But does it have any impact on your SEO efforts?<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve been around long enough, you may remember when search engine optimizers used them as a way to pack keywords into their sites. Does that still work? <\/span><\/p>\n And what\u2019s more \u2013 if there is a link between search rankings and quality press releases, how do you walk that line between optimizing them for search engines while still adhering to journalistic guidelines?<\/p>\n Obviously, these are not simple questions to answer, but have no fear; we\u2019re here to guide you.<\/p>\n Read on for more information about press releases and how to employ them as part of your online strategy. <\/span><\/p>\n You probably already know that a press release is an official statement giving information to journalists about a noteworthy event.<\/p>\n It allows you to quickly distribute news (and help shape the narrative around it) to a network of journalists, with the ultimate goal of having it featured on a reputable news platform. <\/span><\/p>\n Here\u2019s an example of a press release from Google Cloud<\/a>:<\/p>\n As you can see, this press release gives readers a quick overview of the news in a headline, fleshes out that information in the subhead, and then dives deeper into the details as the piece continues. <\/span><\/p>\n Students and fledgling journalists are often instructed to write these in what is known as an \u201cinverted pyramid<\/a>,\u201d where the most important information is given upfront. <\/span><\/p>\n In case you hadn\u2019t figured it out by now (and we\u2019re sure you did), organizations send press releases for several reasons, including:<\/p>\n As media technology improved and we moved to a shorter news cycle, companies gained a new reason to send press releases: to gain links from reputable news sites.<\/p>\n And, therefore, boost SEO.<\/p>\n While press releases have been around since 1906<\/a>, when Ivy Lee released the first one to cover a railroad accident, they took on new importance in the digital age. <\/span><\/p>\n And like everything that boosted SEO success, press release links started out well.<\/p>\n And then came the abuse. (Shocking, right?)<\/p>\n Once people figured out links from top-notch new sites could help with rankings, they began writing all kinds of press releases for all sorts of things \u2013 even on non-relevant events like hiring new employees<\/a> (unfortunately, still common) or changing the color of their carpet. (True story. I seriously saw this one!)<\/p>\n All the spam led Google to notice and penalize sites that carried these links.<\/p>\n The result?<\/p>\n \u201cNewswire\u201d sites have added the nofollow attribute<\/a> to links.<\/p>\n So yes, you can still get links from press releases.<\/p>\n But since they\u2019ll be nofollow links, they may not help<\/a> your SEO.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what Google\u2019s John Mueller said about it<\/a> in 2018:<\/p>\n \u201c(W)e try to ignore links from things like press releases because we know, in general, companies put the press releases out themselves. So any links in there are essentially placed by themselves.<\/p>\n But if these links happen and they\u2019re out there, it\u2019s not something you need to worry about, because you can\u2019t really take them all back.<\/p>\n I just wouldn\u2019t rely on kind of press releases as a strategy for building up links for a website, because, like I said, we do ignore most of those.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n So, if you\u2019re not getting the SEO credit for links from news sites, is it still worth including press releases in your digital strategy?<\/p>\n Short answer: Yes. <\/span><\/p>\n However, there\u2019s one important thing you absolutely have to keep in mind. That is why<\/b> you\u2019re sending a press release.<\/p>\n Is it to:<\/p>\n If you can answer \u201cyes\u201d to any of these, then go ahead and write that press release.<\/p>\n But if you\u2019re doing it to gain links for your new site, stop immediately.<\/p>\n Even if the \u201cnewswire\u201d does link to you, the link may not do anything to help you on Google\u2019s SERPs.<\/p>\n But here\u2019s the thing: That last sentence isn\u2019t strictly<\/i> true. There is a way press releases can be used to boost SEO; it\u2019s just not in the way you think. <\/span><\/p>\n While press releases don\u2019t directly<\/i> impact search rankings, they can boost them indirectly.<\/i><\/p>\n For example, you could get featured on a news site and attract people\u2019s interest<\/a>.<\/p>\n Intrigued by your release, they flock to your site, thus boosting your traffic.<\/p>\n If they love your site, they\u2019ll stay and click through to different pages.<\/p>\n And if your content is amazing<\/a>, they\u2019ll share it on social media or link to it on their own sites, gaining you (you guessed it!) quality links.<\/p>\n And these will boost<\/b> your SEO.<\/p>\n So, spammy backlinks gained through low-quality news?<\/p>\n No.<\/p>\n A ton of traffic and backlinks<\/a> from new fans?<\/p>\n Yes.<\/p>\n That\u2019s how you \u201coptimize\u201d a press release for SEO.<\/p>\n Now that you\u2019ve been sold on the importance of using press releases in your digital marketing efforts, it\u2019s time to get down to the nitty-gritty of creating and sharing them. <\/span><\/p>\n Writing them is a lot easier than you may think. To create your first one, <\/span>follow these three easy steps:<\/p>\n No, changing the color of your carpet doesn\u2019t count. Unless you work in the Oval Office \u2013 then it might be of some minor interest.