Is press release link building worth it?

Press releases have long been a standard communications tool for businesses to promote new products, executive appointments, company news, and more. In the past, press releases were sent to media contacts in hopes of securing news coverage. In today’s digital landscape, press release link building is also an important aspect of sending out releases.

Is investing time and effort into press release distribution for links worth it? Here’s an in-depth look at the tactic.

• Press release SEO
• Crafting newsworthy content 
• Optimizing anchor text 
• Strategic distributing 
• To pay or not to pay 
• Other uses

Understanding Press Release SEO

At its core, press release link-building works much like any other link-building tactic. The goal is to secure inbound links from external websites back to your site. Links serve as signals for relevance and authority. So earning links, especially from reputable sites, can boost your rankings.

With a press release, the concept is that you distribute a newsworthy press release and hope that the media outlets, blogs, and websites that pick it up will also include a link back to your site within the post. This functions just like an organic, editorial link – a website has chosen on its own accord to publish your content and link to you.

So optimizing press releases for links requires first and foremost creating genuinely newsworthy content that publishers will want to share with their audiences. You also want the release to include natural opportunities for linking – quotes from executives, references to related articles/data, etc. Quality anchor text links are a bonus, but with press releases you usually don’t have as much control over how others will link to you.

Read next: Top tips on using anchor text the right way in your content strategy

Crafting Newsworthy Content

Since press release success hinges on creating content that publishers actually want to share, the first step is developing something that fits within the context of what’s currently happening in your industry and resonates with your target media.

What’s considered “newsworthy” varies greatly between industries and individual publications. For instance, if a well-known executive in your field leaves one company to take a leadership role with another organization, media outlets would likely be interested. Most trades would also pick up news of a significant partnership, acquisition, new funding round, executive promotion, etc.

But you also need to be aware of what information is no longer novel in your space. A company launching a responsive website design may have been big news 15  years ago when the concept was still new, but not in today’s landscape.

While traditional press release format doesn’t incorporate links in the body copy, don’t let outdated conventions limit your outreach. Including links to related data, articles, product pages, etc. not only helps establish relevance but also seeds additional link opportunities. Even if an outlet opts to publish your release verbatim without links, any anchor text links back to your site still offer SEO value.

Read next: The steps to effortless marketing

Optimizing Anchor Text

Anchor text refers to the visible, clickable text used for a hyperlink. Anchor text is important in SEO, as it tells search engines more specifics about what page is being linked to.

For instance, let’s say your press release announces the launch of a new content consulting service. Instead of linking to your homepage or general website URL, try linking directly to the new services page using text like “Christoph Trappe’s content consulting services”. This provides clearer signals to search engines about what that page focuses on.

Because press releases involve less control over how others link to you, you typically can’t dictate exact anchor text the way you could on your own site’s internal links. But, incorporating relevant, keyword-driven anchor text opportunities within your release gives publishers natural options to choose from if they do opt to link out.

Strategic Distribution Networks

The distribution plan for your press release can impact both potential pick-up and link opportunities. Start by sending directly to media contacts at trade publications and industry websites already in your outreach database.

You can also utilize paid press release distribution services. However, links published as part of a paid campaign may hold less SEO weight than organic editorial links. Evaluate options based on expected traffic, relevance of sites linking to you, and overall domain authority. A mix of both paid distribution and direct organic outreach is likely ideal.

Pay Versus Free

Speaking of paid services, sometimes an editor will ask for a payment for publishing your press release. This essentially turns it into sponsored content.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with paying for press release publication – it can still achieve brand awareness goals through media placements. However, if paying for inclusion, be aware that any links may be designated as “nofollow”, meaning they hold less  SEO value.

Many editors see press releases as opportunities to earn extra income, so don’t be surprised if publication requires a fee. Determine what return on investment paid placements offer versus solely pursuing organic pick-up and links.

Other Uses

Remember as well that press releases serve more functions than just earning external links. They can be used to announce news across social channels and published natively on your blog or website’s media/news section.

A press release is ultimately meant to promote something newsworthy happening with your company. Yes, securing backlinks in the process would be great for SEO. But don’t lose sight of the broader goals of spreading awareness of company happenings that customers, prospects, partners, and other stakeholders would genuinely care about.

If crafted well, and distributed appropriately, press releases absolutely can earn high-quality backlinks from industry media and websites. Put effort into developing genuinely interesting news that fits into the current content landscape of your niche. Target media outlets where the information would resonate. And incorporate natural link opportunities throughout your release.

This balanced approach allows press releases to serve multiple purposes – driving awareness, securing media placements, and yes, contributing to your overall link-building strategy.