A press release serves as an official, shareable announcement intended to inform media outlets and the public about newsworthy company developments. It is a public relations tool designed to earn media coverage, unlike traditional marketing materials. The relationship between press releases and search engine optimization has fundamentally transformed in the last decade. While a press release will not automatically boost search rankings, it provides significant value to a brand’s online presence if its modern function is understood. The value delivered today is almost entirely indirect.
The Evolution of Press Releases and SEO
In the early days of search engines, mass distribution of press releases was a common technique for building links. Marketing professionals leveraged wire services to syndicate releases across hundreds of low-authority websites. The sheer volume of these links, often using exact-match anchor text, was used to manipulate search results.
This led to many low-quality, promotional press releases written for algorithmic gain rather than journalistic merit. Search engines recognized this tactic as a link scheme. Major algorithmic updates targeted and devalued these unnatural, syndicated links, establishing the current reality: press releases are no longer a viable method for direct link building.
Direct SEO Impact: Understanding Link Value
Press releases no longer function as a direct search engine optimization tool due to the industry standard for managing link attributes. Major commercial distribution services, such as Business Wire and PR Newswire, now automatically apply the `rel=”nofollow”` or similar attributes to all hyperlinks within a release. This practice responds directly to search engine guidelines discouraging the use of press releases for passing link equity.
The `nofollow` tag instructs search engine crawlers not to count the link as an endorsement or ranking signal. Consequently, a link embedded in a syndicated press release will not contribute to a website’s Domain Authority or search ranking. Furthermore, the low Domain Authority of the syndicated wire service pages would render any link minimally valuable, even without the `nofollow` tag.
Indirect SEO Benefits: Brand Authority and E-E-A-T
The true search engine value of a press release comes from the indirect signals it generates, building a brand’s overall authority and digital footprint. A successful release generates visibility, encouraging a spike in direct and branded search queries. When search volume for a company’s name or product increases, search engines interpret this as a strong signal of reputation and relevance.
This increased visibility contributes directly to a brand’s standing in the context of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness). When a high-authority news source or respected publication finds the release newsworthy and writes an original article, this validates the brand’s expertise. Crucially, the editorial link from that independent news article—not the syndicated release—passes valuable link equity. This media coverage from trusted sources strengthens a brand’s authority, a major factor in modern search ranking systems.
Strategic Elements for SEO-Focused Press Releases
To maximize indirect search engine benefits, a press release must be newsworthy, focusing on genuine announcements rather than simple promotional messages. Content creation should involve integrating relevant keywords naturally into the text, moving beyond only mentioning the company name. Keywords that customers and journalists might use to find the news should be included in the headline and the opening paragraph.
The structure should follow the journalistic “inverted pyramid” style, placing the most important information, including main keywords, at the top. While links in the distributed release are `nofollow`, the anchor text is still important. Marketers should strategically select anchor text that encourages high-quality, independent pickups to use those desired terms when writing their own editorialized stories.
Distribution Strategy for Maximum Visibility
A distribution strategy focused solely on mass wire syndication will not yield significant search engine results. The focus must shift to targeted outreach to journalists, editors, and industry analysts likely to write original stories. Researching and building relationships with relevant, high-Domain Authority publications is the most effective way to secure a valuable, editorially granted backlink.
Additionally, a company should always publish the complete press release on its own website, typically in a dedicated newsroom or blog section. This self-published version is fully indexable and can be optimized to rank for long-tail keywords related to the news, capturing organic search traffic and solidifying the brand’s digital footprint.
Measuring the True Impact on Search Performance
The success of a press release campaign is measured by its ability to drive authority and traffic, not by the count of syndicated links. Marketers should track success using analytics tools to look for specific performance indicators. Using unique Urchin Tracking Module (UTM) parameters on links within the release allows for precise tracking of referral traffic.
Key Performance Indicators
A primary metric is the spike in direct and referral traffic to the website, particularly from high-authority media pickups.
Another important indicator is the increase in branded search queries monitored through tools like Google Search Console. A sustained lift in searches for the company or product name signals increased brand awareness.
Marketers should also actively monitor the web for unlinked brand mentions, which are instances where a publication mentions the company but omits a hyperlink. These present an opportunity for outreach to request an editorially placed backlink.