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How to Use Press Releases for Backlinks?

BacklinkScan Teamon Dec 16, 2025
28 min read

Using press releases for backlinks works best when you treat them as real news, not as a shortcut SEO trick. A well-written, newsworthy release distributed to relevant media can spark organic coverage, attract natural backlinks, and strengthen your brand’s authority, while spammy mass syndication and keyword-stuffed links are largely ignored by search engines.

In 2025, most links inside press releases are nofollow or devalued, so their direct ranking power is limited. The real SEO value comes when journalists, bloggers, and niche publications discover your announcement and decide to write their own story, linking editorially to your site. This guide will show you how to plan, write, and distribute press releases strategically so you earn sustainable, high-quality backlinks from press releases for backlinks.

Most press releases generate two broad types of backlinks:

  1. Press release links These are the links inside the release itself when it appears on newswire sites, syndication portals, and content scrapers. They are usually:
  • Marked as nofollow or sponsored
  • On duplicate or low‑priority pages
  • Automatically republished without editorial review

Because of that, they have little to no direct ranking power. They can still send referral traffic, help discovery of new URLs, and contribute to a natural‑looking link profile, but they are not strong SEO fuel on their own.

  1. Earned media links These are links you get when a journalist, blogger, or editor reads your release, then writes their own story and chooses to link to you. Those links:
  • Are editorially given
  • Often use natural anchor text
  • Are usually dofollow unless the outlet has a strict policy

Google treats these as real, high‑quality backlinks, because they are independent endorsements, not self‑placed links.

In short: the press release itself rarely gives you powerful backlinks. The real SEO win is when the release sparks coverage that earns you links on other sites.

A press release link is:

  • Written by you (or your PR team)
  • Distributed at scale, often via a wire
  • Published automatically on many sites with identical wording
  • Treated by Google as self‑promotional, similar to an ad

An earned media link is:

  • Written by someone else who found your story interesting
  • Unique content with their own angle or analysis
  • Placed editorially, not because you paid for distribution
  • Exactly the kind of link Google wants to reward

Google’s guidelines explicitly list “links with optimized anchor text in press releases distributed on other sites” as an example of an unnatural link scheme.

So think of the release as a pitch, not the final backlink. Its job is to get in front of people who can create real coverage and real links.

Modern press release backlinks are usually tagged with one of three attributes:

  • rel="nofollow" Tells Google not to treat the link as a direct ranking signal. Since 2020, Google treats nofollow as a “hint”, which means it may still use it for discovery or even ranking in some cases, but you should assume minimal SEO value.

  • rel="sponsored" Used for paid placements, advertorials, and other commercial links. Many press release placements qualify as sponsored in Google’s eyes, because you are paying for distribution. These links are also treated as hints and generally should not pass PageRank.

  • Dofollow (no attribute) This is the default when no rel attribute is set. In theory, a dofollow press release link could pass authority. In practice, most reputable distribution platforms now force nofollow or redirects on release links to stay compliant with Google’s rules.

You might occasionally see a dofollow link slip through, especially on smaller sites that republish your release. Treat those as a bonus, not a strategy. Building campaigns around getting followed links from press releases is risky and out of step with current guidelines.

Why Google doesn’t want you using releases just to manipulate rankings

Google’s stance is simple: press releases are like ads. You control the message, you often pay for distribution, and you can place links wherever you want. That makes them easy to abuse for large‑scale, artificial link building.

Because of years of spammy behavior, Google has:

  • Added optimized anchor text in press releases to its list of link schemes
  • Recommended that links in releases be marked nofollow (or sponsored)
  • Warned that using releases primarily to build PageRank‑passing links can lead to manual actions or algorithmic devaluation

From Google’s point of view, if you can buy or self‑publish a link at scale, it should not influence rankings.

So the safe, modern way to think about press releases and backlinks is:

  • Use releases to share real news, reach journalists, and earn organic coverage.
  • Expect the links inside the release to be nofollow / sponsored and low impact.
  • Measure success by earned media links, brand mentions, and referral traffic, not by how many “dofollow press release backlinks” you can rack up.

If your main goal is to manipulate rankings with anchor‑text‑stuffed releases, you are working against how Google wants the web to function, and your SEO will eventually suffer for it.

