Understanding the factors of what affects SEO is crucial. Search engine optimization is a field, with elements affecting a websites performance including technical aspects like site structure and page speed as well as content related factors such as keyword research and backlinks. As a marketing professional or business owner it's important to grasp how these components impact SEO rankings and how they can be utilized to enhance search traffic for your website.

While there are factors that influence SEO this article will focus on the aspects within the control of public relations professionals that can be optimized to improve their websites search engine rankings. From creating quality content and optimizing descriptions, to establishing brand authority through online reputation management, marketing  professionals have an opportunity to shape their organizations by combining public relations and search engine optimization (SEO).

This guide will delve into the areas where public relations and SEO overlap, offering tips and strategies to increase your website’s visibility and attract organic search traffic.

Content Quality and Relevance: What Affects SEO

High-quality, relevant content is one of the most important factors affecting SEO rankings. Search engines favor websites that provide valuable, informative and engaging content that meets users' needs. Understanding why content marketing is important and how to create good content is crucial for improving your website's SEO performance and ranking higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).

For example, when Moz, a leading SEO software company, revamped their blog content strategy to focus on in-depth, data-driven articles, they saw a significant increase in organic search traffic and search engine rankings.

Similarly, HubSpot, a well-known inbound marketing platform, attributes its success in attracting millions of monthly visitors to its commitment to creating original, well-researched and actionable content.

To improve your content's quality and positively impact what affects SEO, take a cue from these industry leaders and focus on crafting original, well-researched and in-depth articles that target your audience's interests and address their search queries.

Google's E-E-A-T Algorithm: What Affects SEO

In recent years, Google's algorithm has placed increasing emphasis on the concept of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness) in its search rankings. This means that websites demonstrating a high level of expertise, credibility and reliability in their content are more likely to rank higher in search results, directly influencing what affects SEO.

For instance, when searching for medical advice, Google prioritizes content written by certified healthcare professionals and reputable institutions like Mayo Clinic or WebMD. To align your content with the E-E-A-T principles and optimize what affects SEO, focus on showcasing your industry expertise, citing credible sources and building a strong online reputation through user reviews and mentions from other authoritative websites.

By consistently creating high-quality content that demonstrates your experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness, you can improve your website's chances of ranking higher in Google's search results and positively impact what affects SEO.

Keyword Optimization: What Affects SEO

Keywords (especially user-intent keywords) play a vital role in SEO, as they help search engines understand the context and relevance of your content. Understanding how SEO keywords work and how to find keywords in a website is essential for optimizing your content and improving your search engine rankings.

For instance, when a popular fitness blog, Nerd Fitness, wanted to improve their Google rankings, they conducted extensive keyword research to identify the most relevant and high-traffic keywords in their niche. By strategically incorporating these keywords throughout their content, including in headers, meta descriptions and alt text, they saw a significant boost in organic search traffic and search engine visibility, demonstrating the importance of keyword optimization in what affects SEO.

Conducting Thorough Keyword Research

To effectively optimize your content for keywords and improve what affects SEO, start by using tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, UberSuggest or ahrefs to identify the most relevant and high-traffic keywords for your business. Look for keywords with a high search volume and relatively low competition to maximize your chances of ranking higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).

User Intent Keywords

User intent keywords reflect the purpose behind a user's search query. They can be informational, navigational, transactional, or commercial. For example, "best pr agencies" is a commercial intent keyword, as the user likely wants to compare companies and make a purchase.

Understanding user intent helps create targeted content that attracts qualified website traffic, as you're providing users with the information they're seeking at the right stage of their buyer's journey. Time after time, when a qualified user visits your site, the time spent on your website soars. And, by targeting your buyer's search intent and delivering the intended content, Google will rank your content higher in SERPs.

Incorporating Keywords Naturally

Once you've identified your target keywords, incorporate them naturally throughout your content. Avoid keyword stuffing, which can negatively impact your SEO rankings. Instead, use keywords strategically in your headers, subheaders, meta descriptions and alt text to signal the relevance of your content to search engines. By striking the right balance between keyword optimization and user experience, you can improve your search engine rankings while providing value to your target audience and positively influencing what affects SEO.

Backlinks and Domain Authority: What Affects SEO

Backlinks or inbound links from other websites, are a significant factor in SEO rankings. Search engines view backlinks as "votes of confidence" from other sites, indicating that your content is valuable and trustworthy.

