When building your brand’s digital presence, both PR and SEO play crucial roles, but they require specialized approaches. Therefore, it is common to use separate agencies, to take advantage of the specialization of each firm instead of trying to keep it all under one roof.
While PR and SEO share some common ground, they require different skill sets, strategies, and tools to be successful. Hiring separate agencies for each ensures that both areas of your brand—public perception and search engine visibility—are handled by experts who specialize in these unique disciplines. By focusing on their core strengths, separate PR and SEO agencies can help your business grow, improve its digital presence, and maintain a strong reputation in the market.
In this article, we will take a look at some of the benefits of using separate agencies for PR and SEO. This does not mean that PR efforts and SEO efforts should be kept completely separated from each other – they are both valuable for the company and there are a lot of synergies between good SEO and good PR. There needs to be open channels of communication between the two arms and this is something to look for when you are hiring PR and SEO agencies. Some are very aware of how they can work together to boost the ultimate goals for their client, while others, regretably, are more inclined to descend into turf wars or display dismissive or simply uninformed attitudes regarding the work and role of the other agency. A good PR firm will understand and value the importance of SEO even if they do not specialize in it themselves and vice versa.
One example of an area where it is important for the PR agency and the SEO agency to work well together is when offsite promotions are utilized to boost the authority of a website in the eyes of search enginges. Offsite promotions can have a big influence on how people share the website and its content through links online, and this will impact the overall backlink profile of the site. Google no longer shares exactly how their search engine determines the authority of one website in relation to another, but based on case studies most SEO experts agree that the volume and quality of links pointing to a site and their thematic relevance plays a big part in the overall assessment.
Now, we will continue by taking a look at six reasons why using separate agencies for PR and SEO can be beneficial for your organization.
Expertise in Different Disciplines
PR and SEO have distinct goals and require different expertise. PR agencies excel in media relations, storytelling, and reputation management, while SEO agencies focus on search engine optimization, technical site audits, and keyword strategy. Using specialized agencies ensures that both areas get the attention and expertise needed to be successful.
PR agencies typically have strong connections with journalists and influencers. They know how to pitch stories, manage press releases, and cultivate relationships with media outlets to secure coverage. This helps boost your brand’s visibility, reputation, and credibility in a way that search engines alone cannot achieve.
On the other hand, SEO agencies are equipped with in-depth knowledge of search engine algorithms and ranking factors. Their work focuses on driving organic traffic through search optimization techniques, content optimization, and backlinking. SEO specialists use technical tools to analyze your website’s performance and implement strategies that increase search engine rankings.
Distinct Objectives
The objectives of PR and SEO campaigns can be very different. PR is primarily about managing public perception, building brand awareness, and crafting narratives that resonate with both media and the public. SEO, however, is all about optimizing your website’s visibility on search engines and driving organic traffic by targeting the right keywords and improving your site’s usability.
When you hire separate agencies, each team can focus on its core objectives. The PR agency can develop creative, compelling stories that appeal to the media and audience, while the SEO agency optimizes your website to ensure it ranks well on search engines and brings in targeted traffic. By keeping these efforts separate, you ensure both your brand image and online presence are handled effectively.
Avoiding Overlap and Resource Misallocation
Hiring one agency to handle both PR and SEO might dilute the effectiveness of both strategies. While PR and SEO often overlap in areas like content creation, their focus is different, and you risk ending up with a washed out compromise when you try to keep it all under one roof. SEO content is more technical, keyword-driven, and focused on ranking, while PR content is designed to engage media outlets and create an emotional connection with the public.
By using separate agencies, each team can allocate resources efficiently without stepping on the other’s toes. The SEO agency can focus on ranking your content, optimizing your site’s speed and structure, and creating search-friendly blog posts, while the PR agency works on media placements, influencer outreach, and crisis communications. This ensures that both areas receive the attention they need without any resource misallocation.
Targeting Different Audiences
SEO and PR often target different audiences. SEO efforts primarily aim to reach users searching for specific terms, products, or services online. SEO agencies tailor their strategies to cater to search engine algorithms and user intent, driving organic traffic by improving rankings and visibility on Google and other search engines.
Conversely, PR agencies focus on securing media coverage that resonates with journalists, influencers, and the public at large. Their goal is to craft stories that appeal to the emotions and interests of these audiences, generating buzz and raising brand awareness.
By separating PR and SEO, you ensure that your brand is reaching both audiences effectively: those searching for your products or services and those engaging with your brand via media outlets.
Access to Specialized Tools
Both PR and SEO require different sets of tools to achieve their goals. SEO agencies typically use advanced tools like Google Analytics, SEMrush, and Ahrefs to monitor search rankings, traffic patterns, and keyword performance. These tools help them identify opportunities for optimization, manage backlinks, and track performance over time.
PR agencies, on the other hand, rely on media databases and monitoring tools such as Muck Rack, Cision, and TrendKite to track media coverage, build relationships with journalists, and measure the success of their campaigns. By working with separate agencies, you gain access to both sets of tools, ensuring that both PR and SEO efforts are fully optimized.
Comprehensive Reporting
When you hire separate agencies for PR and SEO, each agency provides specialized reports based on their specific metrics. SEO agencies will track and report on website traffic, rankings, keyword performance, and conversion rates. PR agencies will report on media coverage, brand sentiment, and the effectiveness of press releases and influencer campaigns. This gives you, the client, a chance to evaluate each effort on its own merits and make data-backed decisions about how to move forward. By working with different agencies, you’ll receive comprehensive reports that cover both your online presence (SEO) and brand reputation (PR). This allows you to better evaluate the success of each strategy and adjust your marketing efforts accordingly.
This article was last updated on: September 23, 2024