A press release can help your SEO. But not in the cheap, magic-button way some people sell it.
If someone tells you, “Send one press release and get hundreds of powerful backlinks,” be careful. That is not how modern search works. A press release is not a shortcut around earning trust. It is a way to put real news in front of journalists, customers, partners, and search engines.
The backlinks are not the whole point. They are a possible side effect.
What actually happens when a release is distributed
When you send a press release through a wire or distribution service, your release may appear on many news and media sites. Those pages may include links back to your website.
That sounds great. And it can be useful.
But many syndicated press release links are not the same as an editorial link from a journalist who chose to write about you. Search engines know the difference between a distributed announcement and earned coverage. Google’s spam policies specifically warn against links with optimized anchor text in press releases distributed on other sites when those links are used to pass ranking credit.
In plain English: do not stuff a release with keyword-heavy links and expect Google to reward it.
The backlink mistake small businesses make
The common mistake is writing a press release for search engines first.
You see it all the time:
“Best Baltimore accounting firm announces best accounting services for Baltimore businesses.”
Nobody talks like that. No journalist wants to use that. No customer trusts it. And search engines have become very good at spotting language written only to manipulate rankings.
A better headline would be:
“Baltimore Accounting Firm Launches Fixed-Fee Tax Help for Freelancers.”
That gives the reader a real story. It has a location, a company type, a service, and an audience. It sounds like news, not bait.
So do press release backlinks have value?
Yes, but you need to define value the right way.
A press release link can help people find the right page on your site. It can send referral traffic. It can help search engines discover or connect facts about your business. It can support brand search when people look up your company after seeing the announcement.
But the bigger value comes when the release leads to earned coverage.
That means a journalist, blogger, trade editor, podcast host, or newsletter writer sees the release and decides the story matters to their audience. That coverage may include a link. More importantly, it brings third-party credibility.
That is the backlink you really want: the one you did not place yourself.
Use links like a reader would use them
A good press release usually needs only one to three links. Link to pages that help the reader take the next step.
Good options include:
- Your homepage, if the company needs basic context.
- A product, study, event, or announcement page.
- A media kit, if journalists need photos, logos, or background.
Avoid linking every keyword. Avoid repeating the same link five times. Avoid anchor text that sounds like it was assembled in an SEO lab after too much coffee.
Use natural anchor text, like “download the report,” “view the product details,” or “learn more about the company.”
What to measure instead
If you only measure backlinks, you may miss the real story.
Track these instead:
- Did the release earn media pickups?
- Did referral traffic increase?
- Did branded search rise?
- Did journalists open or respond to your follow-up?
- Did prospects mention seeing the announcement?
- Did the release give your sales team something useful to share?
Backlinks matter, but they are one signal. PR works best when it builds proof around your business over time.
For a deeper look at how releases can support search visibility, read this eReleases guide to SEO for press releases.
The honest answer
A press release is not a backlink vending machine.
It is a public record of something newsworthy. It gives reporters the facts. It gives customers a clear reason to pay attention. It gives search engines more context about who you are and what you do.
Can backlinks come from that? Yes.
Should backlinks be the only reason you send a release? No.
Write the release for people first. Use links sparingly. Make the announcement useful. Then the SEO value you do get is built on something stronger than a trick.
It is built on a real story.
Mickie Kennedy founded eReleases.com in 1998 after watching PR firms charge small businesses a $20,000 minimum for a single press release. For 27 years, he’s been closing that gap — distributing 150,000+ releases via Cision PR Newswire, serving 30,000+ clients including Manscaped, Squatty Potty, and 40+ Shark Tank brands, and generating $132M+ in earned media. A sought-after podcast guest and two-time Amazon bestselling author of Beginner’s Guide to Writing Powerful Press Releases and The PR Strategy Manifesto. Mickie holds an MFA in Creative Writing from George Mason University. Based in Baltimore, MD. LinkedIn