PR Web Press Release for Links

[PrintEZ]

I was wondering if submitting press release, such as to PR Web, if the links, on the press release linking back  to our site still have any value in today's SEO world?

If so, what is the right way to take out the most value of a Press Release.??

Please advise,

Morris

[Ebtec]

All of the PrWeb press releases are now "no-follow" links after a dust up with Google last year after getting spammed. They used to be great links....not so much now.

Sometimes, the release is picked up by other sites which may use follow links....but you never know and the may be low value sites.

[SharewarePros]

Dear Morris,

After the Google Panda and Penguin updates, the value of the links has varied, Google has deprecated 100% the links comming from PR sites, (They are no natural links) at this time from Google point of view you're buying these links, even some reputable paid directories don't add any value (you pay and you get listed).

Google now is looking for other signals such as Google+, Facebook likes etc. the link building has changed.

I recommends to put you effort on social channels especially Google+ and second on Facebook.

I hope it helps

Claudio

[JCurrier]

I think there is still a ton of value. Even if the links aren't valuable, I'd still look into the value of your company being mentioned in a release and the traffic generated to your site.

If you focus on providing some value and an interesting story, you may be able to generate a good amount of traffic to your site. From here, you should have a method for capturing visitors and getting them to engage you, both on your blog and in social media.

However, if you are looking at it as purely a method of gaining links, it has lost the value that it once held.

[SharewarePros]

It is my point of view, on 2011 I bought an expensive  PR package on a reputable PR site and the traffic comming from the PR's was very low and also the value of these links was low too, so I recommend again put this money and effort in a social channels campain it will be more valuable in terms of traffic (targeted traffic) and also link value, authority etc.

PR sites has been absolutelly deprecated by Google and also the traffic comming from them is always less than espected.

This is my personal point of view

PS.: In the 90's we were buying PR packages and our rank was increased in a few weeks, today the rank is not affected by PR sites.

Hope it helps

[Chris.Menke]

Morris,

As strong component of a linking strategy, the heyday of press releases has come and gone but press releases are still valuable.  They're valuable in the sense that they've always been valuable--as a means to reach a targeted audience with a creative message about a topic that will be of interest to them.

Press releases are an active engagement tactic, in that you research what publishers you want to target, you craft a message that is going to catch their attention, you send it via a channel you expect them to be listening on, and then you expect to engage and develop relationships with your target publishers.  Unfortunately, many people today think of the press release as sort of a passive tool--you write something that fits into the template you pay your money then you hit submit and you wait for all the links to come in.

Don't think of press releases as a way to get links, think of them as tools in building new relationships.