What’s the role of public relations when it comes to search engine optimization? When PR thinks SEO, we often talk about jamming keywords into press releases, headlines or blog posts. In reality, overstuffing keywords actually damages search rankings. But, there are a whole host of other ways PR — specifically social media — and SEO can support each other.

On this week’s PR 2.0 Chat (#pr20chat), we took an in-depth look at this very issue. Special guest Lee Odden schooled imparted his knowledge on all of us, offering a number of tips, tools and action items. Below are some of my favorites tweetable moments from Lee, with nuggets from other chat participants sprinkled in.

• For a good foundation, check out these 10 SEO tips for PR Pros: http://tprk.us/POGCQ, via @leeodden Tweet this
• Once you have keywords, you’ll need: Keyword Glossary and Editorial Plan http://tprk.us/lNxxNp Tweet this
• When building PR plan for clients, consider keywords for all online comms- SM, web, e-newsletters, e-releases via @hanab08 Tweet this
• The right keyword/content mix plus sharing on social networks = the WIN Tweet this
• 10 Steps to Better Content Marketing and SEO http://tprk.us/a4PMlc Tweet this
• Biggest takeaways from @jgoldsborough: People still search like crazy, listening provides content ideas, audit keywords regularly  Tweet this
• Too much SEO advice is on high popularity count keywords and not on customer focused phrases that drive biz — @leeodden Tweet this
• Understand what keywords/topics reflect your target audience interest and focus on that <– Good advice from @leeodden Tweet this
• Tool to tool to find competitor keywords and what they rank for on Google: http://semrush.com Tweet this
• Can you imagine how powerful your listening reports could become incorporating @leeodden’s advice? — @chuckhemann Tweet this
• Look to see what people are already searching for *on* your site. Offers a clue to what they expect to find. — @30lines Tweet this
• ID a destination page as a topic target and build content, links around it. Repeat. — @leeodden Tweet this
• PR/SEO Tips: Create keyword glossary. Train writers on basic SEO copywriting and linking. Tweet this
• When working w/ bloggers, be aware of keywords/links in posts about client. Brand awareness SEO benefits. — @HannahDeMilta Tweet this

See a tip you like? Just click on the “tweet this” link to share it with your Twitter network. (Thanks to Sarah Evans for showing me how to create the “tweet this” links!)

What SEO advice would you offer PR and social media pros?

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Today is the second HAPPO (Help a PR Pro Out) — an event designed to connect PR job seekers with companies that are hiring. This time, the focus is on helping PR students who will be graduating this spring. If you want to participate, follow the #happo hashtag on Twitter from noon — 2 eastern.

In HAPPO spirit, I’m turning over my blog today to a few students who will tell you about their experiences and why you should consider hiring them. First up: Rebecca Odell.

***

As I prepare to graduate from Kent State University with a Bachelor of Science in public relations on May 15, I find myself delving into “reflection” mode.

I reflect on the hours I spent locked in my room with a strong cup of coffee and a trusty AP Stylebook, perfecting an assignment. I reflect on the hours my roommates (who are both PR majors) and I spent sitting around the kitchen table, bonding over snacks while tackling numerous PRSSA projects. I reflect on the difficult decisions I made that led me to where I am today.

One of my public relations professors, Bill Sledzik, recently wrote a popular blog post about my generation: Gen-Y. We’re the “self esteem” generation: the kids who grew up with helicopter parents who overscheduled our lives, praised us with kind words and filled our bedroom shelves with little-league trophies.

OK: I’m guilty. This Millennial adores words of affirmation (what can I say? It’s my love language,) and if you searched my childhood closet, I bet you’d discover several first-place medals I won during elementary school coloring contests.

So what’s the problem? Is it terrible to like knowing my mom thinks I’m awesome and I’m talented enough to color pretty pictures in the lines?

Gen-Y loves self-esteem boosters, but maybe Bill brings up a great point. As I transitioned through my undergraduate education, I was grateful when professors offered kind words to reward my hard work. But when it comes down to it, these fluffy, heart-warming moments did not get me anywhere.

Maybe what students really need in their lives is a “tough love” mentor. These rough-around-the-edges pros truly want to see students grow into skilled, confident young professionals, but they opt to skip a comforting, affirming approach.

I’m grateful for the professors who told me when my writing skills were sub-par; I wouldn’t be where I am today if those red-ink-stained papers were replaced with smiley faces. I’m thankful for the mentors who encouraged me to place more responsibilities on my plate; otherwise, I wouldn’t fully discover my capabilities. I’m glad a “tough love” mentor pointed out (with flawless tact, of course) when I needed to step up my leadership skills; if she didn’t, I would have never discovered my hidden abilities.

“Tough love” mentors don’t have to be professors or supervisors. My fellow PR students constantly pushed me to move forward and keep pressing on; they truly challenged me to always put my best foot forward and pick myself up after every fall.

As I transition into my career, I am thankful for mentors (like Bill) who taught me to check my ego at the door and strive to refine my skills every day.

