Wikipedia PR: How to Use PR to Get a Wiki Page

Google any actor, musician, renowned business owner or minor celebrity, and among the top results on the SERP, you’ll find their Wikipedia page. One of the most popular websites in the world, with more than two billion visits a month, it’s the go-to source for information on just about anything (and anybody) you can think of.

Having a Wikipedia page for your brand is good for business. But you can’t write one about yourself. (Well, you can, but it won’t stay published for long).

In this post, we’ll go through Wikipedia’s rules and eligibility criteria, explain how you can get your own Wikipedia page, cover the benefits of hiring a professional Wikipedia editor to write, edit and maintain it, and tell you how public relations can help you on your way to Wiki-fame.

What is Wikipedia?

Put simply, Wikipedia is a free online encyclopaedia. It’s an open source platform, which means anybody can input, update, and remove data. At least, that’s the theory. But as ReputationX highlights, it’s not quite as easy as that. More of that later.

To answer the question of what Wikipedia is, who better to ask than Wikipedia itself?

‘Wikipedia is a multilingual free online [encyclopaedia] written and maintained by a community of volunteers, known as Wikipedians, through open collaboration and using a Wiki-based editing system. Wikipedia is the largest and most-read reference work in history. It is consistently one of the 10 most popular websites ranked by Similarweb and formerly Alexa; as of 2022, Wikipedia was ranked the 5th most popular site in the world.’

But who gets a Wikipedia page? And how?

Who is Wiki-able?

Getting a Wikipedia page isn’t easy. They’re exclusively reserved for people or businesses that can convince the Wiki Gods that they deserve one. To be deemed worthy, your brand needs to be ‘notable’.

According to Wikipedia, ‘notability is a test used by certified Wikipedia editors to decide whether a person/brand warrants its own article.’

Okay, so what makes a brand notable? A blue checkmark on Instagram won’t cut it. Neither will a list of your high-profile clients or celebrity ambassadors. They may be impressive, but they are unreliable, according to the Wikipedia powers that be.

In Wikipedia’s words, ‘a company is presumed notable if it has been the subject of significant coverage in multiple reliable secondary sources that are independent of the subject.’

In other words, Wiki editors want to see media coverage, and plenty of it.

Let’s look at Wikipedia’s definition of notable in a little more detail.

1. There needs to be ‘significant’ coverage

Significant coverage means exactly what it says. To meet Wiki’s criteria, your business must have been covered in multiple sources. And it must have been covered in detail.

Detailed coverage means a full-page feature in The Guardian, or an interview with your CEO on BBC Radio 4. A mere brand mention, or a quote without a story about your business to back it up will be deemed non-significant.

2. Coverage must come from reliable sources

‘Reliable’ news sources have a reputation for fact checking and accuracy. They publish accurate content, using reputable sources, and they verify those sources.

Examples of reliable sources include the mainstream media, online trade magazines, respected industry-specific blogs, and academic articles.

What about general blogs, podcasts, and e-newsletters? While these platforms are part of the media ecosystem, they’re not considered high-profile enough to meet Wiki’s notability requirements. Incidentally, self-published sources such as press releases, blog posts and websites are not considered to be reliable as they are not written by a third party. Neither are social media sites, as posting is not subject to fact checking.

Tip: Wiki editors are more likely to consider the sources you cite as reliable if they have their own Wikipedia pages e.g. the BBC, Daily Mail, LBC.

Want to know more about Wikipedia sources? There’s a Wikipedia article for that.

Wondering what constitutes an unreliable source? Wikipedia has you covered there too. But if you’re still unsure what constitutes a ‘reliable’ source, reach out to a public relations Wikipedia specialist for advice.

3. Sources must be independent

As mentioned above, self-published sources are a no-no when it comes to Wikipedia page validation. Your website doesn’t count as a valid source in the eyes of professional Wikipedia editors. Neither does a company bio, or other content created by anyone at your company.

Why you should use a Wikipedia page writing service

If you can tick all the above boxes, you’re good to go. But, before you start crafting your Wikipedia biography, you might want to think about engaging the services of a professional Wikipedia article writing service.

There are two ways to create a Wikipedia page.

1. Write your own

Sure, you can write your own page, but you’ll need to sign up as an editor for Wikipedia and build your reputation as a reliable editor of Wikipedia articles first.

This takes time. You’ll need to edit at least ten articles to get autoconfirmed, adhering to Wikipedia’s comprehensive editing guidelines. As a busy business owner, do you have the time and inclination to give it the attention it needs and deserves? Probably not.

Aside from that, Wikipedia advises businesses against writing their own articles, as doing so is considered a conflict of interest.

2. Hire a Wikipedia page creator service

The quicker and more effective option is to enlist the help of a professional Wikipedia page creator, or freelance Wikipedia editor.

There are several benefits of going down this route:

It will save you loads of time, and the hassle of editing existing articles at the volume and detail needed to get to the point where you are deemed worthy of writing your own article.

There are strict guidelines to follow when creating a Wiki page. For example, content must be neutral and unbiased. Can you be unbiased about your business? Probably not. Overly promotional content also goes against Wikipedia’s guidelines. Giving the job to a Wikipedia page creator will ensure your article adheres to them.

