Press Release Newswires vs. Earned Media: What Really Boosts Your SEO?

Press Release Distribution

One of the most common questions is: “Should we use a press release distribution service to boost our SEO?”

If you’re expanding into new markets like North America or Asia-Pacific, visibility matters—but not all visibility is equal. While newswires can be useful for getting announcements out quickly, they rarely deliver the long-term SEO or credibility that earned media coverage can.

Here’s why.

What Newswires Actually Do

Press release newswires distribute your announcement to dozens (sometimes hundreds) of websites, most of which are low-quality, low-traffic, and outside your target sector.

The issue?

• Most of these sites use no-follow links, so they don’t improve your domain authority

• The content is duplicated across platforms, which limits what Google indexes

• Releases often disappear from search within days

• They’re not published on high-quality trade or business media, meaning they’re not seen by your ideal audience

• And they’re rarely shared or engaged with on socials by real people

So while you may see wide distribution and large, impressive audience numbers, it’s not meaningful visibility, and it’s unlikely to move the needle for SEO.

What Earned Media Delivers

Now let’s talk about earned media coverage—when a journalist or editor writes about your brand or quotes your leadership team in a trusted publication.

This kind of coverage offers genuine value:

• You get high-authority, do-follow backlinks that support your search ranking

• The articles stay online and discoverable for months, even years

• Readers engage more deeply with editorial content than with a generic press release

• Your coverage shows up on respected industry sites, often in newsletters too

• And importantly, quality publications will often share the article on their own social media, boosting reach even further

This kind of visibility is exactly what you want when entering a new market—it’s targeted, credible, and search-friendly.

The Smarter SEO Strategy

If you want to improve your discoverability and reputation, don’t rely solely on newswire distribution. Earned media coverage in high-authority, relevant publications is far more effective, especially for SEO.

That said, newswires still have a role. They’re fast, formal, and useful for supporting investor news or official statements. But for search and visibility, they should complement, not replace, earned media.

Need Help Getting Featured?

I help brands gain meaningful exposure through international media relations—placing stories where they’ll be read, trusted, and found by your target audience. If you'd like a smarter approach to PR and SEO, book a free 15-minute consultation here.