<\/p>\n But \u201cnewsworthy\u201d doesn\u2019t necessarily have to mean \u201chuge.\u201d<\/p>\n You can simply host an event.<\/p>\n Or you can do a study on something your audience cares about.<\/p>\n You can also tweak a product or service to make it better.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve decided on your newsworthy event, make sure to over-deliver.<\/p>\n Give it your all.<\/p>\n Start off with an attention-grabbing title<\/a> your audience will care about.<\/p>\n Like this one from Starbucks<\/a>.<\/p>\n Make sure your press release is short and reads like a newspaper article<\/a>.<\/p>\n Journalists love when they can copy and paste directly from it when writing their story.<\/p>\n Important tips to keep in mind when writing your press release:<\/p>\n Whatever you do, don\u2019t spam a hundred journalists, hoping that one of them will write about you.<\/p>\n Do your research first.<\/p>\n For instance, you just did a study that revealed that 56% of mothers are unhappy with their school\u2019s lunch program.<\/p>\n Instead of distributing your press release to anyone whose email address you can dig up, find someone who writes in a related field.<\/p>\n Using a tool like BuzzSumo<\/a> is a great way to get this information.<\/p>\n Ready to write your own press releases?<\/p>\n Check out these three examples for inspiration.<\/p>\n This press release was so successful that several sites picked it up and wrote stories<\/a> on it.<\/p>\n This press release from the Sam Adams brewer was so successful that several large sites, including CNBC<\/a>, picked it up.<\/p>\n Capitalizing on the Netflix hit show, Vans\u2019 \u201cStranger Things\u201d collection received a lot of coverage in sneaker trade publications, including Sneaker News<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n Hopefully, by this point, it\u2019s been made clear: Press releases can be a useful tool for SEO, but only if they\u2019re used correctly. <\/span><\/p>\n Spamming media sites, journalists, and bloggers with releases for everything in the hope that you\u2019ll receive some publicity aren\u2019t going to help. <\/span><\/p>\n On the other hand, if you\u2019re contacting relevant (often niche) publications or other people who are likely to be interested in your newsworthy (never forget this point) event to attract traffic, fans, and following links, then they\u2019re very useful.<\/p>\n Just remember what you\u2019ve learned in this piece: Keep your releases relevant (again, no carpet color changes) and distribute them to the right people; they can play an important factor in driving your site higher up the rankings. <\/span><\/p>\n More Resources:<\/strong><\/p>\n Featured Image: Pressmaster\/Shutterstock<\/em><\/p>\nWhat Is A Press Release?<\/h2>\n
![\"Here\u2019s](\"https:\/\/marketingnewsbox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/are-press-releases-still-good-for-seo-via-sejournal-lorenbaker.png\")
Screenshot from googlecloudpresscorner.com, August 2022<\/em><\/span><\/div>\n\n
A (Brief) History Of Press Releases For SEO<\/h2>\n
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Are Press Releases Still Relevant Today?<\/h2>\n
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How To Optimize A Press Release To Benefit SEO<\/h2>\n
How To Create & Share A Press Release<\/h2>\n
1. Do Something Newsworthy<\/h3>\n
2. Write A Catchy Press Release<\/h3>\n
![\"Are](\"https:\/\/marketingnewsbox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/are-press-releases-still-good-for-seo-via-sejournal-lorenbaker-1.png\")
Screenshot from stories.starbucks.com, August 2022<\/em><\/span><\/div>\n![\"Make](\"https:\/\/marketingnewsbox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/are-press-releases-still-good-for-seo-via-sejournal-lorenbaker-2.png\")
Screenshot from media.wholefoodsmarket.com, August 2022<\/em><\/span><\/div>\n\n
3. Share Your Press Release With The Right Journalists<\/h3>\n
![\"Using](\"https:\/\/marketingnewsbox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/are-press-releases-still-good-for-seo-via-sejournal-lorenbaker.jpg\")
Screenshot from BuzzSumo, August 2022<\/em><\/span><\/div>\n3 Successful Press Release Examples To Emulate<\/h2>\n
Mars\u2019 Pledge<\/a> Press Release<\/h3>\n
![\"Mars\u2019](\"https:\/\/marketingnewsbox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/are-press-releases-still-good-for-seo-via-sejournal-lorenbaker-3.png\")
Screenshot from mars.com, August 2022<\/em><\/span><\/div>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/marketingnewsbox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/are-press-releases-still-good-for-seo-via-sejournal-lorenbaker-4.png\")
Screenshot from search for [Mars Zero Emissions], Google, August 2022<\/em><\/span><\/div>\nBoston Beer Company\u2019s<\/a> New Product Announcement<\/h3>\n
![\"Boston](\"https:\/\/marketingnewsbox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/are-press-releases-still-good-for-seo-via-sejournal-lorenbaker-5.png\")
Screenshot from bostonbeer.com, August 2022<\/em><\/span><\/div>\n![\"This](\"https:\/\/marketingnewsbox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/are-press-releases-still-good-for-seo-via-sejournal-lorenbaker-6.png\")
Screenshot from cnbc.com, August 2022<\/em><\/span><\/div>\nVans\u2019<\/a> \u201cStranger Things\u201d Line<\/h3>\n
![\"Vans'](\"https:\/\/marketingnewsbox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/are-press-releases-still-good-for-seo-via-sejournal-lorenbaker-7.png\")
Screenshot from sneakernews.com, August 2022<\/em><\/span><\/div>\nHow To Use A Press Release For SEO<\/h2>\n
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