Press release links on their own do very little for rankings. Google treats links in distributed press releases as links that should not pass ranking credit, and most wire and syndication links are already tagged nofollow or sponsored. Press releases still help SEO, but indirectly: through the coverage, brand searches, journalist pickup and follow-up links they create.
Key points
- Google’s spam policies name optimized anchor text in distributed press releases as an example of link spam.
- Most press release links are tagged nofollow or sponsored, which tells Google not to pass ranking credit.
- The real value is in coverage, brand search, referral traffic and journalists who write about you later.
- Unlinked mentions from press coverage can often be turned into editorial links with a short follow-up.
What Google Actually Says
Google is unusually direct about press releases. Its spam policies for Google web search list examples of link spam, and one of them is links with optimized anchor text in articles or press releases distributed on other sites. In plain terms: if you distribute a release with keyword-rich anchor text pointing to a money page, Google considers that an attempt to manipulate rankings.
Google also asks publishers to label paid and promotional links. Its guidance on qualifying outbound links explains the rel=”sponsored” and rel=”nofollow” attributes, and Google introduced the sponsored attribute specifically for links that are part of advertising or paid placement. A distributed press release is paid placement, so reputable distribution networks add those attributes automatically.
The consequence is simple. A press release link usually reaches Google as a hint not to count it. Google has said since its 2019 change to nofollow that it treats these attributes as hints, but nobody should plan an SEO campaign around Google ignoring them.
Why Most Press Release Links Pass Little Value
Three things limit the direct value of a press release link, and they stack.
The link attributes
Most syndication and wire pages tag outbound links as nofollow or sponsored. You can check this yourself on any live placement by inspecting the link. Where the link is followed, it is often because the outlet has not updated its templates, not because the link was meant to pass value.
Duplicate content across many pages
A syndicated release appears word for word on dozens or hundreds of pages. Google groups near-identical pages and usually shows only one version. The other copies may be indexed, but they rarely rank and add little as link sources.
Where the release sits
Syndicated releases often sit in press release sections or feeds that have few internal links pointing to them. Even where the domain is strong, the individual page carries little authority of its own.
None of this makes press releases worthless. It makes them a poor substitute for editorial links. If the goal is ranking authority, editorial link building or digital PR is the right tool.
Where the Real SEO Value Comes From
The SEO value of a press release is real, but it arrives through people rather than through the link itself.
Coverage and brand search
When your news appears across trade and business media, more people search for your brand by name. Branded search is one of the clearest signals that a company is known in its market, and it often lifts traffic to the homepage and key product pages. Watch for it in the queries table of the Google Search Console Performance report in the weeks after a release.
Journalist pickup
Journalists use distributed releases as leads. A reporter who sees your funding news on a wire may write an original story, interview your founder or add you to a source list. Those original stories are editorial, and their links are the kind Google does count.
Unlinked mentions
Coverage often mentions a brand without linking to it. Those mentions can be followed up with a polite request to add a link, especially where a link helps readers find the product or data being discussed. We walk through the process in turning unlinked brand mentions into backlinks.
Referral traffic
Trade outlets and niche publications send readers who are already interested in your market. That traffic will not show up as ranking movement, but it is often higher quality than general search traffic for B2B companies.
Trust signals on your own site
Coverage on recognised publications can be shown on your site in an “as featured in” section, linked to the original articles. This does not change rankings directly, but it helps visitors and supports the kind of trust signals Google describes in its guidance on creating helpful, reliable content.
How to Write a Release That Supports SEO Without Risk
A few habits keep a press release on the right side of Google’s policies while still helping your wider SEO.
- Use branded or plain URL links. Link your company name or homepage. Do not use keyword anchors such as “best payments platform”.
- Limit the links. One or two links are enough: the homepage and the page the news is about.
- Make it newsworthy. A release with real news gets original coverage. A release written for keywords does not.
- Include something journalists can use. Data, a named spokesperson with a usable quote, and images.
- Choose outlets your audience reads. Referral traffic and brand searches only happen when the right people see the coverage.
For a full walkthrough of structure and common rejection reasons, see how to write a press release publishers actually pick up.
What About Followed Press Release Links?
Some placements will show a followed link. That happens when an outlet has not updated its templates, or when a journalist writes an original story from the release and links to you editorially.
The two cases are different. A followed link on a syndicated copy of your own release is still, in Google’s terms, a link in a distributed press release, and you should not count on it. A link in an original article written by a journalist is an editorial link, and it is the kind of link a press release is good at producing indirectly.
When you report on a campaign, separate them. Count syndicated placements as visibility. Count original articles and converted mentions as earned links. That keeps expectations honest with clients and stakeholders, and it shows which announcements produced real editorial interest.
It also explains why press release packages are best judged on the outlets they reach. A smaller list of outlets your industry reads tends to produce more original stories than a large list of generic news sites.
When a Press Release Is the Right Tool
Press releases earn their cost when there is real news and a specific audience to reach: a funding round, a market entry, a product launch, a partnership, a licence, a senior hire. In those cases the goal is visibility with investors, partners, customers or trade buyers, and the SEO benefits are a by-product.
They are the wrong tool when the only goal is backlinks. A business that wants ranking authority should spend that budget on editorial placements on relevant publishers, and treat press distribution as a separate visibility budget.
Many campaigns combine the two. A release creates coverage and journalist interest, and a link building or digital PR campaign builds the editorial links. Our financial news syndication case study shows the visibility side of that combination, and choosing the right distribution package covers how to match the package to the news.
Measuring What a Press Release Did
Because the value is indirect, measure it with the right metrics rather than with rankings alone.
- Number of live placements, and how many are on outlets your audience reads.
- Branded search impressions in Search Console over the following four to eight weeks.
- Referral sessions from coverage, tracked in your analytics.
- Original articles written by journalists who saw the release.
- Unlinked mentions found and converted into links.
Compare these against the cost of the package. A release that produced two original articles and a measurable rise in brand search did its job, even if no ranking moved in the first month.
Google’s own short answer on whether nofollow links count as backlinks is worth two minutes before buying distribution for SEO reasons.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do press release backlinks help rankings?
Very little on their own. Google’s spam policies treat optimized links in distributed press releases as link spam, and most press release links are tagged nofollow or sponsored. The value comes from coverage, brand searches and follow-up editorial links.
Should press release links be nofollow?
Yes. Distributed releases are paid placement, and Google asks for paid links to be marked with rel=”sponsored” or rel=”nofollow”. Reputable distribution networks do this automatically.
Can a press release hurt my SEO?
It can if it uses keyword-rich anchor text pointing at money pages, since Google names that as link spam. Branded links and real news carry no such risk.
Is a press release worth it for SEO?
It is worth it for visibility when you have real news. Treat SEO gains as a by-product. If backlinks are the only goal, editorial link building or digital PR is the better use of budget.