So mentors: Don’t be afraid to show #HAPPO participants some tough love as you guide them into their news careers. And Gen-Y students/soon-to-be grads: Don’t be afraid to swallow a large dose of tough love before you take on the real word. Reality may bruise your Gen-Y ego, but the punches will better prepare you in the long run. Bring it on.

Rebecca Odell is a senior public relations major at Kent State University. She has more than two years of higher education, health care and agency internship experiences under her belt. She will join Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s interactive marketing team as an intern in May, and she is searching for a full-time public relations position in Columbus.

Live from [insert at least 15 markets] … it’s #HAPPO Day Live!

That’s right. After all the tweeting, blogging, Facebooking and resume-prepping, today is the day where the PR community rallies together to support our colleagues searching for new jobs. On a personal note, I couldn’t be more proud of my friend Arik Hanson and Valerie Simon, the “parents” of this incredible idea, as well as Mike Schaffer and PRCog who went way above and beyond in creating the Facebook page and helping get the website live.

Today’s blog post is simple: It’s here for you.

If you are in Columbus, Ohio and you need a job, I want to help you. If you are a Central Ohio employer, I have a list of talented, social-media-savvy, PR pros who are ready to hit the ground running. Plus, I’m more than happy to share your job openings on this post. If you are hiring — or if you know of any job opening — send them my way (email me at heather [at] gebencommunication.com). I will update this post throughout the day as I receive additional openings, so check back.

Want to land a PR job in Columbus? Feel free to leave your pitch, links, email address — whatever — in the comments. I will do whatever I can do help you. Employers: If you need to hire people who understand how to leverage online communication as part of a broader PR effort, this might be a good place to start.

#HAPPO is a feel-good event — and one that will hopefully employ some of our out-of-work friends. But, we’re not naive. There are way more job-seekers than there are open positions. Let’s not let HAPPO be just a one-day event. Even informally, we sustain the HAPPO movement by doing what we can to share job openings, mentor job seekers, facilitate connections, open doors. So, go #HAPPO!

Central Ohio Job Openings

Huntington Bank — Business Segment Communication

Huntington has five Columbus-based communication positions open within our new Business Segment Communication team. (This new team is part of our broader Corporate Public Relations and Communications department.) Three of the openings are manager-level positions (7+ years), while the other two are specialist-level spots (5+ years). They’ll post to the Career page on huntington.com very soon. Until then, head over to Help a PR Pro Out to see the full descriptions.

Columbus Zoo

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is seeking a full-time Community Relations Coordinator to work closely with the Community Engagement team to coordinate daily activities associated with communications and marketing at the Wilds including publications, public relations, promotions, events and other related activities. Typical tasks include but are not limited to assisting with the production of newsletters, special events materials/brochures and news releases, providing content and updates to the web site and utilizing social media to promote the Wilds.

Top Food Products Company Seeks Assistant PR Manager

One of “Fortune’s 2009 Best Companies to Work For” is looking for someone to grow with the company! Does the following profile describe you?

• Have 1-4 years of public relations experience
• Have been working for either a PR agency or corporation
• Have general consumer-facing, food or consumer product experience
• Want to work on a top brand within a top company
• Want to be part of a corporate culture that is team oriented
• Seek an environment where professional development and community involvement are practiced.

Great salary, bonus and corporate benefits, as well as full relocation package to Ohio-based headquarters is provided. Inquiries, requests for job description and updated resumes can be sent to tcdugas@bloomgross.com

Magic star Dwight Howard made a point earlier this week. Paraphrasing, he said you gotta let your dominate player dominate. Last night, Howard got the ball, had a 20/20 game, and the Magic beat the Celtics. So, maybe there’s some truth to the Howard domination theory.

Frequently, people walk on eggshells, spread the ball around, giving players equal time. Perhaps we can learn a real-life lesson from Orlando’s Superman. Thoughts?

Obviously, I haven’t blogged here in a while (except for the random posts earlier this week to help 12for12K). I’m still blogging — just on a different site. I’ve been writing a lot about PR and social media over at my agency’s blog (which if you’re not already reading it, please give it a shot!). That being said, I’ve neglected prTini. And, I miss it! I miss having my own place to write whatever I want … whenever I want. I’m not sure exactly what I’m going to do with this space; however, as I try to figure that out, I hope you’ll bear with me and enjoy whatever ends up here! Let me know what you think — what works, what doesn’t. What you like … what you don’t.

prTini is back — hooray!

It’s time. The message is here. I am unveiling… Soon. Sometimes you have to dance with the bad to achieve the good. Let’s dance, you and I…

You’ve been jacked. I’m not going to stop until I get what I want. So, pay up … or fear the wrath of the tweetjack.

What is is that I want, you ask? Figure it out. But, here’s a clue:

12for12K
12for12K
12for12K
12for12K
12for12K
12for12K
12for12K
12for12K

Or else …

P.S. Seriously, you need to blog here more. I know writing over there now, but come on. Stop ignoring me … and stop ignoring this blog. Thx, Jack.

