Do Press Releases Help with SEO? We Tested Them.

You know that moment of dread when you realize you’ve been completely wrong about something for years?

That’s exactly where we found ourselves recently. For quite a long time, we stood by the results we saw in years past, that press releases were an SEO ghost town, and we didn’t bother testing it again. They didn’t move the needle, and they certainly didn’t justify the effort.  

We were wrong.

New testing has completely flipped our stance. We’re now seeing undeniable proof that press releases written about real news and statistics, when used strategically, can be a potent force for improving local, organic, and even AI overview rankings.

We’re sharing case studies from our research, including one that saw an 83% jump in traffic almost overnight.

🚀 Case 1: The Realtor Who Saw an 83% Traffic Surge

We tested this tactic first on a realtor’s key landing page.  Our expectation was that we wouldn’t see much impact, based on our bias from years past. The press release went out, linking back to their service page.

The results, however, were anything but flat.

In just 28 days following the press release, traffic to that target page jumped by 83 percent. This wasn’t a small fluctuation; this was a massive, statistically significant surge.

But the gains weren’t just in raw traffic. We also observed a noticeable, immediate improvement in their Local Pack rankings for several key city- and neighborhood- specific searches. The press release provided the immediate authority signal that Google’s algorithm needed to boost its local visibility.

Key Takeaway: A well-targeted press release can deliver an immediate and dramatic impact on both traffic and local search visibility.

⚖️ Case 2: The Lawyer and the Slow-Burn Effect

Our second test, because one test does not make a strategy, was on a law firm and was more subtle, but equally compelling.

After the press release went live, the results didn’t skyrocket like the first case. Our immediate reaction was “Oh, the previous test was a one-time wonder.” We held steady and checked back in a few weeks later, and then it materialized, a slow, steady progression:

1. Local Pack Gains: Just like the realtor, their Local Pack rankings ticked up first.
2. Delayed Organic Lift: A few weeks later, their general organic rankings for major keywords started to follow suit.

This felt like a compounding effect. The initial authority signal from the press release seemed to set the stage, and as Google processed the information and the resulting citations, the organic benefit slowly materialized over time.

This raised a critical question for us: are these ranking improvements an ongoing, cumulative benefit or a flash in the pan with no long-term impact?

🤯 Case 3: The Lawn Care Company & The AI Twist

The third test, on a local lawn care company, is what truly blew our previous assumptions out of the water.

After their press release went live, they saw the expected gains based on our first two tests.  Their Local Pack rankings rose, and their organic rankings followed, indicating a strong, positive response.

But here is the part that changed everything:

The AI Overview for their main service keyword actually changed to quote directly from the press release.

Think about the significance of that. Google’s AI-generated summary, the new zero-click result everyone is trying to influence to gain visibility, was pulling language straight from the content we included in the press release.

Press releases are no longer about backlinks.  They’re now about being a trusted and authoritative source that Google’s generative AI deems authoritative enough to quote and feature. This is a massive shift in how we view the utility of PR.

The New Equation: Press Releases = Potential AI Trust Signal

The Big Twist: Why They Work Now

Five years ago, we tested press releases and found no impact on ranking. Nothing.

But today? That has completely changed.  Well-written and structured press releases are influencing:

1. Local Pack results
2. Organic SERPs
3. AI Overviews (the new frontier of search)

The only difference is time and a continuously evolving search algorithm.

The ultimate takeaway for every SEO professional and business owner is simple: Always be testing.

What didn’t work last year (or five years ago) might be a solid tactic today. SEO changes fast, and if you stop experimenting, you are guaranteed to miss opportunities like this one.