Press releases have been around for decades as a core public relations tool, used to share company updates, product launches, community involvement, awards, and other newsworthy moments. But in today's search-driven marketing world, do press releases help SEO?
The short answer is yes, press releases can have both direct and indirect impacts on SEO, including local SEO. Traditionally, they've helped businesses build backlinks and referral traffic, grow brand recognition, and boost authority signals. And now, in the AI era, we're seeing press releases gain a renewed importance for their ability to influence what AI says about your business.
Press Releases and SEO in 2026
How Do Press Releases Help SEO?
When used strategically, press releases support organic visibility by improving brand presence, generating high-authority mentions, and driving real online engagement.
Brand Visibility and Recognition
Press releases can get your business mentioned on news sites, blogs, and industry publications, increasing the number of online references to your brand. Google and AI see these mentions as authority and credibility signals.
High-Quality Backlinks
When your press release is picked up by authoritative websites, it can generate valuable backlinks that contribute to your domain authority and search rankings.
Referral Traffic
Readers who discover your press release may visit your website, follow your social accounts, or engage with your content, sending positive engagement signals to search engines.
Keyword Context for SEO
Press releases can naturally include keywords relevant to your business, helping search engines and AI understand your offerings and location relevance.
AI and SERP Influence
With AI search tools summarizing web content and recommending businesses, press releases can help ensure your brand information is accurate and widely cited.
Â
What About Press Releases and Local SEO?
For local businesses, press releases are especially useful for establishing authority in a specific geographic area. While their level of effectiveness in local seo has shifted over the years, recent tests have found they do currently have a significant impact on local rankings and traffic.Â
However, it's important to note that press releases alone are unlikely to dramatically improve rankings if they're generic or low-quality.
As with all things local SEO, a press release's ability to influence rankings will also depend on a range of other factors, such as the industry, area, and competition, and the impact could either be immediately apparent or slow and steady.
The key is to try sending out a few well-structured, targeted press releases, then track your local rankings over the following weeks to measure the results.
For local SEO agencies, it could be worth testing for clients in different verticals and regions, then replicating what works across similar clients.
Press Release SEO and AI
Now, here's where things get really interesting when it comes to press releases and local SEO. In 2026, press releases can directly influence your AI visibility:
- Google AI Overviews and other AI-generated answers often pull key information from (or even directly quote) press releases. Well-written releases can help ensure your business is accurately represented in these AI summaries.
- Structured, factual content matters more than ever. AI tools prioritize sources that are clear, authoritative, and consistent, making press releases a powerful way to feed reliable data about your business, products, or services into the AI ecosystem.
- Keyword and entity mentions help AI context. Including your business name, location, and relevant service or product terms naturally within your press release increases the likelihood that AI will associate these entities with your brand.
- Press releases are citation sources. Even if a press release doesn't directly improve your rankings, being cited by multiple reputable sources can help AI treat your business as an authoritative source and cite it in answers.
- Future-proofing your SEO strategy. As AI increasingly powers local search results, a strong library of press releases ensures your brand has a persistent, discoverable presence that AI can pull from for recommendations, overviews, and answers.
In short, press releases are no longer just a PR tool. They've become a strategic asset for both traditional SEO and AI-driven visibility. For local businesses, using press releases for SEO can help maintain a competitive edge in search results while supporting brand authority and local recognition.
When implementing press releases for SEO, make sure to monitor AI visibility KPIs before and after sending out releases to measure their impact on how AI talks about your brand.
FAQs on Press Releases and SEO
Do press releases work for SEO?
Press releases can help SEO when used strategically. They help increase brand visibility, generate high-authority mentions and backlinks, drive referral traffic, and provide keyword context that search engines and AI tools can recognize.
What are the benefits of press release submission in SEO?
Submitting press releases can generate backlinks from reputable websites, expand your reach to new audiences, and improve brand recognition. For local businesses, press releases can also enhance local SEO by earning citations on local news sites and industry publications. Additionally, well-crafted press releases help ensure your brand information is accurately represented in AI-driven search results and summaries.
How do press releases affect local SEO?
Press releases can improve local SEO by highlighting news, events, or achievements specific to your geographic area. When local media and websites pick up your press release, it generates local mentions and backlinks that signal relevance and authority to search engines.
Can press releases influence AI-generated search results?
Yes. AI-powered tools often pull key information from press releases when creating summaries or answers. Providing clear, factual, and keyword-relevant content in your press releases increases the chances that AI will accurately reference your business.
Should I use press releases for every update or only major news?
It's best to reserve press releases for newsworthy events, product/service launches, awards, or community involvement. Frequent, low-value press releases can dilute your message and have little SEO impact, while high-quality releases are more likely to earn coverage, backlinks, and AI citations.
How often should local businesses issue press releases for SEO purposes?
There's no one-size-fits-all answer, but issuing a few well-planned, newsworthy press releases per quarter can be effective. Focus on quality over quantity, tracking which releases generate engagement, backlinks, and improvements in local search visibility.
TL;DR
Press releases are a valuable tool for local businesses, not just for public relations, but also for SEO and AI-driven visibility. When crafted strategically and distributed thoughtfully, they can boost brand authority, generate high-quality mentions and backlinks, support local search rankings, and ensure your business is accurately represented in AI-powered search results. Incorporating press releases into your marketing strategy can help maintain a competitive edge while building lasting online credibility.
