Quick answer: Press releases help SEO mostly indirectly. Links inside distributed copies are usually nofollow or discounted, so they rarely lift rankings on their own, but a release that puts real news on recognized sites can earn brand mentions, referral traffic, branded searches and the editorial backlinks that do count. BrandPush places each release on 200+ outlets, including affiliates of Yahoo Finance and Business Insider, from $195, and the results are strongest when the story is worth citing.
Do press releases help SEO?
Yes, but not in the way the old sales pitch promised. The link between press releases and SEO runs through visibility first and links second: a release puts your news on sites people trust, and that visibility creates the chance of mentions, searches and links that search engines value.
Links still matter, which is why the question keeps coming up. Backlinko found that pages ranking first in Google have, on average, 3.8 times more backlinks than pages in positions two to ten. Ahrefs found that 96.55% of the pages in its study get no search traffic from Google, a reminder that publishing a page, or a release, doesn’t make it rank.
Here’s what a press release can and can’t do for search.
| A press release can | A press release can’t |
|---|---|
| Put your brand on recognized news sites | Guarantee rankings for competitive keywords |
| Create pages that rank for your brand name | Pass much ranking credit through syndicated links |
| Send referral traffic to a relevant page | Force journalists to cover a weak story |
| Give journalists and bloggers a source to cite | Replace content, technical SEO or outreach |
| Increase branded searches and entity signals | Rescue a thin or slow landing page |
The practical takeaway: treat a release as a starting asset, not a link package. It makes better links possible, but it doesn’t replace having a story.
Are press release backlinks dofollow or nofollow?
Most links in distributed press releases are nofollow or sponsored, or they’re simply discounted. A “dofollow” link is just a normal link with no qualifying rel attribute, while nofollow and sponsored tell Google the link shouldn’t pass ranking credit. Google’s guide to qualifying outbound links asks sites to mark paid placements this way.
There’s a reason publishers do it. Google’s spam policies list links with optimized anchor text in press releases distributed on other sites as an example of link spam. So be wary of anyone selling “dofollow press release backlinks” as a ranking shortcut: that’s the pattern Google describes, and at best the links get ignored.
The links worth chasing come later, when someone chooses to cite you. This table shows how the main types compare.
| Link or mention type | How it’s created | Typical SEO value |
|---|---|---|
| Syndicated release link | Included in copies of your release on partner sites | Usually limited, often nofollow or duplicated |
| Earned editorial link | A journalist covers the story in their own words | Often the strongest, because it’s editorial and selective |
| Secondary pickup link | A blog, newsletter or roundup cites the coverage later | Can support rankings and referral traffic |
| Brand mention without a link | A publisher names your company | Helps awareness, branded search and entity recognition |
| Link to an owned asset | A writer links to your data, report or tool | Usually the best outcome for the page you care about |
Nofollow doesn’t mean worthless. A nofollow link on a news site can still send visitors, put your story in front of writers, and lead to the followed editorial links that matter. For more on which links carry weight, see our guide to SEO backlinks and which ones actually help rankings.
Why do brand mentions on news sites still matter?
Because search engines, AI answer engines and buyers all look for third-party evidence that you exist and do what you say. A mention on a news site is that evidence, link or no link.
Press coverage and press links help in a few concrete ways:
- Brand search results: news pages often rank for your company name, filling page one with sources you’d want a prospect to see.
- Branded search demand: more people see your name, so more people search for it, which shows up in Google Search Console.
- Entity signals: a consistent description of who you are, repeated across trusted sites, helps search systems connect your brand to your topic.
- Discovery: journalists, bloggers and researchers find stories through search and news sites, and some of them will link to you later.
- Referral traffic: a placement on a site people actually read can send visits to your landing page within days.
This matters more now that AI tools summarize sources instead of listing ten blue links. Clear, factual, consistent statements about your company are easier to cite, which is the core of answer engine optimization (AEO).
Unlinked mentions are also an opportunity. Once coverage appears, a polite note asking the writer to link the mention to a relevant page is one of the easier link wins in SEO.
When is a press release worth using for SEO?
A press release works best when there’s something objectively worth announcing and a page on your site that deserves the attention. Search engines and journalists are both unimpressed by invented excitement.
Here’s how common announcement types compare for search value.
| Situation | SEO potential | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Original data, survey or report | High | Gives writers a statistic they can cite and link to |
| Product launch with a clear customer angle | High | Builds branded demand and points to a commercial page |
| Funding, acquisition or partnership | Medium to high | Signals market movement, strongest when the names are relevant |
| Expansion or a milestone with numbers | Medium | Works when the numbers mean something outside your company |
| Timely expert commentary on a trend | Medium to high | Useful when backed by evidence, not just opinion |
| Minor feature tweak or general company update | Low | Rarely earns pickup, mentions or links |
A quick test: would a journalist, customer or partner reasonably ask “why now?” and get a good answer? If the main fact sounds thin when you say it out loud, build a better asset first.
It’s usually the wrong move when the only goal is backlinks. In that case, original research, expert commentary and linkable content will do more, as our guide to getting high-quality backlinks without buying spam explains.
How do you write a press release for SEO?
A good SEO press release reads like news first and search content second. If it sounds like a keyword smoothie, it fails both audiences.
