Press Releases as Backlinking

[floridaoutdoorsrv]

After analyzing one of my competitors I notices they show up in PRweb as one of their top rated back linking sites.

My question is using prweb or something similar okay to use for backlinking? Would they help at all?

Also, since they distribute content, would I get penalized for duplicate content?

[SEODinosaur]

Hi Brandon,

If the company has something to announce, something interesting (not a website update) then yes this is a good way to build some links. My favorite is charities they are an easy win win. You help by donating time/money to a good cause. Attend a reliable charity event and network with everyone there, get the name of the person who organized the event. Call the event organizer and tell them you had a great time and you are preparing a PR on the event. They are usually extremely happy to hear that.

Once you receive the list contact everyone and offer them to leave a quote with a link to their site on the PR. Also let them know that after the PR goes out to share it with their social media.

Syndicate the PR to your own blog and have the share that link ; )

This is where everyone shared the article from:

http://www.boastingbiz.com/blog/news-and-press/a-special-event-for-children-effected-by-cancer-a-prom-to-remember/

and this is where it was originally posted:

http://www.prweb.com/releases/A_Prom_To_Remember/2012/prweb9557741.htm

Hope this helps.

[danatanseo]

PRWeb is a perfectly acceptable outlet for press releases. However, I think they are a bit pricey. No, you don't need to worry about duplicate content as I believe PRWeb uses proper canonical tags. If you have your own blog, or Web page where you can publish the release first (like a SMPR page), you could certainly use the canonical tag and then distribute to various news organizations. This would give you credit for the original content. For press releases you aren't so much going after original content as you are a link back to your site.

Be careful. The days of churning out press releases that aren't really news-worthy and getting good backlinks are over. You could actually do more harm than good. That being said, if you've got legitimate news to put out there, PRWeb is good, but they aren't the only game in town. Depending on your industry there might be specific PR outlets that could offer you better targeting for less money. Because I work for a company that does a lot of B2B with churches, for example, we frequently use Christian News Wire.

There are also a few free ones out there, but again, be careful. If they are just publishing anything and aren't filtering for real news and announcements, stay away from them.

Hope that helps a little?

[DanielFreedman]

I've used PR Web with success for several clients.

Each release is typically linked to by around 100 sites, but these are typically no follow.

The real value comes from the link from PR Web's site itself.

I always regard "real" pick-ups (i.e. a news outlet writing a story, based on the release) as a bonus. This requires individual outreach and is more in the realm of PR than SEO.

As always, don't over do press releases -- or any other technique. Regard press releases as just another part of a diversified link portfolio. Above all: don't embarrass  yourself or your client with silly releases that contain no news hook. PR Web actually has some standards in this regards -- unlike it competitors. They sometimes reject releases or require edits. That's part of the reason it's a bit pricy.

And remember: even if it passes muster,  a 20% off sale is not much of a story.

One release per client per month is plenty. I sometimes find myself doing less because I can't come up with anything worthy...even though I have a bulk subscription.

I agree that charitable contributions make good releases. Product launches and executive appointments are also press release staples.

[TylerReardon]

I've found that PRWeb is great for news releases but a lot of the links aren't too high of quality. I have a bulk subscription and the releases are picked up by the same places EVERY time though we input different media outlets and cities. You can definitely talk them down on the price if you want to do a bulk subscription.

[floridaoutdoorsrv]

Thanks guys! All of these are really valuable information. So I think I will add this as part of my link building portfolio. Thanks!

[floridaoutdoorsrv]

What free ones would you recommend?

[danatanseo]

When I moved across country I used this one to let people know that I had moved my consulting business:

http://www.prlog.org/

They did a good job. I even got picked up in a few local print newspapers.