Let me be honest with you from the very start.
When I first got into digital marketing — back when keyword stuffing was still a thing and directory submissions felt cutting-edge — press releases were treated like golden tickets to the first page of Google. People would write a 300-word announcement, blast it across 50 press release distribution sites, and watch their rankings climb.
Then Google got smarter. The tactics changed. And suddenly, everyone started asking the same question:
Does press release submission still help SEO in 2025?
The answer is not a simple yes or no. And that is exactly why I am writing this guide.
I have spent years working with bloggers, startups, e-commerce brands, and local businesses on both sides of the Atlantic — from London to Los Angeles — helping them build visibility through search engines. Press releases come up in almost every conversation. And there is still so much confusion about what they actually do for SEO today.
So let us clear all of that up — properly, deeply, and in plain language anyone can understand.
What Is a Press Release, and Why Did It Ever Matter for SEO?
A press release is an official written announcement that a business or organisation sends out to share news. Think of it as a formal way of saying: “Hey world, something important just happened with our brand, and we want you to know about it.”
Common reasons businesses issue press releases include:
- Launching a new product or service
- Announcing a business merger or acquisition
- Sharing the results of original research or a survey
- Opening a new location
- Winning an award or industry recognition
- Responding to a major event in their industry
- Announcing a new partnership or collaboration
Historically, press releases were sent to journalists and editors at newspapers, TV stations, and magazines. The journalist would then decide whether the news was worth covering.
When the internet arrived, press release distribution services emerged. These platforms — like PR Newswire, Business Wire, and PRWeb — would publish your press release on their own websites and distribute it to hundreds of media partners simultaneously.
Here is where SEO got involved.
Every time a press release was published on one of these distribution sites, it included a link back to the company’s website. Multiply that across dozens of distribution platforms, and suddenly you had hundreds of backlinks pointing to your site from a single announcement.
In the early days of SEO — when Google counted links rather than evaluating their quality — this was incredibly powerful. A single press release could generate 50 to 200 backlinks overnight.
You can probably guess what happened next.
What Google Changed — and Why It Matters
In 2013, Google’s head of search spam, Matt Cutts, publicly stated that links inside press releases distributed through wire services would be treated as low-quality links. Google began devaluing these automated, mass-distributed backlinks.
Then came Google’s Penguin algorithm update — first launched in 2012 and updated multiple times since — which specifically targeted manipulative link-building practices. Websites that had been artificially inflating their rankings with press release spam saw their rankings collapse almost overnight.
This is the moment when the SEO community largely declared press releases “dead.”
But here is what most people got wrong about that conclusion:
Google did not say press releases are bad for SEO. Google said spammy, mass-distributed press releases with keyword-stuffed anchor text links are bad for SEO.
That is a very important distinction. And it is one that most beginners — and even some experienced marketers — still miss.
The Real Role of Press Releases in SEO Today
Let us fast-forward to 2025 and look at what press releases actually do for your SEO when done correctly.
The honest truth is this: a press release on its own does not directly boost your Google rankings the way it once did.
But — and this is a big but — press releases can be a powerful indirect SEO tool when used strategically. Here is how.
1. Press Releases Can Earn Real Editorial Backlinks
This is the biggest SEO benefit of a press release — and it only works if your news is actually newsworthy.
Here is the difference between the old approach and the right approach:
Old approach (does not work): Write a press release about anything. Blast it to 100 distribution sites. Collect 100 low-quality backlinks. Rankings go up temporarily, then get penalised.
Right approach (still works): Write a genuinely newsworthy press release about something remarkable your business has done. Distribute it to relevant journalists and publications. A real journalist picks up the story and writes an article about your business — including a link to your website from their publication.
That second link — the one from the journalist’s article on a trusted news site — is an editorial backlink. It is one of the most powerful types of backlinks in all of SEO. Google loves editorial links because they are earned, not bought or manufactured.
Think about it. If your press release gets picked up by a regional newspaper, an industry trade publication, or a major news aggregator like Google News, the backlink you earn from that coverage is worth far more than a hundred auto-generated links from a press release directory.
One quality editorial backlink from a trusted publication can do more for your SEO than months of mediocre link building.
2. Press Releases Build Brand Authority and Trust Signals
Google’s algorithm increasingly rewards brands — real, recognised, talked-about entities — over anonymous websites.
This concept is tied to what Google calls E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. Google wants to rank sources that are trusted by people, not just websites that have technically optimised their pages.
When your brand is regularly mentioned in press releases that get picked up by legitimate media outlets, something important happens:
- Your brand name appears across multiple trusted publications.
- Journalists begin to recognise your brand as a reliable source of information.
- Your business builds a public reputation as an active, legitimate, newsworthy entity.
All of this feeds into Google’s understanding of your brand authority. You are not just a website anymore — you are a recognised organisation that real media outlets cover.
This is harder to measure with a simple DA score, but it is very real. Brands that earn consistent media coverage tend to rank more easily across all their content, not just the pages they are building links to.
