Do Press Releases Still Help Your SEO?

But like many good things the SEO community created, online press releases eventually became less valuable because of over-saturation. Now, many press release syndication sites exist to haphazardly duplicate the content across the Web. It has gotten so bad that last December, Matt Cutts of Googlemade the announcement that press releases no longer have any value for SEO rankings. But is he telling the truth, or just trying to discourage press release syndication sites from multiplying any further? Let’s analyze a few facts.

Some press releases are valuable. True, you don’t have to look far to find a press release that claims to announce some unremarkable “breakthrough discovery” or phony piece of industry “news.” But then, there are those press releases that are actually informative, engaging and, yes, newsworthy. Those are the press releases that have the best chance at being syndicated by a credible news source – and that is valuable for a company’s SEO.

Some press releases are linkable. A press release will only get the attention of an authoritative site if it is relevant to what others are already talking about. Those “others” can be peers or authorities in the company’s own industry, or they can be reputable media outlets. Writing a press release in a truly engaging, blog post-style format makes it more relevant to the conversations others are already having, and that relevance can make it linkable. Focusing on the goal of getting backlinks can help brands put out better press releases.

Some press releases become actual news. It’s great to get links to your press release, but even better if it is actually used for the “traditional” purpose of a press release: to craft news. When a news organization turns a press release into a story, that story often links back to the site of the company was the original source of the press release. That makes putting out a high quality press release a worthy SEO practice.

Press releases can still help your SEO, if they are done correctly. To speak with a Los Angeles SEO company that crafts quality press releases for its clients, contact Crest Media for a free phone evaluation. Our experienced team of marketers will be glad to answer your questions.