Press Release for SEO: Pros and Cons Explained

Digital press releases remain a valuable tool for businesses and organizations in 2024. They are widely used to reach broader audiences and, more commonly, as a strategy to boost SEO and improve search engine rankings. However, while digital press releases can offer great benefits, they can also harm your SEO efforts if not handled correctly. In this article, I’ll address common questions from my clients about digital press releases, explain how they can negatively affect your SEO — potentially even leading to penalties — and share tips on how to avoid these pitfalls.

About Digital Press Releases

What is a Press Release?

A press release is an official statement issued by a company, organization, or individual to share news or important information with the public and the media. It’s a way to announce things like new products, company updates, events, or achievements. Press releases are usually written in a simple, straightforward format and are meant to grab attention quickly. Their main goal is to get media coverage or spread the word to a larger audience.

This is what a typical press release looks like:

How is a press release useful?

A press release is useful because it helps businesses and organizations share important news with a wide audience. It can generate media coverage, attract attention from potential customers, and build brand awareness.

Press releases are also valuable for boosting online visibility, as they can improve SEO and drive traffic to a website when shared on news platforms. Additionally, they help establish credibility and trust by showing that the company or individual is active and engaged in their industry.

Who needs to do a press release?

A press release is helpful for any business, organization, or individual with news to share. This includes companies launching new products, announcing events, or sharing important updates. Nonprofits, government agencies, and public figures can also benefit from press releases to inform the public or media about their activities. Whether you’re looking to increase brand visibility, attract media attention, or boost your online presence, a press release is a useful tool for getting your message out.

Press Releases and SEO

The positive impact of press release on SEO

As an SEO expert, I was fascinated by how impactful press releases can be. Initially, I didn’t realize just how much they could boost a website's SEO performance.

When you create a press release, the exposure you get across different platforms can significantly expand your online presence.

Here’s why:

Backlink opportunities

Press releases often get picked up by multiple media outlets, giving you the chance to earn high-quality backlinks. These backlinks are crucial for improving your site's authority in search engines.

Increased visibility

Sharing your press release on news websites, blogs, and social media helps boost your brand's visibility and brings traffic back to your website, which is great for SEO. However, keep in mind that when using a press release for SEO purposes, the visibility mostly comes from Google search results, not directly from the readers of the news websites where it's published.

Keyword optimization

When done correctly, press releases let you include important keywords related to your business, helping your content rank for relevant searches. This is crucial for SEO, but it can also be risky if you end up keyword-stuffing, as I mentioned in this article on black hat SEO.

Improved credibility

Getting your press release published on reputable news sites adds credibility to your brand, which can indirectly improve your SEO. Search engines like Google favor sites that are linked with trustworthy sources.

Negative impact of press release on SEO

While digital press releases can be a powerful tool for boosting SEO, they can also harm your site’s performance if not used carefully. Press releases can seriously damage your SEO if done incorrectly, and I’ve seen this happen with many reputable websites.

Several clients have even contacted me after being penalized by Google.

I’ll explain how this happens and how you can avoid it.

Over-optimization

When press releases are packed with too many keywords or irrelevant links, search engines may view the content as spammy. This practice can lead to keyword stuffing penalties, ultimately harming your site’s ranking rather than improving it.

Keyword stuffing for example, is a black hat SEO tactic that Google penalizes, and trust me, it's not easy to recover from that penalty.

The solution is simple:

Low-quality Links

This is one of the most common mistakes marketing agencies make when creating a press release for their clients, and I can't stand it anymore.

They often find the cheapest PR service provider without carefully analyzing their PR websites, and when they publish, the website gets penalized by Google because of low-quality backlinks.

Duplicate content

If the same press release is distributed across numerous websites without any changes, it can lead to duplicate content issues. Search engines may struggle to identify the original source, and your site might lose credibility or ranking as a result.

This happens because Google may view your press release as part of a PBN (Private Blog Network) instead of a legitimate content syndicate. PBNs are networks of blogs created to generate backlinks and manipulate Google's ranking algorithm. This black-hat technique can lead to severe penalties, potentially burying your website in search results.

Solution:

Lack of relevance

Sending out press releases for the sake of gaining links, without having relevant or newsworthy content, can damage your brand’s reputation. Search engines value quality and relevance, and irrelevant press releases can hurt both your SEO and brand authority.

This is similar to keyword stuffing—when writing a press release, keep it natural. Don’t force backlinks or add irrelevant content just to create one.

I’ve seen people issue press releases about things that no one cares about, like minor internal updates or random product features that don’t matter to the wider audience. Focus on news that’s genuinely valuable and relevant.

FAQs

Can press releases improve SEO?

Yes, when done correctly, press releases can boost SEO by providing backlinks and increasing brand visibility.

Can press releases hurt SEO?

Yes, over-optimization, keyword stuffing, and using low-quality sites for distribution can negatively impact SEO.

What is keyword stuffing in press releases?

Keyword stuffing is overloading a press release with too many keywords, which can lead to Google penalties.

How do I avoid SEO penalties with press releases?

Keep your press release natural, avoid forced backlinks, and use reputable distribution platforms.

What is a PBN, and how does it relate to press releases?

A PBN is a private blog network designed to manipulate SEO. Using press release platforms that resemble PBNs can result in penalties from Google.

Conclusion

Press releases can be a valuable tool for boosting your SEO when used correctly, but they can also harm your site’s performance if not handled properly. Focus on creating natural, relevant content and avoid common mistakes like keyword stuffing and using low-quality platforms. By following best practices and staying away from black-hat techniques, your press releases can help improve your visibility and SEO without risking penalties from Google.