Each part of the release has a job. This table shows what to put where.
| Element | What to include | SEO purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Headline | The news in plain words, with the main topic included naturally | Tells readers and search engines what the page is about |
| First paragraph | Who, what, when, where and why it matters | Often becomes the passage journalists and AI tools quote |
| Body | Numbers, dates, a useful quote and industry context | Gives writers proof they can repeat and cite |
| Link | One relevant landing page, plus one supporting link if needed | Sends readers, and any link value, to the right page |
| Boilerplate | A short, consistent company description | Reinforces entity signals across every copy |
A few rules keep the release on the right side of Google’s policies and editors’ patience:
- Pick one primary topic. Use it in the headline, the opening and once or twice in the body, then rely on related terms.
- Link to the most relevant page, such as a product page, report or launch page, not the homepage by default.
- Use branded or descriptive anchor text. Your brand name, product name or a plain URL is safer than exact-match keywords.
- Keep links to one or two. More looks promotional and dilutes the action you want readers to take.
- Add a quote with an opinion, not “we are thrilled to announce.”
- Publish an owned version on your newsroom or blog so there’s a crawlable, indexable copy on your own domain.
BrandPush’s press release writing guide, headline guide and free templates cover the structure in more detail.
Mistakes that waste the SEO value
- Announcing non-news, such as a minor website change, as if it were a milestone
- Stuffing the main keyword into every sentence and anchor
- Linking to a thin, slow or unrelated page
- Making claims with no numbers, dates or named people behind them
- Measuring success by placement count alone
- Expecting rankings to jump the week the release goes live
BrandPush also keeps a list of the most common press release mistakes worth checking before you publish.
How do you do press release submission in SEO?
“Press release submission” used to mean pasting the same release into dozens of free PR sites to collect backlinks. That tactic has aged badly: those sites carry little authority, the copies are duplicates, and the optimized links are the exact pattern Google’s spam policies describe.
The approach that works now treats submission as distribution plus follow-up. The aim is placement on sites people read, then earned coverage from writers who see it.
- Publish the release on your own site first, linked from your newsroom or blog.
- Distribute it to real news sites. BrandPush places each release on 200+ outlets from a 400+ outlet network with 185M+ potential readers, and it takes about 5 days to publish.
- Check the report. Every BrandPush order includes a report with live links, like this sample report, so you can see exactly where the release appeared.
- Pitch the angle to a short list of journalists, newsletter writers and niche sites that cover your topic, and offer extra data or a comment.
- Repurpose the story into a blog post, a LinkedIn post and a customer email that point back to the same page.
- Turn unlinked mentions into links with a short, polite request.
Ten relevant contacts usually beat a hundred random ones, because precision produces more editorial links than volume. If you’re new to the mechanics, our explainer on what press release distribution is and how it works covers the basics.
What results should you expect, and how do you measure them?
Expect visibility before rankings. Placements, indexing and referral visits come first; secondary pickups, new referring domains and branded search growth follow over the next few weeks, and ranking changes, if any, show up later.
Track these signals, and give each one enough time.
| Metric | What it tells you | Where to check | When to look |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live placements and indexed pages | Whether the release went live and got crawled | Your distribution report, Google Search Console | First week |
| Referral traffic | Whether placements sent real visitors | GA4 | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Branded search impressions | Whether more people searched for your name | Google Search Console, Google Trends | 2 to 6 weeks |
| Earned mentions | Whether coverage spread beyond the release | Google Alerts, media monitoring | 2 to 8 weeks |
| New referring domains | Whether independent sites linked to you | Ahrefs, Semrush or Moz | 2 to 8 weeks |
| Impressions and clicks for the linked page | Whether the page gained search visibility | Google Search Console | 1 to 3 months |
| Assisted conversions | Whether PR traffic contributed to leads or sales | GA4, your CRM | 1 to 3 months |
Judge quality, not volume. One relevant editorial link to a useful page can be worth more than dozens of duplicate syndicated copies, and a release that sparks two original articles and a rise in branded searches is doing real work. Our guide on whether press release distribution is worth it and how to measure results goes deeper on attribution.
What to do next
Pick one announcement with a clear “why now,” a page on your site worth linking to, and one statistic or quote a writer could reuse. When it’s ready, compare BrandPush packages, which start at $195 with no monthly fees and a money-back guarantee if the article isn’t published, or go straight to the order page.
Frequently asked questions
Are press release links nofollow?
Usually, yes. Most links in distributed releases are tagged nofollow or sponsored, or carry little weight with Google, so they shouldn’t be your only link strategy.
Can a press release improve Google rankings?
It can support rankings, but not as a guaranteed direct boost. The gains usually come from earned coverage, branded search growth and editorial links that follow a newsworthy release.
What is the best anchor text for a press release link?
Use your brand name, product name or a plain URL. Exact-match keyword anchors in distributed releases look manipulative and add more risk than value.
How many links should a press release include?
One primary link is usually enough, with a second only if it genuinely helps the reader. More links make the release look promotional and split attention.
How long does it take to see SEO value from a press release?
Placements and referral traffic can appear within days. Earned links, branded search lift and any ranking movement usually take several weeks, so review results at 30 days and again at 60 to 90 days.
Can a press release page rank in Google itself?
Yes, especially for your brand name and specific announcement searches. Copies on news sites and the version on your own site can both appear, but they rarely rank for broad, competitive keywords.
Should I publish the press release on my own website too?
Yes. An owned copy on your newsroom or blog gives search engines a crawlable source on your domain and gives visitors a page you control.
Is a press release a replacement for link building?
No. It’s a digital PR asset that supports link earning and brand visibility, and it works best alongside useful content, outreach and a strong website.
