Are Press Releases Still Good For SEO?

Every PR professional knows the power of the press release.

Whether you’re launching a new product, announcing a merger, or have other noteworthy information you’d like to share, the press release is a great way to spread that information.

But does it have any impact on your SEO efforts?

If you’ve been around long enough, you might remember that search engine optimizations used them as a way to pack keywords into their sites. Does that still work?

And what’s more, if there’s a correlation between search results and high-quality press releases, how do you cross that line between optimizing them for search engines and still sticking to journalistic guidelines?

Obviously, these are not easy questions to answer, but fear not; we are here to guide you.

Read on to learn more about press releases and how to use them as part of your online strategy.

What Is A Press Release?

You probably already know that a press release is an official statement informing journalists about a remarkable event.

It allows you to quickly spread news (and help shape the story around it) to a network of journalists, with the ultimate goal of getting it to appear on a reputable news platform.

Here’s an example of a Google Cloud press release:

Screenshot from googlecloudpresscorner.com, August 2022

As you can see, this press release gives readers a quick overview of the news in a headline, complements that information in the subheading, then dives deeper into the details as the piece continues.

Students and budding journalists are often instructed to write these in what is known as an “inverted pyramid,” where key information is given up front.

In case you didn’t find out by now (and we’re sure you did), organizations send out press releases for a variety of reasons, including:

As media technology improved and we moved to a shorter news cycle, companies got a new reason to send press releases: to get links from reputable news sites.

A (Brief) History Of Press Releases For SEO

While there have been press releases since 1906, when Ivy Lee released the first about a railroad accident, they took on a new importance in the digital age.

And like anything that boosted SEO success, press releases got off to a good start.

And then came the abuse. (Shocking, right?)

Once people discovered that links from top-notch new sites could help rank, they started writing all kinds of press releases for all sorts of things – even about non-relevant events like hiring new employees (still common unfortunately) or changing color. from their carpet. (True story. I seriously saw this one!)

All the spam led to Google noticing and penalizing sites with these links.

“Newswire” sites have added the nofollow attribute to links.

So yes, you can still get links from press releases.

But since they are nofollow links, they may not help your SEO.

Here’s what Google’s John Mueller said about it in 2018:

“(W)e try to ignore links from things like press releases because we know that companies generally release the press releases themselves. So all the links in it are essentially placed by themselves.

But if these links happen and they are there, then don’t worry about them because you can’t take them all back.

I just wouldn’t rely on press releases as a strategy to build links for a website because, like I said, we ignore most of them.”

Are Press Releases Still Relevant Today?

So, if you don’t get SEO credit for links from news sites, is it still worth incorporating press releases into your digital strategy?

However, there is one important thing that you absolutely must keep in mind. That’s why you send a press release.

If you can answer “yes” to any of these questions, write that press release.

But if you’re doing it to get links for your new site, stop immediately.

Even if the “newswire” links to you, the link may not do anything to help you on Google’s SERPs.

But here’s the thing: That last sentence isn’t quite true. There is one way press releases can be used to boost SEO; it’s just not the way you think.

How To Optimize A Press Release To Benefit SEO

While press releases don’t directly affect search results, they can indirectly boost them.

For example, you can be featured on a news site and pique people’s interest.

Intrigued by your release, they flock to your site, boosting your traffic.

If they like your site, they will stay and click through to other pages.

And if your content is great, they’ll share it on social media or link to it on their own sites, giving you (you guessed it!) quality links.

So spammy backlinks obtained from low quality news?

Lots of traffic and backlinks from new fans?

This is how you ‘optimize’ a press release for SEO.

How To Create & Share A Press Release

Now that you’re convinced of the importance of using press releases in your digital marketing efforts, it’s time to get to the heart of creating and sharing them.

Writing it is a lot easier than you might think. Follow these three easy steps to create your first:

1. Do Something Newsworthy

No, changing the color of your carpet does not count. Unless you work in the Oval Office, it might be of minor importance.

But “newsworthy” doesn’t necessarily mean “huge”.

Or you can do a research on something your audience cares about.

You can also modify a product or service to make it better.

Once you’ve decided on your newsworthy event, make sure you don’t over-deliver.

2. Write A Catchy Press Release

Start with an eye-catching title that your audience will care about.

Screenshot from stories.starbucks.com, August 2022

Make sure your press release is short and reads like a newspaper article.

Journalists love it when they can copy and paste directly from it when writing their story.

Screenshot from media.wholefoodsmarket.com, August 2022

Important tips to keep in mind when writing your press release:

3. Share Your Press Release With The Right Journalists

Whatever you do, don’t spam a hundred journalists hoping that one of them will write about you.

For example, you just did a survey that found that 56% of moms are dissatisfied with their school’s lunch program.

