There are many who claim great SEO (search engine optimization) benefits from publishing press releases far and wide to gain backlinks to your website. This is very much one of those opinions that has been dying out as Google stopped indexing press releases as highly as they once did. There’s also the duplicate content issue.
Didn’t think duplicate content applied to press releases? Google says it does, as a PR is not a discussion forum, store item, or printer-only version of a web page.
The argument over whether duplicate content is harmful to website search results rages on, but one thing is for sure either way: there’s no point in releasing a press release if your only reason to do so is to get listed on page one of Google for your search result.
While manipulating search results is a waste of time, some free sites do offer dofollow links, which is good for your site’s backlink profile. In addition, many top bloggers and social media professionals use Google Alerts and other internet news gathering services. Getting your free press release into Google News can be done by submitting your PR to a reputable free service.
While appearing on bloggers’ radars is a step forward, it’s not going to result in any real exposure to journalists, and your release is not getting any syndication via newswires. Its usefulness is limited unless you are willing to pick up the ball and run with it.
Spending a little time finding the journalists and bloggers who write about events in your industry, and offering exclusive rights to publication for a news release is the best way to gain some traction with the people who are most likely to help push your brand into the public consciousness.
Paid news releases have the advantage of syndication to newswires, but it’s still possible to gain some benefit from free press release sites. Savvy marketers will personally syndicate their free press releases where they understand their market to be.
Possibilities for syndication include LinkedIn, Slideshare, and now Facebook article publishing.
It’s always a good idea to create an online media room, where you can link out to all your published press. This isn’t for a backlink profile, but to show interested journalists that you have a back catalogue of content that is newsworthy and that you are available for interview and have an understanding of how PR works.
While free PR gets a bad rep sometimes, it’s a bootstrapper’s secret weapon.
Source: Free Press Releases Have a Place in Your Online Marketing Plan for Great Reason
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