR professionals can generate coverage that includes natural links and social shares, brands benefit not only from increased awareness but also higher visibility on Google. Two birds, one stone.
SEO specialists can really add value here too by providing search data insights that will help understand and target the media channels and blogs – influencers – that are most relevant for the brand. On the other hand, SEO teams must follow PR messaging and approaches when generating coverage.
Above all, brands need to clearly define who manages each influencer relationship. We use an influencer map that plots engagement and SEO scores to clearly mark out where responsibilities lie.
As featured in Issue 21 of Figaro Digital Magazine.