Instead of distributing your press release to everyone whose email address you can dig up, find someone who writes in a related field.

Using a tool like BuzzSumo is a great way to get this information.

Screenshot from BuzzSumo, August 2022

3 Successful Press Release Examples To Emulate

Ready to write your own press releases?

Check out these three examples for inspiration.

Mars’ Pledge Press Release

Screenshot from mars.com, August 2022

This press release was so successful that several sites picked it up and wrote stories about it.

Screenshot of search for [Mars Zero Emissions], Google, August 2022

Boston Beer Company’s New Product Announcement

Screenshot from bostonbeer.com, August 2022

This press release from brewer Sam Adams was so successful that several major sites, including CNBC, picked it up.

Screenshot from cnbc.com, August 2022

Vans’ “Stranger Things” Line

Screenshot from sneakernews.com, August 2022

Building on the Netflix hit show, Van’s ‘Stranger Things’ collection has received a lot of attention in sneaker trade publications, including Sneaker News.

How To Use A Press Release For SEO

Hopefully at this point it has been made clear: press releases can be a useful tool for SEO, but only if used correctly.

Spamming media sites, journalists and bloggers with releases for everything in hopes of getting you some publicity won’t help.

On the other hand, if you’re reaching out to relevant (often niche) publications or other people likely to be interested in your newsworthy (never forget this point) event to attract traffic, fans, and following links, they’re very useful.

Just remember what you learned in this piece: keep your releases relevant (again, no carpet color changes) and distribute them to the right people; they can play an important factor in getting your site higher in the rankings.

Featured Image: Pressmaster/Shutterstock

Write in short paragraphs of 2-3 lines of max. Try to limit your press release to 5 paragraphs. Include original quotes in the body text. Use bulleted lists where appropriate.

What are the types of press release?

Here’s a quick rundown of six common types of press releases:

• General news.
• Release launch.
• Event Press Release.
• Product press release.
• Executive, Staff and Employee Press Release.
• Expert position Press release.
• Using press releases effectively.

What is press release with example? A press release is an official (written or recorded) statement a company makes to the news media and beyond. We are talking about the same thing whether we call it a ‘press release’, a ‘press release’ or a ‘news release’.

What is a social media press release should be like?

So, what makes a social media press release different from a traditional press release? Well, besides text, a social media press release can contain video, images, and anything else that helps influencers discover, share, and write about your story.

Should I put my press release on my website?

Press releases are a great way to drive additional traffic to your website, improve your domain authority, and increase brand awareness, as long as they’re used properly. When press releases include any of these "bonuses" it can be tempting to increase the distribution frequency.

Do you need to attach a press release? Avoid adding attachments to your email with press releases Journalists receive masses of press releases every day. Their bad inboxes are usually running out of space, so it’s a good idea to ditch the attachments. Using a PR outreach tool like Prowly makes the process a lot easier.

Are press releases good for SEO?

The value of press releases and SEO lies in creating and distributing newsworthy information. You should treat press releases the same as any other type of content: high-value content written for people and optimized for SEO using techniques such as strategic keyword placement.

Should you put your press release on your website?

Press releases are a great way to drive additional traffic to your website, improve your domain authority, and increase brand awareness, as long as they’re used properly. When press releases yield any of these “bonuss,” it can be tempting to increase distribution frequency.

What is press release in SEO?

Press release submission refers to writing about new company events, products or services and submitting them to PR sites. It is an off-page SEO strategy that helps popularize your events, products or services on the internet to improve your site’s SEO.

Are press release good for SEO?

Yes, press releases are an effective SEO tool – as long as you have something to say. Press releases are not inherently valuable; they are valuable when picked up by journalists and displayed as regular news sources.

Should I post a press release on my website?

Press releases are a great way to drive additional traffic to your website, improve your domain authority, and increase brand awareness, as long as they’re used properly. When press releases yield any of these “bonuss,” it can be tempting to increase distribution frequency.

Can I post a press release on my website?

You can even position them as evergreen (date-agnostic). Press releases are posted externally on your website as an official statement distributed to news outlets for the purpose of making an announcement, and they must be time-relevant.

Are press releases bad for SEO?

Press releases do work for SEO. However, if you are creating spam content in the hope of getting a link from a reputable media source, then the answer is no. If you write compelling press releases with high-quality, relevant content and send them to trusted sources and platforms, the answer is yes.

Should you put press releases on your website?

Press releases are a great way to drive additional traffic to your website, improve your domain authority, and increase brand awareness, as long as they’re used properly. When press releases yield any of these “bonuss,” it can be tempting to increase distribution frequency.

Are press releases good for SEO? The value of press releases and SEO lies in creating and distributing newsworthy information. You should treat press releases the same as any other type of content: highly valuable content written for people and optimized for SEO using techniques such as strategic keyword placement.