In July 2025 I wrote and distributed a press release for a dental practice celebrating its 40th anniversary. It was picked up by more than 160 sites, including Benzinga, Digital Journal and MENAFN.
That sounds like a huge link-building win. The honest answer is more nuanced, and understanding it will save you money.
What happened
The release went out through a paid newswire. Newswires syndicate your release to a network of partner sites, which is how one release can appear on 160+ domains in a few days. Most of those pages are automatic copies of the same text.
What a press release can't do
It's not a ranking shortcut. Google's guidelines treat links in widely distributed press releases as something it can ignore. When the same text with the same links appears on 160 sites at once, it's obvious to Google that nobody chose to link to you. So I never promise clients that a release will lift rankings on its own.
Syndicated copies aren't "coverage". A page that auto-publishes your release isn't the same as a journalist writing about you. Most syndication pages get very little traffic.
What a press release can do
Used properly, a release still has real value:
- Brand visibility and trust. "As featured on Benzinga" is a legitimate trust signal for patients and clients, and you can show it on your website.
- Brand search and mentions. Some readers search the business name afterwards, and unlinked brand mentions help reinforce what your business is known for.
- A hook for genuine outreach. A real milestone gives you a reason to contact local news sites, community blogs and partners. Links from those people, who choose to write about you, are the ones that count.
- Content you can reuse. The same story works as a blog post, social posts and an "About" page update.
How I use digital PR now
- Start with a real story. An anniversary, a community project, new technology, local data. If it's not newsworthy to a human, it won't work.
- Pitch local and industry outlets directly before or alongside any newswire. One real article from a local paper beats a hundred syndicated copies.
- Treat newswire links as a bonus. Nice to have, never the strategy.
- Build links that people choose to give. For the same dental client, I ran a separate three-month link-building campaign that added 120 links, logged in a shared sheet so the client could see every one.
Should you do a press release?
Yes, if you have a genuine story and want visibility and trust signals. No, if someone is selling it to you purely as "160 backlinks for better rankings".
Digital PR works best as part of a complete strategy: a strong Google Business Profile, a technically sound website, and relevant links earned over time. You can see how those pieces came together for this practice in the full map pack case study.
Want an honest opinion on your link-building or PR plans? Ask me for a free audit.
Want results like these for your business?
Send me your website and Google Business Profile. I'll reply with a free audit and the three to five changes I'd make first.