Crafting a compelling news release that captures journalists’ attention and performs well in search engines is both art and science. To ensure your message reaches the right audience, whether that’s journalists, scientists, science enthusiasts, or the general public, it needs to be easily discoverable online. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) helps amplify your visibility and extend your reach, all without compromising the accuracy or integrity of your message.

In a 2021 study, Pew Research found that more than 80% of Americans use electronic devices for their news—and 68% prefer to access that news digitally through news websites and apps. By optimizing content for search engines—using clear keywords, accurate metadata, and audience-aware language—science communicators can enhance the visibility of credible scientific information, ensuring it reaches a broader audience

Why SEO is important:

• Improves visibility: SEO ensures your news release can be found by those actively searching for related topics.
• Clarifies content for search engines: Thoughtful use of keywords, headlines, and structure helps search engines understand what your release is about, increasing the likelihood that it will surface for relevant queries.
• Targets the right audience: SEO allows public information officers (PIOs) to use language and terms their audiences are already searching for.
• Enhances accessibility and inclusivity: Clear, well-structured, and search-optimized content is often easier for assistive technologies (like screen readers) to interpret, supporting digital accessibility and broader reach.

When we ask PIO members why they put their news releases on EurekAlert!, the vast majority say they want to facilitate media coverage, but an increasing segment say they also want to take advantage of EurekAlert!’s higher ranking with search engines to help more people discover their organization’s science news. By considering SEO when writing your news release, you can help both your news release and EurekAlert! as a platform perform better with search engines.

Here are some tips for PIOs to use when crafting news releases to be optimized for search engine results:

1. Identify and Include the Right Keywords
   • Use relevant keywords that accurately represent your news release in its research subjects, methods, as well as its content.
   • Balance scientific terms with more accessible phrases (e.g., “CRISPR gene editing” and “how does gene editing work?”). Try to include both words that journalists might use when looking for releases like yours, and words non-scientists might use. (This is also a great tip for selecting Keywords on the EurekAlert! submission form!)
   • Study high-ranking headlines to see which phrasing consistently works—use what’s been proven to work and adapt accordingly.
2. Write Search-Friendly Headlines
   • Keep them under 60 characters to avoid incomplete headlines and subheadings in search results. Truncated search results make your news release less accessible to your audience. This applies to your subheadings, too!
   • Put important keywords early in your release so readers get the point immediately.
   • Avoid field-specific jargon unless it’s something journalists or lay readers might actually search. Try to keep your language as broadly accessible as possible.
   • Make it interesting—ask yourself, would you click on it if you saw this headline in a list of 10 search results?
3. Make the First (Lead) Paragraph Count
   • Clearly state who, what, and why it matters within the first few lines. Don’t keep your audience guessing.
   • Use your keywords early and naturally—forcing them does more harm than good.
   • Remember: Many PIOs re-use the first paragraph for the “Summary” field, which becomes the preview text on EurekAlert! and Google, so clarity and relevance are key. While setting the context is important, put it in the second paragraph instead and highlight the “real news” in the lead.
4. Structure for Both Humans and Algorithms
   • Use clear subheadings (again, try to include those keywords to make them stand out in a search).
   • Break text into digestible chunks with bullet points or short paragraphs. General rule of thumb, you don’t want any paragraphs to reach the double-digits in their line-count.
   • Keep the language accessible—clear, concise, and friendly to both journalists and general readers.
   • Aim for a range of 600 words.
   • It’s a busy world out there, so you want your releases to be read as quickly as your audience moves.
5. Link Strategically
   • Always link to the published study using its DOI. This gives your release authority. (Hint: A DOI link is also the most popular feature among EurekAlert! Journalist-members!)
   • Link back to your institution, lab, or related project using meaningful anchor text, not just “click here.”
   • Use only relevant links—think quality over quantity.
   • Excessive backlinks are penalized by search engines for seeming “unnatural,” confusing, or not relevant, resulting in them appearing lower in search results.
6. Use High-Quality Multimedia
   • Give images and all other media descriptive filenames (e.g., “climate_model_graph.jpg” rather than “figure2.jpg”).
   • Try to keep your multimedia titles under 60 characters and try to be as clear as possible when describing its contents.
     • Try to keep those captions short, as well! Think about how much context you really need to build on the subject.
7. Fill in Metadata Thoughtfully
   • Complete all the “Keywords” or “Additional Info” sections thoroughly.
   • Be precise: choose Keywords that reflect both the subject matter and the contents of your release. Work your way backwards with specificity, it helps! (E.g.: jellyfish > aquatic species > oceanography)
8. General Guidelines and Common Pitfalls
   • Don’t over-pack. Overloading your text with search terms hurts readability and SEO.
   • Avoid vague or clickbait-style headlines. They’re better suited for social media than EurekAlert!’s audience.
   • Where applicable, always include alt text for images.
   • Remember: an accessible release is one that’s loved by your audience and algorithms alike!

When you optimize your content for search, your news release will be more discoverable and engaging for the people you’re trying to reach.