New service links businesses, readers

With the anonymity of comments and reviews on the Internet, establishing credibility online is essential for businesses today. The Hollister Free Lance now offers a unique opportunity to help professionals share expertise, increase online authority and enhance search results.
The new Digital Reputation Management Program pairs up clients with writers who craft a monthly column combining business information and trending news. The column is then published on the newspaper’s website, creating strong online visibility and a link to the client from a credible and high-authority site.
Publisher Jeff Mitchell said the interactive writers are experts in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) that help the business achieve greater online credibility.
“It’s really a neat thing to do,” he said. “Our writer gets really into the business, does research and writes a column that is customized for a client. … They are trained in SEO to write content that is highly searchable so our client is getting the maximum return.”
Mitchell said the marketing program puts results higher up on Internet searches because columns are written based on a current hot-button topic, which pushes it up Google rankings.
Along with a customized column each month, clients will receive monthly reports based on keyword searches and rankings, so they can actually see how the program is performing. Reports are provided beginning in the second month of the program because it takes about a month to build search engine “trust,” according to Mitchell, and then “you’ll see (the results) spike.”
Clients will see an increase in website traffic and can use an abridged version of the column on their websites, linking to the entire piece at sanbenitocountytoday.com (with more than 93,500 page monthly) where it is housed. In addition, clients receive promotion of their columns to more than 29,500 weekly readers in the print edition of the paper.
Though the marketing program is designed to be full service, the clients can have as little or as much say in the process as they want. Those who wish to take a more hands-off approach need only approve topics and columns each month. Those who want more active involvement may suggest or select topics, request inclusion of specific keywords, or be more engaged in the draft editing process.
To retain the high quality of the columns and the overall effectiveness of the program, Mitchell said only four businesses or professionals will be allowed per category and will be signed up on a first-come, first-served basis.
The base price of $695 per month – for a six-month or annual contract – includes a customized monthly column, weekly promotion in the print edition and links to and from sanbenitocountytoday.com to the clients website, increasing traffic. Clients can add additional services – including full-color print advertisements and Facebook and Twitter management – to increase the program’s reach.
“This really is a way for professionals to position themselves differently from everybody else,” Mitchell said. “This is unique to our marketplace. No one else is doing this.”
For more information about the Digital Reputation Management Program, call Mitchell at (408) 842-8313.