rogerd - 1:16 pm on Nov 7, 2005 (gmt 0)

Nice posts, Syzygy.

I'd add that if you are optimizing the press release for electronic distribution, your objectives may change a bit, i.e., the need to get keywords in the headline, links in the body, etc. Purely from a document length perspective, the first release is probably closer to optimal for Google News & Yahoo News success.

In the same way that superb website copywriting is sometimes at odds with SEO, creating a press release that attracts and holds media attention is sometimes at odds with being at the top of the news search results for your keywords. And, just as with website copy, creating a press release that is optimized yet still compelling takes extra effort, but it's effort that will pay off in traffic and media pickups.