Press release through PRWeb (using SEO package) - Un-natural/Harmful?

Uuuuuuh!

In the search for natural back-links a press release must be one of the best methods of achieving them, but I notice PRWeb now offer an SEO package for press releases allowing users to select anchor text on links, etc.

Is this actually a positive thing baring in mind the future improvements of SE algorythms, or a bad thing with potential to harm a web site in the not so distant future?

Pete

 

i used to use PRweb, but found it full of scrapers and stealers. beware, the articles you submit may no longer be your own:

http://www.ask-marketing-experts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=307#668

 

Ive been using prweb for close to a year
always have good results
and ya thier be spammers doing this
but ive found pr's to be great sources of traffic and links

 

I always use Press Releases for seo benefit and is a fan of PRs.

There are few PR sites which give you the option of having links in your articles for FREE.

 

Do you guys use PR's just around the time of a major 'event' on your sites, or can you use them to good effect anytime for general promotion in a similar way to submitting articles to directories?

pilks

 

The only examples that I've seen of PRweb's SEO service were pretty crappy - Talk about backlink stuffing.

I wasn't impressed, but I haven't used it yet either. :|

 

Matt Cutts, on his blog, suggested that Press Release backlinks do not count for much. I used to pay the higher amount to get the keywords I wanted, but I think he is right. I have tested in a few minor words and did not notice any ranking improvement from the press release at all.

I think the problem comes from the same arena as article spam. Since the press release eventually appears on hundreds of different sites, exact text and all, each one is discounted as a form of spam and thus the links do not amount to much at all.

 

A colleague recently sent me the following email - not sure of the source, but it does include a quote from Cutts on the subject:

The hyperlink Matt referred to was a Google News link that went to the PRWeb release.

In that essence, I don't see where the link is doing a bit of good in Google News.

However, the actual keyword specific anchor text links in the PR that point to the site do have a benefit IMO. This is further a benefit when other online entities run the story with the anchor text links intact.

The "authoritative" link dream from Google, Y!, Overture, MSN et al is not fully realized unless that PRWeb release is found, followed and further clicked from the site (PRWeb or other) and then onto the source site.

For example:

A recent PR I did for someone shows up in Google News
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/1/prweb337934.htm

It is also listed on other sites now, one example:
http://www.financevisor.com/market/news_detail.aspx?rid=14361

Both of these have keyword specific anchor texts leading back to Dr. Gittleman's websites.

Her traffic has increased, her sales have increased, and her brand, name and image saturations have been given more "umph" in the last few weeks.

The PR is also getting some keyword hits in Google, Y!, MSN and other engines, not just the news.

However, I think it is also wise to remember that there's a difference between an article and a PR .... don't waste time and money on a PR when an article will do.

 

If you don't mind my asking, in this PR did you submit with the html in place? I ask because guidelines I've read say not to include any html. Or did you use PR webs SEO service?

 

You can submit html links without using html. You just need to read their FAQ's. Tells you how to do it there.

 

Thank you. I will go read some FAQs

 

man i need to figure that out
that is the 2nd PR ive seen with links in the content..
nothing here
http://www.prweb.com/faq.php
checking here
http://www.prweb.com/pressreleasetips.php
errr..
maybe here
http://www.prweb.com/pressreleasemistakes.php

unless im smoken some thing i cant find how to do this.

 

I don't see this anywhere, and I just did a $512 release last week (about to do another good size one tomorrow too).

Where did you find that keyword thing?

EDIT- sorry I am retarded... next time I will read the whole post before I open my yapper

RE-EDITED - yup I am retarded... read the FAQs and still didn't find the info I need. Anybody know how to do this? It's killing me too!

 

If you're dropping that kind of cash, go with PRWeb Direct and they will do the SEO portion for you.

Once you see how they do it a time or two, you can mimic the process and do it on your own.

However, the added bonus of PRWeb Direct is a much larger distribution network

 

As I mentioned earlier, I *really* wouldn't suggest you do that - It looks so spammy, that I'd ventre to say it would do more to harm than benefit your brand...

I could be wrong, but the examples I've seen of the PR Web SEO service really look crap.

 

Solid points and opinion SEBasic. However, you do have final discretion in any edits. Like anything else in life, it's generally not wise to put 100% faith in unknown folks, so it becomes incumbant on the individual to exercise a little prudence.

If you go the PRWeb Direct route, you can SEO the release yourself. All the editors do is put in the URL and then the keyword term brackets:

The real advantage of Direct vs. just PRWeb is it's a ten-fold greater distribution level - up to 100,000 vs. 10,000.

That's not to say that you wouldn't do just as good submitting the PR yourself to some of the other free services too.

Again, I think a well constructed article submitted to the right places will have an equal or greater effect depending on the angle of the story, the genre of the site, etc.

 

Het wrmineo, I followed your advice and submitted my latest peice with PRwebDirect -

now it all makes sense!

For those wondering how to get the links into your releases, you gotta go through PR Web Direct to do it. They SEO the doc for you, but you can send them an edited version. It's actually a kinda cool service. I subbed my peice last night at 1AM and a guy called me within a minute or two. Now THAT is service!

 

I always use Press Releases for seo benefit and is a fan of PRs.

There are few PR sites which give you the option of having links in your articles for FREE

 

When are you releasing it? Can you come back and give us feedback on how this affected your traffic over a sustained period and also your rankings?

Thanks

 

Sure thing. It is going to be released Wednesday evening. I'll let you know how it goes