United Press secures editorial placements on high-domain-authority news and business sites specifically to build the kind of link profile and online presence that improves how your business ranks and how often it gets mentioned.
A link from a genuine news article on an established title carries weight because the coverage is editorial, not because a link was purchased. That distinction matters: Google treats paid links passing ranking signals as a violation, so coverage placed purely to acquire links tends to use nofollow or sponsored attributes, and the durable benefit comes from brand searches, referral traffic and the authority of being cited. Google sets this out in its spam policies. See the full range on our list of services.
Yes, but the mechanism matters. A press release distributed on its own, sitting on a wire-service page, carries little SEO value.
How Do I Get Backlinks From News Sites?
How Can I Rank My Business on Google in 2026?
Press coverage contributes specifically to the “authority” side of that equation — each genuine editorial mention and link adds to the signal that other trusted sites vouch for your business, which compounds over multiple placements.
How Do I Build Authority for My Website?
Website authority builds cumulatively through consistent, genuine third-party validation: backlinks from reputable sites, mentions in industry publications, and citations in places your prospective customers already trust. A single press release rarely moves this needle much; a sustained placement strategy across multiple credible outlets does.
| Link Source | SEO Value | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Genuine editorial coverage | High — natural link from a trusted domain | Low |
| Paid guest post / sponsored link | Low to moderate — often nofollow or discounted | Moderate if undisclosed |
| Wire-service press release page | Low — usually a low-authority syndication page | Low, but limited benefit |
| Link directories / farms | Very low, can actively harm rankings | High |
How Do I Get My Business Mentioned Online?
Beyond formal press releases, getting mentioned online consistently comes down to giving journalists and editors a reason to write about you — commentary on industry news, original data, a notable milestone, or a compelling founder story. United Press builds and pitches these angles specifically to secure genuine mentions, rather than relying on a single press release and hoping it gets picked up.
The High-Authority Outlets We Place Coverage With
Why AI Tools Also Weight High-Authority Mentions
AI answer engines summarising a business or topic tend to draw on the same signals search engines have long used: how often and how credibly a business is mentioned across the web, and how authoritative those mentioning sites are. A profile built through genuine coverage on recognised outlets is more likely to surface in an AI-generated answer than one built solely on a company’s own website content, since AI models weight independent, third-party corroboration heavily when forming a response.
Can press releases improve SEO?
Yes, when the coverage results in a genuine editorial backlink from a news site journalists actually wrote about you on, rather than a wire-service listing or paid link.
How do I build authority for my website?
Authority builds cumulatively through consistent genuine backlinks and mentions from reputable sites over time, rather than from a single placement.
How do I get my business mentioned online?
By giving journalists a reason to write about you — industry commentary, original data, a milestone or a compelling story — rather than relying on a single press release.
How many press mentions do I need to see an SEO impact?
There’s no fixed number, but a single mention rarely moves rankings meaningfully. A sustained pattern of coverage across multiple credible outlets over several months tends to produce a more measurable authority signal.
Is a nofollow link from a news site still valuable?
Yes, even where a link is technically nofollow, the mention itself still contributes to your brand’s visibility and the pattern of credible third-party citation that both search engines and AI models take into account.
Ready to Build Authority With Real Press Coverage?
Book Your Free ConsultationThe Honest Position on Press Release Backlinks
United Press has worked in earned media since 2001, and we would rather be straight with you than sell you a number. Press release backlinks from syndicated wire copy are largely discounted by Google — that is not a controversial claim, it is set out plainly in the search spam policies and the outbound link qualification guidance.
What does carry weight is a link inside a piece a journalist chose to write. Editorial coverage is not a link-building product, which is precisely why it works as one.
So we sell the coverage and treat the SEO benefit as a consequence of it. Some placements carry a followed link, some do not, and we tell you which before you commit rather than after. The brand search lift and the citations that AI answers draw on tend to matter more than the link anyway.
Every publication is named before work starts. Non-publication does not happen; the replace-or-credit line in our terms is a formality, not a caveat.
Tell us what you are trying to rank for, and we will tell you honestly whether press release backlinks are the right instrument or whether you need editorial placement instead.
In short
Do press releases help SEO? The short answer
Yes, when your release appears on real, indexed news sites. The value comes from brand mentions on trusted sites, extra search results you own, and the citations AI search tools pick up. Google largely discounts links in wire copy that is syndicated everywhere, so we tell you before you commit which placements carry a followed link and which do not.
| What helps | Editorial placements on real, high-authority news sites |
|---|---|
| What Google discounts | Links in wire copy syndicated across many sites |
| Followed links | We tell you which placements carry one before you commit |
| AI search | Mentions on trusted news sites are what AI tools tend to cite |
| Proof | A live link and a short report for every placement |
Updated 3 October 2026 · United Press editorial team
Let Us Help
Share a few details about your business and a member of our team will get back to you with next steps.
