SEO Chinwag London event: a PR's round-up

There were some interesting insights at Chinwag's Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) event 'Search is dead, long live search'.

Chinwag had once again assembled a brilliant panel, all who contributed their expertise and opinions, including: Alan Patrick, Nick Garner and Teddie Cowell. It was chaired by Jon Myers.

As well as covering and debating current ground, the panel were asked to look into the future, and the following points were highlighted:

• Discount Bing at your peril: definitely one to watch and is growing share quite dramatically at the moment,
• the future of search is about conversations i.e. PR, and these conversations must be helpful and truthful,
• real time search is growing in importance: Google was taking four to six days to index Twitter, now it is six hours,
• hyper local relevancy is going to gain in importance,
• there are many people focusing on tackling filtering / relevancy of search results – these will lead the game,
• the war on spam from affiliates has only just begun,
• ignore mobile at your peril: markets such as Korea and Africa where mobile penetration is at 120% will be leading the charge imminently,
• there is currently a changing of the guard re: Google – they are the incumbents: innovation is being driven by the new kids on the block.

The event delivered lots to think about, but interesting that the SEO sector is moving ever closer towards PR. Therefore, an understanding of SEO is a vital skill for any PR agency to embrace.

PR vs. SEO: the great debate

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) agencies have been extremely vocal about how the PR (Public Relations) industry apparently does not understand digital. Let's just knock that myth on the head - we do.

In this month's Communicate magazine's regular @loggerheads slot, I was given the opportunity to debate with Andrew Girdwood of Bigmouthmedia. Neil Gibbons, the editor, asked: "Who is better placed to assist a company in its social media strategy - a specialist PR firm or a SEO consultancy?"

The @loggerheads debate format doesn't really allow either side to win, and when two opposing sides are arguing from thought-out (dare I say, entrenched) sides it would be unlikely for either side to concede ground in such a public forum. However I stand by my principle that I have argued before and with Andrew during the debate: PR and online PR, and SEO are different but hugely complimentary skills.

The argument that SEO agencies such as Bigmouthmedia keep on recycling - that PR agencies just don't get digital - is null and void. We do. The standard of best practice and knowledge that I see coming out of the PRCA and its Digital Committee, as well as the industry in general, is amazing. Genius practitioners such as Mat Morrison at Porter Novelli, have deep and clear knowledge of both PR and the web (its technologies, its algorithms and its psychologies).

As an industry, PRs should stand up and be proud of our digital knowledge, our multi-channel experience and our online skills. SEO is extremely important in any social media strategy, however just one part of an online / off-line delivery specific to each client and their objectives. It's vital that both sectors understand and value each others' benefits, and work together in a way that delivers meaningful results.

PR: wait... I: wait... L: wait... LD: wait... I: wait... wait... Rank: wait... Traffic: wait... Price: wait... W: wait... BL: wait... C: wait...

Online PR vs. SEO? It's time for mutual respect

Online PR (Public Relations) and SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) have had a recent history of competing for each others' businesses. The time has come for this to stop. It's vital that both disciplines start to respect that each needs to champion and celebrate their sector-specific expert understanding and experience. Indeed, the time has come to start working together.

Key to brokering this peace is to concede that both disciplines have different end-games and techniques, as well as accepting that those in the PR sector practicing online PR have a deep technical knowledge of the web, its structure and behaviours. 'Digital natives' work in both sectors bringing their valuable technical experience to bear on their daily working lives.

PR - just because it is online (or can be online) - has not changed during this online revolution. Public Relations is just that: a relevant interaction with people who are a businesses' stakeholders, its past/present/future customers, its critics, as well as its die-hard fans.

Online PR must be integrated into our PR agencies and our PR strategies, not protected by the high-walls of geek-speak which results in making online the preserve of those in-the-know. Instead, online has to be normalised and we must encourage understanding of the tools.

At thebluedoor we have always worked with specialist SEO partners such as Guava for Mars Drinks, as this collaboration makes for a powerful team-effort. It's time to for digital PR and SEO to start working together in order to mesh mutually supportive techniques and strategies to drive and deliver meaningful results for our clients.

PR and SEO: living in harmony?

PR is currently experiencing a squeeze from other disciplines. As 'Search' becomes increasingly reliant on good content, SEO agencies are becoming full service agencies. Offerings are becoming broader to include PR. Perhaps this is not surprising as PR has traditionally provided the good, interesting, robust content.

However, I believe that this encroachment presents a Pandora's Box of potential problems. Granted - SEO and Digital PR agencies essentially want the same thing - a client with strong search rankings, with traffic converting into leads, even sales. But, the ways of getting there using each discipline is different.

As the PRCA says - PR is all about reputation. PR communicates compelling, robust messages - stories - to a target audience who finds it interesting, useful and relevant. Although 'reputation management' is a bit of a red herring, PR professionals are expert in finding the 'so what' factor - is it new and why would a journalist (and ultimately his or her readers) care.

At thebluedoor, we start at the beginning by understanding a client's objectives in order to advise on a route forward. And in the shiny exciting world of all things digital, this approach to delivering excellent PR must remain the same. The strategic rules of PR have to stay solid - whether it is online or off-line, and wherever possible it is our job to ensure that these channels are integrated. In order to understand the rules of PR, specific industry experience is a must - which is perhaps what not all SEO agencies have. Yes, all industries have good and bad practitioners, but good PR professionals have spent time in the ring. Results don't just happen (in the main): we will have taken time to understand a journalist's agenda, followed their published articles, read the relevant publications and obsessively followed the news agenda.

I feel that it is vital for the different disciplines of SEO and PR to remain true to their origins and not become diluted. Instead of becoming an 'expert' in all things to all people, our combined challenge is to understand each others different but related areas of expertise. Agencies must work together, complementing each other, to achieve the best results for our clients.

PR: wait... I: wait... L: wait... LD: wait... I: wait... wait... Rank: wait... Traffic: wait... Price: wait... W: wait... BL: wait... C: wait...