Situations where a press release is worth doing (and when it’s not)

Press releases make sense for link building when you have real news that someone outside your company would actually care about. In those cases, a release can spark coverage, which can then turn into editorial backlinks from news sites, blogs, and industry publications. Typical “worth it” moments include:

  • Launching a genuinely new product, feature, or location
  • Announcing funding, a major partnership, or an acquisition
  • Hosting or sponsoring a notable event, award, or charity initiative
  • Releasing original data, research, or a significant milestone

In these scenarios, journalists and bloggers have a reason to write their own story and link back to you, which is where the real SEO value comes from.

A press release is not worth doing purely for backlinks when:

  • The “news” is minor (routine hires, small internal changes, generic discounts)
  • You plan to rely only on cheap syndication sites
  • Your main goal is to stuff in keyword‑rich anchor text

Most distribution platforms now use nofollow links, and Google largely ignores mass‑syndicated copies, so these releases rarely move rankings on their own.

If you would be embarrassed to pitch the story to a real journalist, it is probably not strong enough to justify a press release for link building.

For most brands, local and niche coverage is far more realistic than landing links from big national outlets.

Local media, regional business journals, and industry‑specific sites are often hungry for:

  • New openings or expansions in their area
  • Community events and charity work
  • Local hiring, awards, or economic impact stories

These outlets are easier to reach, more likely to respond, and their backlinks can still be very valuable, especially for local SEO and branded searches.

National coverage is possible, but usually only when:

  • The story has broad relevance (large funding round, major partnership, widely useful research)
  • It ties into a bigger trend journalists are already covering

Even then, you might get brand mentions without links, or coverage that links to an intermediary source instead of your site. Those mentions still help with authority and awareness, but you should not plan your link building strategy around landing a handful of national headlines.

Setting expectations: direct SEO impact vs indirect benefits

From an SEO perspective, press releases are supporting actors, not the star of the show.

Direct impact is limited because:

  • Most distribution links are nofollow and do not pass much authority
  • Syndicated copies are often de‑prioritized or not indexed
  • Google has explicitly warned against using press releases just to manipulate rankings

Where press releases shine is in indirect benefits:

  • They put your news in front of journalists and bloggers who may create editorial, dofollow backlinks on their own sites
  • They increase brand visibility and search demand, leading to more branded searches and engagement
  • They generate referral traffic from news and niche sites, which can turn into leads, customers, and future organic links
  • They contribute to perceived authority and trust, which supports your broader SEO efforts over time

So it makes sense to use press releases for link building when you treat them as:

  • A way to earn links through coverage, not to “print” links on syndication sites
  • One channel inside a larger PR and content strategy, not your primary SEO tactic

If you go in expecting a few high‑quality mentions, some referral traffic, and the chance to build relationships with media, you will be much happier than if you expect a single press release to jump you several spots in the rankings.

Planning your press release around backlinks starts long before you write the first sentence. You need a clear SEO goal, a specific page you want to strengthen, and a realistic idea of who might actually cover your news. Treat it like a small campaign, not a one‑off document you fire into the void.

Defining your main SEO goal before you write

Before you draft anything, decide what you want this press release to achieve from an SEO perspective. Common goals include:

  • Strengthening your homepage or brand entity
  • Building authority for a key product or feature page
  • Earning links to a research report, case study, or data hub
  • Driving local signals to a location or “store finder” page

Pick one primary goal, not three. If you try to promote every page at once, your message gets diluted and journalists are less likely to understand what matters.

Then sanity‑check that goal against how Google treats press releases today. Links inside syndicated releases are usually nofollow or ignored algorithmically, and Google treats them as promotional rather than editorial endorsements.

So your real SEO goal should be:

  • Use the release to spark coverage that earns editorial links, and
  • Use any direct links in the release mainly for user navigation and discovery, not PageRank.

Choosing the page you actually want links to

Once you know the goal, choose the single best page you want people to link to. Often, that is not your homepage.

Ask yourself:

  • If a journalist wrote about this story, what page would they naturally reference?
  • Does that page clearly explain the news, product, or data without needing extra context?
  • Is it built to convert the traffic you might get (clear headline, next steps, internal links)?

For example, if you are announcing a new study, the ideal target is the study landing page, not a generic blog index. If you are opening a new office, it might be your locations page or a dedicated “About our new office” page.

