A press release in this context is effectively a short attention-grabbing article you write and submit to popular press release web sites. These websites then syndicate your content to many other sites and other news feeds, spreading the message dramatically and in many cases generating huge traffic for your website.

The cool thing about press releases is that they also get picked up by the search engines, and can bring you traffic time and time again in the future.

Is this really important, I hear you ask? Generally the search engines rate the major press release websites highly and index their contents (and thus your press articles) very often, often numerous times in a day! This gives you a one-way link from a authoritative site.

In the case of new websites, issuing a press release is in my opinion essential because it will get your website indexed by the search engines very quickly.

More to the point, a press release you have submitted to the various press release websites may well rank higher in the search engines that your actual website itself, while you are building up your rankings for your website so it's a great way to gain exposure quickly and efficiently (people can visit your website from the link in the press release).

One of the most popular press release websites is P.R. WEB so I would recommend you start with this site.

Now be prepared to pay in some cases, because not all press release websites are created equal. Whilst it is possible to find free press release sites, chances are that you are not going to get anywhere near as much traffic from these sites as you would from the major ones, so I would suggest you focus on these first and then move on to the other sites once you have done that.

Don't forget great content is a Search Engine's best friend, and they just love press releases. Believe me when I say press release sites are spidered (indexed) very frequently by the search engines.

So you have decided that you want to use a press release for your website. What writing should your press release consist of?

Firstly it has to be attention grabbing, as does any article to grab the attention of the reader, and the actual content, should be relatively short sweet and to the point, with a call to action. That is, to give the reader the urge to actually click your link in the press release to visit your website.

You don't want to be wallowing in self-promotion and telling everyone how good you are (they will find this out soon enough when they visit your website). Rather, convince the reader that there is a benefit to them visiting your website, and make them want to go there right now!

You should write your ad for the ?press? because the ?press? will be the people who will initially read your release and determine the relevance of it, and how hard they ?push it?.

If they see a benefit to a reader in the article it makes sense for them to promote it because more people will be interested in the press release and their website also benefits as a result (from visitors reading your press release because the press release is actually stored on the press release website).

Some ideas for a press release include: -

1. Launch of a new site

2. Launching of a new product

3. A new addition to the site, for example you may be extending your site to including coaching to your customers.

4. A major new event in your life ? e.g. forming an association with a key industry figure, a new seminar, etc

The list is infinite. Press release is not a tool for a hard sell if you really are looking for traffic to get to your website and don't forget to make sure your press release is relevant to your reader.

Give every reader a reason (and a dang good one at that!) to visit your site, compel them to visit it.