The growth of the blogosphere is giving rise to a new phenomenon – Consumer Generated Media (CGM).

While holding the flag high for freedom-of-speech advocates, CFM, with its threat to reputation management, is becoming a Public Relations nightmare.

Indeed, weeks, months and years of hard work building a brand and a positive reputation can be easily undone by negative comments posted in the blogosphere by the unsatisfied consumer.
It therefore becomes necessary for PR pros to tighten the reins on reputation mangement. Subscribing to RSS Feeds and using a blog search tool to scan the blogosphere for company mentions are good ways to keep abreast of what is being said and by whom.

If you do happen to come across a negative comment about your company or client, the best way to calm the storm is to post comments in response to the allegations. Of course, a great deal of diplomacy is necessary to prevent the issue from escalating out of control.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – integration is the way forward.

Blending the best of Public Relations, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and the latest in Interactive and Online Marketing, is a surefire way to fully leverage content and cover all the bases.

The more you integrate, the more you will see how the marketing process comes full circle.

At TopRank Marketing, we just recorded a Video Podcast on “The Benefits of Integrating PR & SEO.” This video talks about ways in which organizations can start integrating PR and SEO straightaway.

Tips include:

• Keyword optimization of press releases
• The use of landing pages
• Ways to drive traffic back to your websit

Listen to the Video Podcast here.

The term “optimization” is still something of an enigma to many business professionals. Everyone knows what a press release is and that it is intended to disseminate news and increase brand visibility. Only a limited amount of people, however, understand the true value of “optimizing” a press release before it is released.

Here are five things to keep in mind when preparing a press release for distribution:

1) Keywords
Integrate up to 3 keyword phrases that are relevant to the topic of the press release. Studies show that placing a keyword phrase at the beginning of a sentence or paragraph, and within headings and sub-headings, will contribute to improved search engine ranking.

2) Headlines
Not only is it important to make your headline punchy, but strategic placement of keyword phrases in the headline, specifically at the beginning of the sentence, will help increase search engine ranking.

3) Text Links
Many press release distribution services and newswires now offer the option of purchasing a hyperlink. By making a keyword phrase within the release into a live link, not only will this increase search engine visibility for that keyword phrase, but it will also drive traffic back to your website.