Make sure that page is:

  • Fully up to date and accurate
  • Fast, mobile‑friendly, and easy to scan
  • Internally linked from your navigation or relevant hub pages

You want journalists to feel comfortable linking to it because it looks authoritative and stable, not like a thin or temporary promo page.

Mapping out the journalists, blogs, and outlets you want to attract

Finally, plan who you want to pick up the story. This is where most press release backlink strategies fail: they rely on mass distribution instead of targeted relevance.

Start by building a focused list:

  • Industry reporters who regularly cover your niche
  • Trade publications and specialist blogs your buyers actually read
  • Local or regional outlets if the news has a geographic angle
  • Newsletter writers or podcasters who feature company news or data

Look at what these people have written in the last few months. Note:

  • Topics they care about
  • Formats they like (data stories, founder profiles, product roundups)
  • How they typically link out (to product pages, reports, or homepages)

This mapping step helps you shape the angle of your press release so it fits their beat and makes it obvious where a link would be useful to their readers. It also gives you a warm starting point for later outreach: instead of blasting a generic release, you can send tailored pitches that reference their past work and explain why your announcement is relevant.

When you know your SEO goal, your ideal target page, and the specific people you want to reach, the press release stops being a generic announcement and becomes a deliberate tool for earning real, editorial backlinks.

Making the announcement genuinely newsworthy

A press release only earns real backlinks when the story is something a journalist would actually cover. Start by asking a blunt question: Would a stranger in my industry care about this?

Genuinely newsworthy angles usually involve:

  • A clear change or milestone: launch, funding, acquisition, major partnership, expansion, rebrand, or significant hire.
  • Real impact: new jobs, local economic effect, industry firsts, notable research, or data that reveals a trend.
  • Strong human interest: a compelling founder story, a community project, or a problem solved in a fresh way.

Avoid “fake news” like minor discounts, routine blog posts, or tiny feature tweaks dressed up as big launches. If the core announcement is weak, strengthen it: add data, a bold commitment, a community angle, or a clear “why now” that ties into a current trend or problem.

Write the release in a straightforward, journalistic style. Lead with the news in the first paragraph, then add context, proof, and quotes. The easier it is for a reporter to turn your release into a story, the more likely you are to earn organic backlinks.

Using anchor text and URLs without looking spammy

Google explicitly treats keyword‑stuffed anchor text in press releases as a link scheme, especially when those releases are distributed on other sites. So your anchor text strategy has to look natural to both humans and algorithms.

Good practices:

  • Prefer branded or neutral anchors: “Visit Acme Robotics,” “learn more about the study,” “full report here.”
  • Use descriptive phrases instead of exact‑match keywords: “download the electric vehicle cost report” is safer than “cheap electric cars.”
  • Vary your anchors. If the same keyword‑rich phrase appears across dozens of syndications, it screams manipulation.

Link to pages that genuinely help the reader: the product page for the launch, a detailed report, a media kit, or a dedicated landing page. Avoid stuffing multiple links into every paragraph or forcing keywords into awkward sentences. If a journalist feels like your release is written for bots, they are less likely to cover you or link at all.

Placing 1–2 strategic links in the body and boilerplate

Most modern guidance recommends one to two links per press release, placed where they are most useful, not where they might pass the most “juice.”

A simple structure that works well:

  • Body link: In the first or second section, add a contextual link to the most relevant page (product, report, event registration, etc.). This is the link journalists are most likely to click when researching.
  • Boilerplate link: In the “About [Company]” section, include a single branded link to your homepage or main hub. This feels natural and gives editors an easy reference if they want to learn more.

Skip the temptation to sprinkle links everywhere. Too many URLs make the release look like an SEO stunt and can trigger filters or edits from distribution platforms. A small number of highly relevant links is enough to guide readers and still look clean and professional.

Adding quotes, data, and angles journalists can easily reuse

Backlinks usually come from earned media: journalists and bloggers writing their own articles that reference and link to you. To make that easy, your press release should feel like a ready‑made starter kit for a story.