A prime example of the power of backlinks and their impact on what affects SEO is the success story of Backlinko, an SEO training company. By focusing on creating high-quality, informative content and building relevant backlinks from authoritative websites, Backlinko was able to significantly improve their search engine rankings and drive more organic search traffic to their site.

Strategies for Building High-Quality Backlinks

To build high-quality backlinks and positively influence what affects SEO, consider the following strategies:

• Guest Posting: Reach out to reputable websites in your industry and offer to write a guest post, also known as a byline. This allows you to showcase your expertise while earning a valuable backlink to your site.

• Broken Link Building: Identify broken links on relevant websites and offer your content as a replacement. This helps website owners improve their user experience while providing you with a backlink opportunity.

• Creating Shareable Content: Develop informative, engaging and visually appealing content that naturally encourages other websites to link back to your site. This can include infographics, videos or in-depth guides.

• HARO and Journalist Query Sites: Leverage platforms like Help a Reporter Out (HARO), now known as Connectively and other journalist query sites like Profnet and Quoted to connect with journalists and influencers/bloggers looking for expert insights. By providing valuable information and quotes, you can earn high-quality backlinks from reputable media outlets and industry publications.

TrizCom PR uses this tactic regularly for ourselves and our partners.  At our agency, we make it a priority to respond promptly to queries from journalist query sites, always requesting a backlink in return for our clients' valuable insights.

When our clients' well-crafted, informative responses are published, we effectively position them as experts in their respective fields. The backlinks generated through these publications drive referral traffic to our clients' websites and contribute significantly to their overall SEO strategy.

Over time, we have found that leveraging journalist query sites is a highly effective tactic for enhancing our clients' online presence. By consistently providing high-quality responses and securing valuable backlinks, we help establish our clients' credibility, boost their search engine rankings and ultimately support their business objectives.

To see this tactic in action, check out this PR and SEO public relations case study.

User Engagement and Behavior: What Affects SEO

User engagement metrics, such as user engagement rate, time on site and pages per session, can indirectly affect SEO rankings. Search engines use these signals to gauge the quality and relevance of your content.

For example, if a web page has a low user engagement rate and low time on site, it may indicate that the content is not meeting users' needs or expectations, which can negatively impact its search engine rankings and what affects SEO.

Improving User Engagement

To improve user engagement and positively influence what affects SEO, focus on creating compelling content that encourages visitors to explore your site further. This can include:

• Crafting attention-grabbing headlines and introductions

• Using engaging visuals, such as images, videos and infographics

• Breaking up content into easily digestible sections with subheadings

• Targeting your key audience’s user intent with user intent keywords

• Creating accurate SEO meta descriptions that tells the user exactly what they will be receiving when clicking on your link

Implementing Clear Calls-to-Action

In addition to creating compelling content, implement clear calls-to-action (CTAs) to guide users through your conversion funnel. CTAs can help direct users to relevant pages on your site, such as product pages or lead generation forms, which can improve user engagement and ultimately boost your SEO rankings.

By optimizing your content for user experience and providing clear guidance through CTAs, you can demonstrate the value and relevance of your site to both users and search engines, positively impacting what affects SEO.

Social Media Engagement: What Affects SEO

While social media signals may not directly impact SEO rankings, they can indirectly influence your search engine visibility. Social media engagement, such as likes, shares and comments, can drive more traffic to your website and increase brand awareness. This increased visibility can lead to more backlinks and improved search engine rankings over time, demonstrating the role of social media in what affects SEO.

The Power of Social Media

A strong social media presence can help amplify your content's reach and attract new audiences to your website. When your content is shared and engaged with on social platforms, it can:

• Drive referral traffic to your site

• Increase brand recognition and trust

• Encourage others to link back to your content

Leveraging Social Media for SEO

To leverage social media for SEO and positively impact what affects SEO, focus on creating shareable content that resonates with your target audience. Engage with your followers regularly, respond to comments and messages and participate in relevant industry conversations.

By building a strong social media presence and consistently promoting your content, you can indirectly boost your search engine rankings and establish your brand as a thought leader in your niche.

Remember, while social media engagement may not directly influence SEO, it can contribute to your overall online visibility and authority, which can ultimately impact your search engine performance and what affects SEO.

Brand Mentions and Online Reputation: What Affects SEO

Brand mentions and online reputation management can also affect your SEO rankings. Search engines take into account the number of times your brand is mentioned online, even without a direct link. Positive brand mentions can improve your online reputation and increase trust in your business, which can indirectly boost your search engine visibility and impact what affects SEO.

