SEO en Español: Integrating #SEO and PR to Reach the US #Hispanic Audience

Last Wednesday, PRSAMiami hosted a paid webinar about SEO (Search Engine Optimiation) for Spanish writing- please see my last post below).  ¡Que chevere! The webinar was sponsored by PRNewswire, Marketwire and BusinessWire. I was looking forward to learning and live-tweeting on the webinar, but found that I couldn't log-in in time to watch it  (why would the registration close 5 minutes within the webinar??). Anyway, this is why I HAD to re-post this insightful post-webinar blog post one of the speakers, SarahSkerik, vice-president, social media of PRNewswire - originally posted in the company's external blog Beyond PR.  ¡Disfruta!

SEO en Espanol: Integrating SEO and PR to Reach the US Hispanic Audience
by: @SarahSkerik

How do you reach the Hispanic audience in the US?  The same way you reach your other constituents – online, with social media and search engine optimization.  PRSA Miami held a webinar this week focused on how PR pros can use SEO tactics to raise the visibility of their messages targeting the fast-growing US Hispanic audience.
The vast majority of Hispanic households in the US have internet access – upward of 70%. Not surprisingly, search engine marketing is the most effective – and cost effective – means of marketing to this group. There are a few key differences, however, to which we need to pay attention:


■Google is the search engine of choice, and is the engine upon which you should focus your efforts.

■Mobile devices are hugely popular in Latin America, and among Hispanics in the US, and search is a popular activity. Developing mobile content is important.

■There are real difference in search behavior, which should inform SEO tactics.

Another important opportunity for communicators is the simple fact that there isn’t as much content out there in Spanish, which may explain why the US Hispanic audience tends to spend more time on web sites than internet users as a whole. Developing robust content – and deep linking to it from blog posts, press releases and other information you post online will not only help your SEO, but will be appreciated by your audience.

Spanish SEO basics:

As is the case with SEO generally, keywords play a central role in targeting the US Hispanic market, but with a caveat. “When choosing keywords never rely solely on straightforward translation of English words to their Spanish counterparts,” writes Jose Villa, founder and CEO of the digital ad firm, Sensis, in a recent blog post about Hispanic search. “Think about acculturation levels of your target Hispanic audience and adapt your keywords and ad copy appropriately. Your ultimate goal should be cultural relevance—reaching your audience on a personal level.”

Villa also notes that Hispanic search behavior is different, with many searchers preferring to employ longer, more specific search term strings. Part of this is due to the fact that Spanish is “wordier” than English – it’s been estimated that Spanish sentences are approximately 20% longer than English sentences, on average. However, Villa emphasizes the fact that the search strings employed by US Hispanics tend to be much more focused and targeted when compared to search terms used by English-speaking US searchers.

So what does this mean for the PR pro needing to build visibility with Spanish speakers in the US? As is the case with any PR effort that integrates SEO, the content is the starting point, and it needs to be focused. Given the specificity of search terms used, rigorous attention to subject matter is even more important when optimizing content for the Hispanic audience.

Once you’ve identified your keywords/phrases, using them properly in order to optimize your press release and inform search engines correctly about the content is important. Don’t stick important words down at the bottom of the page.

“Things like headlines, subheadings, bold face type and lead paragraphs are all important places to put keywords,” advises Sebastian Aroca of Hispanic Market Advisors. Writing naturally and remembering to use the words within the text of the release are also important. Another tip: don’t try to optimize a single document for more than one or two keywords/phrases. You’ll only end up diluting your message and confusing your online audiences.

Linking is always important, and basic SEO rules apply here, too. Use anchor text links within press releases and other online content to take readers (and search engines) to relevant pages on your web site. Deep links to specific product or information pages are best – don’t just link to the home page. And remember to link from specific keywords or phrases.


Villa also cautions communicators to expect a higher number of new visitors to the web site. “Design the web site for people who have never been there before, and think about how you’ll get them to come back,” he notes, adding that linking through to a Spanish-language landing page is also essential.


Finally, it’s important to realize that SEO is limited to a single process or one campaign. Optimizing content to develop high visibility in search engines requires ongoing effort. The good news is that the results are easy enough to measure – work with your web team to get access to your web site analytics, so you can understand how much traffic different press releases and other content generated. You can also keep an eye on search rankings to gauge your success, too. Staying on top of search results and referring traffic will enable you to determine what tactics worked well – so you can continue to fine tune your efforts and develop lasting interaction with the US Hispanic market.


Want more information on Hispanic SEO, digital PR and other online communication tactics? Follow the panelists on Twitter!