Include:

  • Strong quotes from a founder, executive, customer, or partner that add opinion or emotion, not just fluff. Reporters often lift these directly.
  • Specific data points: survey results, user numbers, growth percentages, or market stats that support your angle. Releases with concrete numbers are far more quotable.
  • Clear angles: spell out why this matters now, who is affected, and how it fits into a broader trend. A busy editor should be able to see the headline and subhead of their own story in your copy.
  • Media‑friendly extras: links to images, charts, or a downloadable fact sheet on your site. These live on your domain and give you another natural place to earn links.

When your press release reads like a helpful, well‑sourced briefing instead of an ad, journalists are more likely to cover it, cite your data, and link back to your site as the original source. That is where the real backlink value comes from.

Pros and cons of traditional newswire services for SEO

Traditional newswire services can put your press release in front of hundreds of outlets very quickly. That reach can help with brand visibility, entity recognition, and referral traffic, and it sometimes sparks real coverage that earns editorial backlinks on its own.

From a pure SEO link‑building angle, though, newswires are limited. Most major distributors and the sites that syndicate them mark links as nofollow or route them through redirects, so they pass little or no direct PageRank. Google also treats press release links like paid or promotional links, which means they should not be relied on as a primary ranking tactic.

On top of that, the same release is duplicated across many domains, and search engines usually index only one or a few versions, so visibility is short‑lived. Quality distribution can also be expensive, while cheap “blast” services often place your release on low‑quality sites that add clutter to your link profile without real authority.

Used well, a newswire is best seen as an amplifier: it gets your announcement out widely, which can lead to journalists discovering it and creating the editorial stories and backlinks that actually move SEO.

Targeted outreach to journalists and bloggers vs mass distribution

If backlinks are your main goal, targeted outreach usually beats mass distribution. When you research specific journalists, bloggers, and niche publications, you can pitch angles that match their beat and audience. That is what most often leads to original articles that include contextual, editorial links to your site.

Mass distribution, by contrast, sends the same generic release to everyone. It may generate a lot of low‑value syndications but few genuine stories. Those syndicated copies almost always carry nofollow links and are quickly buried.

A balanced approach works well:

  • Use a reputable wire when you have real news that benefits from broad exposure.
  • Combine it with hand‑crafted outreach to a short list of high‑relevance outlets where a single earned link is worth more than dozens of syndicated mentions.

Using your own site’s newsroom or blog as the “canonical” source

For SEO, your own site should be the home base for every announcement. Publish the full press release first in your newsroom or blog, then link to that URL in your pitches and distribution. This helps search engines treat your version as the canonical source when they see the same text syndicated elsewhere.

Hosting the release on your domain also lets you:

  • Control internal links to the product, feature, or landing page you want to boost.
  • Build topical relevance over time as your newsroom fills with related announcements.
  • Capture referral traffic from journalists and readers who click through from wire copies or articles.

When you do use a newswire, point it back to your owned page and keep that page updated with any follow‑up coverage. Over time, that central, canonical release can accumulate internal links, external citations, and engagement signals that support your broader SEO strategy, even if the original wire links themselves carry little direct ranking power.

Turning a generic press release into tailored email pitches

Editors do not want your press release. They want a story that fits their beat, their audience, and today’s news agenda. The press release is just your background document.

Start by segmenting your media list by topic, format, and outlet type. Then turn the release into short, tailored email pitches instead of blasting the same message to everyone. A good pitch email is usually 100–200 words, with a clear subject line, one main angle, and a single call to action. Surveys of journalists show they strongly prefer concise, personalized pitches over long, generic ones.

For each journalist, tweak three things:

  • Subject line: Make it specific to their beat or region, not your brand slogan.
  • Opening line: Reference a recent article, column, or topic they cover to show you know their work.
  • Angle: Pull the one hook from your press release that best fits their audience. That might be local impact, new data, a human story, or an exclusive twist.

Link to the full press release hosted on your site or in a simple online doc, and include 1–2 relevant assets (image, chart, or short video) rather than attaching a huge media kit. This keeps the email light and easy to scan while still making it simple for them to cover and link.

Following up without annoying journalists

Thoughtful follow up can double your chances of coverage, but constant nudging will get you filtered or blocked. Many journalists say one or two follow ups is acceptable; more than that feels like spam.

A simple rhythm that works well:

  • Wait 3–5 business days after the first pitch.
  • Send a short follow up (2–4 sentences) that:
  • Reminds them of the story in one line.
  • Adds something new: a fresh stat, image, quote, or angle.
  • Makes it easy to say yes or no.