3. Press Releases Drive Referral Traffic
SEO is not only about Google rankings. It is about getting the right people to your website.
When a press release gets picked up by a popular news site, blog, or industry publication, that publication’s readers — who are often exactly the kind of people you want as customers — may click through to your website.
This referral traffic is valuable in multiple ways:
- It brings potential customers directly to you.
- It introduces your brand to a new audience who may share your content further.
- Increased traffic and engagement from authoritative sites can send positive signals to Google about your website’s relevance and popularity.
The key here is relevance. A press release picked up by a UK trade magazine in your industry sends more valuable referral traffic than one picked up by a generic press release aggregator.
4. Press Releases Can Appear in Google News
Google News is a powerful but often overlooked SEO channel.
When your press release is published by a news site that Google has indexed as a news source — or if your own website has a news section that Google News has approved — your press release can appear in Google News results.
This matters because:
- Google News results often appear at the very top of regular Google search results, above organic listings.
- Appearing in Google News for a trending topic in your industry can drive enormous short-term traffic.
- Regular appearances in Google News build brand recognition among people searching for news in your niche.
For businesses that regularly produce genuinely newsworthy content, this is an extremely valuable off-page SEO channel.
5. Press Releases Support Your Overall Digital PR Strategy
The most sophisticated marketers in 2025 do not think of press releases as a link-building tactic. They think of press releases as one part of a broader digital PR strategy.
Digital PR is the practice of earning coverage, mentions, and backlinks from online media, journalists, bloggers, and influencers through genuinely newsworthy stories, research, and campaigns.
Press releases fit into this strategy as the formal announcement mechanism — the structured document you send to journalists to pitch your story. The actual SEO value comes not from the press release itself, but from the media coverage it generates.
When you combine press releases with:
- Original research and data
- Reactive commentary on trending topics
- Expert insights and thought leadership
- Compelling brand stories
…you create a digital PR machine that consistently earns high-quality editorial backlinks and brand mentions — both of which are major SEO signals.
What Does Not Work Anymore (And What to Avoid)
Now that we have covered what press releases can still do for SEO, let us be very clear about what does not work — and what can actually hurt your website.
Mass Distribution to Free Press Release Sites
There are dozens of free press release submission sites on the internet. Sites that will publish your press release instantly, often with a link back to your website, for free.
The problem? Google knows exactly what these sites are. The links from them carry almost no SEO value because:
- Everyone submits to them, so they are full of low-quality, self-promotional content.
- Google has already devalued these links as part of its algorithm updates.
- Many of these sites themselves have very low domain authority.
Submitting to 50 of these sites is not going to move your Google rankings. It is a waste of time that could give you the false impression you are doing SEO work when you are not.
Keyword-Stuffed Anchor Text in Press Releases
In the old days, people would write press releases and use their target keyword as the clickable anchor text for every link. For example, a press release might include five links all saying “best SEO agency in London” — all pointing to the same page.
Google now sees this as an unnatural, manipulative linking pattern. If you distribute a press release with heavily optimised anchor text across multiple sites, you risk a Google penalty — a manual or algorithmic action that can seriously damage your rankings.
If you include links in your press release, use branded anchor text (your company name) or natural phrasing — not keyword-rich anchor text.
Writing Press Releases About Non-News
A press release only has SEO value if it earns media pick-up. And a press release only earns media pick-up if it contains genuinely interesting news.
Journalists receive hundreds of press releases every day. They immediately discard anything that reads like a thinly veiled advertisement or contains non-news like “Our company is excited to announce our new blog post.”
Writing press releases about things that are not actually newsworthy is a waste of your time and effort. It will not earn you any media coverage, any editorial backlinks, or any meaningful SEO benefit.
Over-Reliance on Press Releases as Your Only Off-Page Strategy
Press releases should be one tool in your SEO toolkit — not the entire toolkit.
Some businesses make the mistake of relying heavily on press release submission while ignoring other proven off-page strategies like guest blogging, link reclamation, content marketing, and local citation building.
Press releases work best when they are integrated into a broader, diversified off-page SEO strategy.
How to Write a Press Release That Actually Helps Your SEO
If you are going to invest time in press releases, here is how to do it in a way that can genuinely support your SEO.
Step 1: Start With Genuine News
Ask yourself honestly: would a journalist at a regional newspaper or an industry trade publication find this interesting? If the answer is no, do not write a press release. Wait until you have something genuinely newsworthy to say.
Strong press release topics include:
- Results from original research or a survey you conducted
- A significant business milestone (major funding round, 10th anniversary, 1,000th customer)
- A new product or service that solves a real problem in a unique way
- A strategic partnership with a recognisable brand
- A response to a major industry development or change in regulations
- An award or industry recognition from a credible organisation
Step 2: Write for the Journalist, Not for Google
Your press release is not a blog post. It is not an SEO article. It is a communication tool designed to convince a busy journalist to write a story about your business.
Write in a journalistic style:
- Put the most important information in the first paragraph.
- Use the inverted pyramid structure — most important facts first, background details later.
- Keep sentences short and factual.