A new era of responsibility. A time to seize our responsibilities.

I watched the swearing in ceremonies this afternoon in downtown Orlando with a diverse group of people. It was amazing. People clapping and cheering. Ready for a new direction. A more responsible direction. A better direction.

By now, pundits, speechwriters and journalists have weighed in on the speech and where it ranks among Inaugural addresses. I’ll save all that for the experts. But, let me comment on two sections. First, I thought he managed to get in there a subtle dig at Bush by saying that “We are ready to lead once more.” As in, we know we haven’t been good leaders recently, but we’re back and ready to go. My response? Finally.

In a speech full of remarking rhetoric and one-liners, this one stood out to me:

Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

Fixing the multitude of problems facing this country is not going to be an easy task; however, we can do it. As long as we’re all willing to roll up our sleeves and get to work. We all have something that we can offer. What can you bring to the table? It’s time to get to work.

We’ve all heard about the US Air waterlanding and the heroics of everyone involved — from the pilot, to the flight attendants to the rescue crews. But, did you ever stop to think why those men and women were so well trained? Those 155 passengers who were saved owe a lot to the unions. While those organizations catch a lot of flack — and some deservedly so — their insistence on safety training and emergency preparedness saved the day.

This article was originally posted on Daily Kos, but I think it’s really important for people to understand why unions are mission critical — event today.

They’re calling it a miracle–the successful landing of a US Airways jet in the Hudson and subsequent rescue of all 155 passengers. They’re detailing the heroism of all involved, starting with the pilot and including cabin crew, ferry crews, and first responders. What they’re not telling you is that just about every single one of these heros is a union member.

There’s the pilot:

What might have been a catastrophe in New York — one that evoked the feel if not the scale of the Sept. 11 attack — was averted by a pilot’s quick thinking and deft maneuvers.

On board, the pilot, Chesley B. Sullenberger III, 57, unable to get back to La Guardia, had made a command decision to avoid densely populated areas and try for the Hudson.

When all were out, the pilot walked up and down the aisle twice to make sure the plane was empty, officials said.

Sullenberger is a former national committee member and the former safety chairman for the Airline Pilots Association and now represented by US Airline Pilots Association. He–and his union–have fought to ensure pilots get the kind of safety training to pull off what he did yesterday.

Then there are the flight attendants:

One passenger, Elizabeth McHugh, 64, of Charlotte, seated on the aisle near the rear, said flight attendants shouted more instructions: feet flat on the floor, heads down, cover your heads.

They are members of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA. Yesterday’s accident should remind all of us that flight attendants are first and foremost safety professionals–they should not be treated like cocktail waitresses.

There are the air traffic controllers:

The pilot radioed air traffic controllers on Long Island that his plane had sustained a “double bird strike.”

They’re represented by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. Someday, they’ll rename National Airport for the work these men and women do to keep us safe in the air.

There are the ferry crews:

As the first ferry nudged up alongside, witnesses said, some passengers were able to leap onto the decks. Others were helped aboard by ferry crews.

They’re represented by the Seafarers International Union. They provide safety training to their members so they’re prepared for events like yesterday’s accident.

There are the cops and firemen:

Helicopters brought wet-suited police divers, who dropped into the water to help with the rescues.

They’re represented by the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association and the Uniformed Firefighters Association and Uniformed Fire Officers Association.They’re the men and women who performed so heroically on 9/11–and they’ve been fighting to make sure first responders get the equipment to do this kind of thing.

Bob Corker and Richard Shelby like to claim that union labor is a failed business model.

But I haven’t heard much about Bob Corker and Richard Shelby saving 155 people’s lives.

If you’re quick to point out that unions have run their course or their negative impacts on business (I don’t agree, but you’re entitled to your own opinion) — fine. But, you also should recognize when unions play a key role in saving hundreds of lives.

Remember the uproar over Rick Warren being selected to give the invocation at next week’s swearing in ceremonies? I wonder how those same people feel now.

Personally, I was very conflicted by the whole Warren situation. My family emailed about it … this was my contribution to the discussion:

I don’t agree with Prop 8 and Warren does, so at first I couldn’t understand why out of all the pastors in the country, Obama would choose him. But I also know that Warren‘s church has done a lot of good things in the community to help those in need. I would never belong to his type of church, but I don’t have anything against people who do. I thought Obama should have chosen someone to give the prayer who was more open-minded the challenges facing the gay community. Or at least, not chosen someone who was so clearly against gay rights.

Then I got to thinking. I cannot understand — and have very little patience for – people who vote based on a single issue during an election (e.g., people who cast their vote based on gun rights, or abortion or even homosexual rights). So, I guess I can understand why Obama wouldn’t exclude a potentil pastor based on one position he holds. Overall, Rick Warren seems to have his heart in the right place. I totally disagree with him on one main issue (and probably have minor disagreements on other issues, but that’s besides the point for this argument). It’s an interesting pick and one that has forced people to think about inclusion, religion and where they stand. Sorry for the long, complicated answer — but it’s a complicated question.