For example: “Hi [Name], just checking if you saw this story about [angle]. We have [new data / local case study] that might work for your coverage on [topic]. Happy to send more details or set up a quick call if useful.”

If there is still no response after a second follow up, stop. Log the outcome, update your list, and move on. Respecting their time is part of your reputation. Over time, that restraint makes journalists more likely to open your next pitch instead of deleting it on sight.

The best press release backlinks usually come from editors and reporters who already know and trust you. Treat every interaction as the start of a long‑term relationship, not a one‑off transaction.

Between announcements, stay on their radar in low‑pressure ways:

  • Share genuinely useful background insights or data they can use in future stories, even when it does not directly promote you.
  • Respond quickly and clearly when they ask for a quote, clarification, or asset. Reliability is a big reason journalists return to the same sources.
  • Engage lightly with their work on social platforms: comment thoughtfully, not just “Great piece!” on every article.

Keep notes on what each contact covers, their preferred pitch style, and how past stories performed for you. Over time, you can offer them better‑fitting ideas, exclusive angles, or early access to news. That is what turns a single press release pickup into an ongoing pattern of coverage, mentions, and natural editorial links that are far more valuable than anything you can get from a one‑time blast.

Overstuffing links and exact‑match anchor text

Stuffing a press release with backlinks and exact‑match anchor text is one of the fastest ways to make it look manipulative. Search engines expect press releases to read like news, not like keyword‑stuffed blog posts. When every link says “best CRM software for small business” or “cheap New York plumber,” it sends a clear spam signal.

Too many links also distract journalists. Most editors want one clear URL to reference, maybe two. If they see a release packed with links in every paragraph, they are more likely to ignore them or strip them out entirely. A better approach is to use mostly branded or natural anchors, such as your company name or “learn more,” and reserve one partial‑match phrase if it fits smoothly into the sentence.

A simple rule: if the link would look odd in a printed newspaper, it probably looks spammy in a press release. Aim for readability first, and let the SEO benefit be a side effect, not the main event.

Another common mistake is paying for mass syndication on low‑quality sites just to rack up backlink counts. Many of these outlets are thin, automated, or barely maintained. Their links are often nofollowed, ignored by search engines, or sit on pages that never get crawled or visited.

Chasing these “easy” links can also dilute your brand. When your announcement appears on dozens of junky domains, it looks less like real news and more like a link scheme. Instead of focusing on how many sites will copy‑paste your release, focus on where your audience and real journalists actually are. A single link from a respected local or niche publication is worth far more than a hundred links from low‑trust syndication pages.

Press releases work best when there is genuine news: a launch, a milestone, a major hire, a partnership, a study, or a real event. Pushing out “fake news” items like minor blog updates, routine discounts, or thin “we redesigned our homepage” announcements only to get backlinks usually backfires.

Editors quickly learn which companies send fluff and start ignoring them. Search engines also treat large volumes of low‑value releases as noise, not signals. Over time, this can hurt both your reputation and your ability to earn coverage when you do have something important to share.

If you would be embarrassed to pitch the story to a busy reporter on the phone, it probably should not be a press release. Save the format for moments that are truly newsworthy, and you will get better backlinks, better coverage, and a healthier SEO profile.

Measuring the SEO value of your press release campaign

Start by deciding what “success” looks like before the press release goes live. For most campaigns, you will want to track three core areas: backlinks, brand mentions, and referral traffic.

For backlinks, create a simple list of target URLs and note their current link counts and referring domains. After the release, check how many new domains now link to those pages. Pay special attention to links from real news sites, niche blogs, and industry publications, not just syndication copies of the release.

Brand mentions matter even when there is no clickable link. Track how often your brand, product name, or spokesperson is mentioned on news sites, blogs, and social platforms during the first 2 to 4 weeks after publication. These mentions can still support awareness, branded search, and future link opportunities.

Referral traffic shows whether people actually clicked through from coverage. In your analytics platform, tag the press release URLs with UTM parameters, then watch for spikes in sessions, engaged time, and conversions from those sources. Compare this to your usual baseline so you can see the real lift from the campaign.

Tools you can use to see which outlets picked up your story

You do not need a huge tech stack to measure a press release. A mix of link analysis, media monitoring, and analytics tools is usually enough.