The Impact of Brand Mentions

When your brand is frequently mentioned online, it can:

• Increase brand awareness and recognition

• Establish your brand as an authority in your industry

• Indirectly influence search engine rankings

Monitoring Your Online Reputation

To capitalize on the power of brand mentions and their impact on what affects SEO, it's essential to monitor your online reputation regularly. Use tools like Google Alerts, Mention or Talkwalker to track brand mentions across the web. When you come across positive mentions, engage with the content by leaving a comment or sharing it on your social media channels.

Addressing Negative Mentions

If you encounter negative mentions, address them promptly and professionally. Respond to the concerns raised and work to resolve any issues. By actively managing your online reputation, you can maintain a strong online presence and indirectly improve your search engine visibility, demonstrating the importance of online reputation management.

Measuring Website Traffic and Rankings

To effectively optimize your website for SEO and track your progress, it's essential to understand how to measure website traffic and check your website's ranking. By monitoring your website traffic sources and analyzing your search engine rankings, you can gain valuable insights into what affects SEO and make data-driven decisions to improve your website's performance.

Tools for Measuring Website Traffic and Rankings

Some popular tools for measuring website traffic and rankings include:

• Google Analytics: Provides detailed insights into your website traffic, including website traffic sources, user behavior and conversion rates. Bonus: its free.

• SEMrush: Offers a comprehensive suite of tools for keyword research, competitor analysis and website ranking tracking.

• Ubersuggest: Helps you analyze your website's backlink profile, track your keyword rankings and identify content gaps. Bonus: Ubersuggest has a free trial.

By leveraging these tools and regularly monitoring your website's traffic and rankings, you can stay on top of what affects SEO and continuously optimize your website for better search engine performance.

In the ever-evolving world of digital marketing, SEO remains a critical component of any successful online strategy. As a public relations professional, understanding the factors that influence SEO rankings and how to optimize them can help you drive more organic search traffic, increase brand visibility and establish your organization as a thought leader in your industry.

Throughout this guide, we've explored the key areas where public relations and SEO intersect, from crafting high-quality content and conducting thorough keyword research to building backlinks and managing online reputation. By focusing on these elements and consistently implementing best practices, you can significantly improve your website's search engine performance and achieve long-term success in the digital landscape.

Remember, while there are countless factors that affect SEO, the strategies and tactics outlined in this guide are well within the control of PR professionals. By leveraging your unique skills and expertise in communication, relationship-building and content creation, you can play a pivotal role in shaping your organization's SEO success. Stay informed about the latest trends and algorithm updates, continuously refine your approach and never underestimate the power of public relations in driving SEO performance and influencing what affects SEO.

Unlock Your Website's SEO Potential with TrizCom PR

As a leading digital public relations agency, TrizCom PR understands the critical role that SEO plays in driving online success. Our team of experienced PR professionals is well-versed in the factors that affect SEO and can help you develop a comprehensive strategy to improve your website's search engine rankings.

From crafting compelling, keyword-rich content to building high-quality backlinks and managing your online reputation, TrizCom PR offers a full range of SEO-focused services designed to help your business thrive in the digital landscape. Our data-driven approach and commitment to staying at the forefront of industry trends ensure that your website is always optimized for maximum visibility and performance.

Don't let poor SEO hold your business back. Contact TrizCom PR today to learn more about how we can help you unlock your website's full potential and achieve long-term success in the ever-evolving world of search engine optimization.

About the Author:

Jo Trizila – Founder & CEO of TrizCom PR
Jo Trizila is the founder and CEO of TrizCom PR, a leading Dallas-based public relations firm known for delivering strategic communications that drive business growth and enhance brand reputations. With over 25 years of experience in PR and marketing, Jo has helped countless organizations navigate complex communication challenges, ranging from crisis management to brand storytelling. Under her leadership, TrizCom PR has earned recognition for its results-driven approach, combining traditional and digital strategies to deliver impactful, measurable outcomes for clients across various industries, including healthcare, technology, and nonprofit sectors. Jo is passionate about helping businesses amplify their voices and connect with audiences meaningfully. Her hands-on approach and commitment to excellence have established TrizCom PR as a trusted partner for companies seeking to elevate their brand and achieve lasting success. Contact Jo at jo@TrizCom.com.