Press releases today online continually gain more value both from the exposure to potential readers/clients as well as satisfying the search engines.  It's common knowledge that press releases are currently part of Google's algorithm.  The shift of reading the news and press releases online vs traditional methods such as TV and printed publications continues to grow.  Press releases are a great way to gain exposure online outside of your website.  Paid advertisements will also gain you exposure but press releases tend to have more credibility from the visitor standpoint.

Tips for writing a press release:

• Make sure the press release is of value to the reader
• Focus the press release on facts about your company, not a sales pitch
• Start the article with a summary sentence
• Provide quotes from an authority within your industry
• Include statistical data if available
• Include keywords in the title and body of the article
• Write professionally and minimize the superlatives
• Make sure the heading encourages the reader to continue
• Useful graphics that support the product or service
• Use subheadings that lead the eye from top-to-bottom
• Use bulleted lists when presenting lots of facts

Suggestions on where to submit your press release:

• http://www.news.google.com
• http://www.news.yahoo.com
• http://www.prweb.com

Where to find content:

If you don't mind sharing your article or would like ideas for helping you write articles, visit Yahoo's Creative Commons at http://search.yahoo.com/cc.  Yahoo's Creative Commons is still in the beta phase but well worth the time to review it's benefits.

Schedule the time to write articles and enjoy the benefits from both an SEO perspective and the value of increased exposure for your business.  It's a very effective and inexpensive way to promote your website, get started today!