Use backlink and index tools to find new referring domains, see which pages they linked to, and check whether the links are follow, nofollow, or redirected. Media monitoring tools help you catch brand mentions and headlines that do not include a link, as well as coverage in smaller outlets you might miss with manual searches.

Your web analytics platform is the source of truth for traffic and conversions. Set up custom reports or segments for:

  • Referral traffic from news and blog domains
  • Campaign-tagged URLs used in the release and in journalist outreach
  • Conversions or key actions that started from those visits

If you used a distribution service, check its pickup report, but do not rely on it alone. Always verify which placements are actually indexed, live, and sending traffic.

After a few campaigns, step back and compare press releases to your other link building efforts. Look at cost, time, and outcomes side by side. A simple review might include: total spend, number of unique referring domains earned, quality of those domains, referral traffic, and any assisted conversions or leads.

Press releases probably deserve a place in your mix if they reliably generate:

  • New links from reputable news or niche sites
  • Noticeable spikes in branded search and direct traffic
  • Coverage that you can later turn into case studies, social proof, or sales assets

If most of what you get are low-quality syndication links, no traffic, and no clear business impact, treat press releases as a branding or compliance tool, not a core SEO tactic. In that case, reserve them for truly important milestones and invest more of your link building budget into content, digital PR, and partnerships that produce stronger, more consistent results.

A local event or charity launch playbook

For a local event or charity launch, your press release backlink strategy should focus on nearby coverage and community trust. Start by creating a short landing page on your site with all event details, donation options, and clear calls to action. This is the page you want most links pointing to.

Write a press release that highlights the human story: who benefits, why the event matters locally, and any partners or sponsors involved. Include one link to the event page in the body and another to your homepage in the boilerplate. Keep anchors natural, such as your brand name or “learn more about the event,” and assume links will be nofollow on distribution sites.

Then, build a simple outreach list: local newspapers, radio stations, community blogs, neighborhood newsletters, and relevant Facebook or Nextdoor group admins. Send each a short, tailored email that includes your press release, plus a local angle they can use. Many smaller outlets will publish your news with a live link, and some may write their own story that earns you an editorial backlink and local referral traffic.

After the event, publish a recap post with photos and results, and send a follow‑up note to the same contacts. This gives them a second chance to cover you and link back.

A product launch or feature update playbook

For a product launch or feature update, the goal is usually to drive links and traffic to a specific product or feature page. Before you write anything, make sure that page is polished: strong copy, clear screenshots, FAQs, and internal links to related resources.

In the press release, lead with the problem your product solves, then explain what is new or different. Add one link to the product page early in the release and another to a supporting asset, such as a comparison guide or case study. Again, keep anchor text branded or descriptive, not keyword‑stuffed.

Your outreach list should include industry reporters, niche bloggers, newsletter writers, and creators who review tools or products in your space. Segment them: one angle for tech or product journalists (roadmap, innovation, data), another for customer‑focused outlets (benefits, use cases, quotes from real users).

Offer extras that make linking more likely: early access, demo videos, high‑quality images, or a short data point they can embed. Many will prefer to link to your product page or a “what’s new” blog post as the canonical source. Share the release on your own blog or newsroom first, then reference that URL in your outreach so coverage naturally points back to it.

A funding, partnership, or acquisition announcement playbook

Funding, partnerships, and acquisitions are classic press release topics that can attract strong backlinks when handled well. Start by deciding which page should earn authority: often a detailed blog post or “news” page that explains the deal, your strategy, and what it means for customers. Link to that page from the press release, and include a secondary link to your main site or careers page if hiring is part of the story.

Structure the release with clear facts up top: who is involved, the size or scope of the deal (if you can share it), and the strategic reason behind it. Add quotes from both sides and a short section on market context. This gives journalists ready‑made material they can reuse, which increases the odds they will cover you and link back.

Build a targeted list of business, startup, and industry outlets, plus local business press if the companies are tied to specific regions. For larger rounds or high‑profile partnerships, identify a few key reporters to pitch under embargo before the announcement goes public. Offer them extra detail, charts, or access to founders. When they publish first, others often follow and link to the same canonical page.

Finally, monitor coverage and respond quickly to follow‑up questions. Being helpful and fast not only improves the current story but also lays the groundwork for future announcements that earn even more backlinks.