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Do Press Releases Actually Help SEO in 2026?

12/11/2025
Press Release Concept, Thoughtful Male Person Looking Computer
For a while, press releases were SEO’s version of a fax machine. Publish on a wire. Get a mess of syndicated links. Hope Google didn’t notice. Then Google did notice. Link spam got cracked down on, syndicated links stopped counting, and press releases quietly fell out of favor. But here’s the drift most people are missing: press releases didn’t stop working — we just stopped using them correctly.
 

Press Releases Aren’t a Link Hack. They’re a Visibility Tool.

Modern search isn’t just “rank a page and collect clicks.” It’s:
  • Brand visibility
  • Entity credibility
  • Local prominence
  • And now… AI-generated answers
Recent testing from Sterling Sky backs this up. When press releases are tied to real news (not marketing fluff), they’ve seen:
  • Noticeable traffic lifts
  • Local pack movement
  • And even Google AI results pulling language directly from the release itself
That last part matters. A lot.    

Why Press Releases Make Sense Again

  1. They expand your search footprint
     A single release can live on your site, on publisher domains, and in local or industry coverage — helping you own more of page one for branded and entity-based searches.
  2. They support the shift from clicks to citations
     As AI search grows, being quoted matters almost as much as being clicked. Press releases are structured, factual, and easy for machines to reference.
  3. They unlock earned coverage
     The real win isn’t syndication. It’s when a journalist, local outlet, or industry site picks up the story. The release is just the door-opener.
  4. They strengthen local SEO signals
     Local search rewards real-world prominence. Hyperlocal PR and community coverage help confirm that you’re legit — fast.

 

The Hard Rule You Can’t Ignore

Press releases are not for anchor-text link building. Google still considers optimized links in syndicated releases spam. That hasn’t changed. Use branded or URL links. Keep it clean. Optimize for humans, not page rank.

The Smart Way to Use Press Releases in 2026

  • Lead with real news (data, expansion, partnerships, community impact)
  • Publish a canonical version on your own site
  • Write clearly, fact-first, and quote-ready
  • Use minimal, conservative links
  • Distribute beyond the wire (journalists, local orgs, partners)
  • Measure visibility, brand lift, and local movement — not just links

 

Catch the Drift?

Press releases won’t fix broken SEO.

But used correctly, they help you:

  • Control your narrative
  • Expand visibility
  • Feed AI citation systems
  • Reinforce trust across the search ecosystem

In 2026, SEO isn’t about tricks. It’s about earning attention and being worth referencing.

Press releases belong in that conversation again — just not for the reasons people used to sell them.