- Include a compelling headline that summarises the news clearly.
- Add a quote from a spokesperson at your company.
- Include your contact details so journalists can follow up.
Avoid marketing language, superlatives, and vague claims. Journalists hate phrases like “world-class,” “revolutionary,” and “game-changing.” Stick to facts and let the story speak for itself.
Step 3: Distribute Strategically — Not Widely
Instead of blasting your press release to 100 directories, take a more targeted approach:
Build a journalist contact list. Identify 20 to 30 journalists and editors who cover your industry. Follow them on Twitter (X) and LinkedIn. Read their work. When you have genuinely relevant news, send them a personalised email with your press release.
Use a quality wire service selectively. Platforms like PR Newswire, Business Wire, and Cision are expensive — but they have genuine distribution networks that reach real journalists and news organisations. For major announcements, they are worth the investment. For minor updates, they are not.
Target relevant trade publications. Every industry has its own trade publications and specialist blogs. A press release picked up by a respected trade publication in your niche is worth far more — both in terms of SEO and targeted traffic — than the same release appearing on a generic press release site.
Consider regional media. For local businesses, regional newspapers, local TV station websites, and community blogs are excellent targets. Local editorial backlinks are valuable for local SEO and for building genuine community recognition.
Step 4: Use Links Wisely
Include one or two links in your press release — maximum. Link to your homepage or the most relevant page on your website. Use branded anchor text (your company name) or natural, descriptive anchor text.
Do not include five links with keyword-rich anchor text. This looks manipulative and, if the press release is widely distributed, can trigger algorithmic red flags.
Step 5: Optimise for Google News
If you want your press release to appear in Google News, there are a few technical considerations:
- Publish the press release on your own website’s news or press section.
- Apply to have your website included in Google News Publisher Center.
- Ensure your press section is clearly structured and updated regularly.
- Use a clear, factual headline that matches how people would search for the news.
- Include the date prominently — Google News prioritises freshness.
How to Measure the SEO Impact of Your Press Release
Measuring press release SEO results is different from measuring a blog post’s performance. Here is what to track:
Media pick-ups: How many journalists or publications picked up and covered your story? Use Google Alerts or a media monitoring tool to track this.
New referring domains: Did any new websites link to yours as a result of the press release? Check this in Google Search Console or a tool like Ahrefs. New referring domains from authoritative news sites are the most direct SEO benefit.
Referral traffic: Check Google Analytics to see if you received a traffic spike from the publications that covered your story.
Brand search volume: After significant press coverage, you may notice an increase in branded searches — people Googling your company name. This is a brand authority signal.
Rankings: Over weeks and months, monitor whether the pages you linked to in the press release have improved in rankings. Remember, the effect is often delayed.
The Honest Verdict: Is Press Release Submission Worth It in 2025?
After everything we have covered, here is my honest, experience-based verdict:
Press releases are worth it if — and only if — you approach them correctly.
If you are thinking about submitting a generic press release to 100 free distribution sites and expecting your rankings to jump, stop. That approach is outdated, ineffective, and could actually hurt your site.
But if you are thinking about crafting a genuinely newsworthy story, writing it in a professional journalistic style, and distributing it directly to relevant journalists and quality publications — then yes, press releases are still a meaningful part of a smart SEO and digital PR strategy.
The businesses that get the most SEO value from press releases in 2025 are the ones treating them as a brand-building and relationship-building tool — not a link-building shortcut.
They are creating news worth covering. They are building genuine relationships with journalists over time. They are earning editorial backlinks from publications their target audience actually reads. And as a result, they are building the kind of off-page authority that makes every page on their website rank more easily.
That is the long game. It is harder than blasting a press release to 100 directories. But it works — and it keeps working.
Quick Reference: Press Release SEO Checklist
Before you publish and distribute any press release, run through this checklist:
- [ ] Is this genuinely newsworthy — would a journalist find this interesting?
- [ ] Have I written it in journalistic style (inverted pyramid, factual, no marketing fluff)?
- [ ] Does it include a strong, factual headline?
- [ ] Does it include a quote from a company spokesperson?
- [ ] Have I limited links to one or two, using branded or natural anchor text?
- [ ] Have I identified specific journalists and publications to target?
- [ ] Am I avoiding mass distribution to free, low-quality sites?
- [ ] Have I published it on my own website’s news/press section?
- [ ] Have I set up Google Alerts and tracking to monitor pick-ups?
- [ ] Is this one part of a broader off-page SEO strategy — not my only tactic?
Final Thoughts: Press Releases as Part of Your SEO Story
Press releases have not died. They have grown up.
In 2025, the businesses winning with press releases are not the ones gaming Google’s algorithm — they are the ones building genuine authority in their industry, one newsworthy story at a time.
Every time a respected publication covers your brand, every time a journalist links to your website in a news article, and every time someone searches for your company name because they read about you in the news — you are building something that no algorithm update can take away.
That is what modern press release SEO looks like.
It is not about links. It is about reputation. And reputation, in the long run, is the most powerful SEO strategy of all.