If you unwittingly publish an article that violates the rules, your name will be flagged, your page deleted, and you could be banned from the site altogether.

Another benefit of hiring a Wiki pro? Page updates. Things change, especially in a growing business, so your page will need to be updated regularly. If you didn’t have the time to write your page in the first place, you’re not going to be able to keep up with the necessary amendments.

Wikipedia page writing service benefits

Before we turn our attention to Wikipedia PR, here’s a quick recap of the benefits of hiring a freelance Wikipedia writer.

• Time saved
• Understanding of policies/guidelines
• Less risk of page deletion
• Expert knowledge
• Unbiased/neutral content
• Regular updates.

The takeaway? Hiring a Wikipedia writing service makes good business sense.

Wikipedia Public Relations

To get Wiki-verified, you need to cite ‘multiple’ sources of media coverage.

What happens if your business is new, and you don’t have any noteworthy coverage? Don’t despair. You may not be Wiki-worthy right now, but it doesn’t mean you won’t be.

The best thing to do is put your Wiki page application on hold and reach out to an experienced PR pro.

A public relations expert can work with you to build your story into a narrative the press can’t ignore. A PR pro can leverage their extensive contact list to secure those all-important interviews and features that’ll land you the coverage you need to achieve Wiki-style notability.

You can then engage a freelance Wikipedia page editor service and join the Wiki-elite.

If you’ve yet to secure the recognition needed to have a Wiki page, start now, and start small. Read: How to Get Local Media Coverage.

The importance of monitoring your Wikipedia page

Once you have a Wikipedia presence, you need to keep an eye on it. After all, Wikipedia is open source; anyone with a Wikipedia account can edit your page.

Don’t let a stranger manage your brand, like the city of Oakland in California did, when basketball player LeBron James was declared the city’s mayor on their Wiki page after winning the 2016 NBA Championship.

You can monitor your brand by enabling notifications from Wikipedia. Doing this will ensure you’re in the know when changes are made to your page.

A note about PR

As with Wikipedia editing services, public relations is do’able on your own, but it’s much more efficient to hire a PR professional.

If you combine the experience of a public relations veteran and the skills of a Wikipedia editor service, you have a good chance of topping the Google search results.

Do you need a Wikipedia page?

You’re missing out if you don’t. Here are four reasons why.

1. Wikipedia ranks highly on Google

Wikipedia has a domain authority of 100. That’s as high as it gets. For the unfamiliar, domain authority is a search engine ranking score that predicts how likely a website is to rank in search engine result pages (SERPs).

2. It’s good publicity

You can include all sorts of information on your Wikipedia page, from your brand story to your financial performance. You can also include content that presents your brand in a positive light. For example, Marks & Spencer’s Wiki page lists their various charity initiatives, ethical marketing campaigns and their social and environmental policy.

This is an easy way to give your brand a little PR boost (providing it’s written in an unbiased and non-promotional way).

On the flipside, the open-source nature of the site means anyone could edit/add information you’d rather not make public. Take BP for example. An entire section of their Wikipedia page is dedicated to their screw ups, including the infamous Deepwater Horizon explosion.

Incidentally, if someone makes an edit to your page that you disagree with, Wikipedia’s dispute resolution policy states that ‘editors are expected to engage in good faith to resolve their disputes and must not personalise disputes. Many disputes can be resolved without external input, through gradual editing, discussion, and attempts to understand the legitimate objections of others.’

3. It can boost credibility

Wikipedia is a trusted and reliable source of information because Wiki editors go to great lengths to ensure the data is accurate and authentic. Consequently, when potential customers see your Wikipedia page, they’re more likely to trust you.

4. It’s great for SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)

SEO plays a big role in successful digital PR campaigns, due to increased visibility, industry authority and trust. The same goes for Wikipedia. A Wikipedia business page will increase your search engine ranking considerably, as will all that great coverage you secured.

Even with no-follow links, Wikipedia has a positive impact on your position in search results.

As SEO company SEOworks says, ‘In spite of NoFollow, Wikipedia likely contributes to a higher position in Google’s SERP, and varied SEO authorities have reported a positive impact. The anecdotal evidence consistently reports that SEO rank improves with links from Wikipedia. We’ve found that links in Wikipedia do enhance SERP position. An article has more impact than a link but is naturally much more difficult and time-consuming to obtain. Wikipedia is especially worth pursuing if you have a significant client that has been featured in newspapers, radio, or television, as this provides an easy hook for citations.’

Of course, as with any organic digital PR/Wikipedia campaign, it takes time for the SEO benefits to show themselves. But the results are worth the effort.

For more on the link between PR and SEO, read: How PR and SEO Work Together to Build Your Brand.

Searching for specialist Wikipedia writing services?

If you’re a business owner looking for the best Wikipedia page creation service, look no further. PR Superstar has teamed up with an experienced Wikipedia specialist to offer a range of Wikipedia page writing services, including:

• Wikipedia page creation service
• Wikipedia article writing service
• Wikipedia editing service
• Wikipedia listing service
• Wikipedia backlinks service
• Wikipedia profile creation service
• Wikipedia publishing service.