Ann Marie Herrera, Fleishman-Hillard

Silvia Prado, Logos PR

Sebastian Aroca, Hispanic Market Advisors

Jose Villa, Sensis Agency
PR Newswire , @latinomarketing


Originally posted on: http://blog.prnewswire.com/2010/11/11/seo-en-espanol-integrating-seo-and-pr-to-reach-the-us-hispanic-audience/

Latino Small BIZ Owners Now Have a Cost-Effective One-Stop-Solution for All Their Bilingual Marketing Needs

SmallBIZLatino celebrates the launch of its corporate site with the “Get Your Own FREE 30 Second Elevator Pitch” promotion

New York City (April 27, 2010)—Today SmallBIZLatino (www.smallbizlatino.com) has launched its corporate site with the promotion “Get your Own FREE 30-second Elevator Pitch” aimed at Latino entrepreneurs (“latinopreneurs”) and Latino professionals in the United States and Puerto Rico.

The 30-second elevator pitch is a brief overview of who an executive is and what he or she can do, which can easily be delivered vocally in the time span of an elevator ride. “Professionals don’t realize the profound impact a well-formulated elevator pitch can have in their career and their biz. Even if you are not looking for funding or for your dream job, an elevator pitch can help you figure out what’s at the core of your goals and the value you can bring to new contacts,” said Anllelic Lozada, “latinopreneur” and SmallBIZLatino founder. For a limited time only, “latinopreneurs” and Latino professionals who send their résumé or LinkedIN.com profile link via email will receive their own personalized 30-second elevator pitch in seven biz days.


With the launch of www.smallbizlatino.com, the company now can reach a bigger number of “latinopreneur”s” who are starting or growing their biz – with an emphasis in the San Juan, Miami and New York City markets. By offering cost-effective Website building, bilingual marketing materials and professional makeover packages, Latino small biz benefit from a personalized and friendly direction on how to present their product or service to the right audience – at the right time. Even though it can be considered the softer side of a business plan, effective marketing can mean the difference between striving or never reaching the biz full potential.

Ying Lowrey, senior economist at the Small Business Administration's advocacy office, said minority-owned firms represent the fastest-growing segment of the nation's economy and according to the US Census Bureau, Latinos in the United States are opening businesses three times as fast as the national average.

For instructions on how you can receive “Your Own FREE 30-Second Elevator Pitch,” please visit:  http://tinyurl.com/2fg5jx7




About SmallBIZLatino
SmallBIZLatino is the marketing one-stop solution for Latino-owned biz. Based in New York City and locations in San Juan, Puerto Rico and Miami, Florida – SmallBIZLatino’s mission is to “empower the Latino community with the Web and marketing…one entrepreneur @ a time.” The company sprinkles its marketing expertise into website development and professional makeovers for “latinopreneur”s who are starting a new

business or trying to making their existing business prosperous. For more information please visit www.SmallBIZLatino.com or call 305.215.0442.


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Press Contact:
Anllelic Lozada
305.215.0442
alozada@smallbizlatino.com

What AVATAR has to do with Brazil? You'll be Surprised...

"For people living along the river, as they have for millenia, the dam will end their way of life. I implore the Brazilian government, and President Lula, to reconsider this projet." - James Cameron, AVATAR movie director

Last Saturday, April 24th, I was invited by my colleague, Felipe Benitez from Fenton Communications (DC), to attend a media event for his client. Felipe's client is the non-profit organization, Amazon Watch, which works to protect the rainforest and advance the rights of indigenous peoples in the Amazon Basin. James Cameron was going to be honored by indigenous leaders from around the world.

The media event coincided with the special screening of AVATAR, which coincided with the United Nations meeting on indigenous issues in New York City.

AVATAR has been embraced by many indigeous peoples worldwide, who see it as echoing their own story. Throughout Latin America for example, indigenous peoples have highlighted the parallels between the movie and ntheir own experiences dealing with private sector extractive industries and the development of Brazil's Belo Monte Dam - which if constructed, will cost $17.5 billion and will become the world's third largest dam. The impact? 20,000 indigenous peoples will have to abandon the rainforest and relocate to Altamira, where they will compete with migrants for scarce low-paying jobs.

James Cameron first visited Brasilia three weeks ago and since then, he has gone back a second time and the first day he came back the last time, went straight to have a conversation with Obama about the alarming issue happening so close to us. You can read James Cameron's personal letter to Brazil's President, Luis Inacio Lula de Silva here: http://www.amazonwatch.org/newsroom/view_news.php?id=2049

To learn more, visit:
www.un.org/indigenous
www.cbd.int
www.amazonwatch.org