When it comes to internet search marketing, optimizing your website with proper meta-tags, strategically placed anchored text and tags, rich content, robot restriction files and a well defined sitemap is mandatory for success although good “on-page” SEO won’t go very far without solid link building…one way link building to be more accurate. Link building can be done in many different ways although today, I will cover the usage of free press release networks.

Why using free press releases for link building? First, they spread all over the Web, which is good for branding but most importantly to the SEO professional, some of them will allow you to add one way links pointing to your website. Finally, why not using it if it’s free?

There are dozens of websites offering free press releases services over the Web. Although I would not suggest to strictly focus of them because I would rather encourage diversity, I think it is worth spending some time finding the ones that can work the best for your business and link building strategy. Below you will find a list of a few free press release websites that I like using. Let me know what you think or if you have any other good ones to share.

Press Release Point

When it comes to one way link building, this is one of my favourites so far. The use of anchored text is allowed, it adds a relevant title to the page and a PDF version with links, you can add a picture to your text (or logo), and buttons are added to the press release so visitors can bookmark the page on all major social bookmarking websites. The downfall is, Google seem to take a while before crawling those pages. See an example below:
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PRLog

Although PRLog does not allow anchored text, it adds your full website URL to the press release and is being picked up quickly by search engines. You can also add your logo on top and it adds a PDF version of the press release.

Sane PR

Sane PR is another free press release website that I like using. Like Press Release Point it adds buttons for social bookmarking, a relevant title to the page, and detailed contact information including your website URL. One feature that I like is that Sane PR adds a screenshot of your website to your press release and in addition, you also get your own RSS feed. Their pages also seem to be indexed quickly by search engines.

1888 Press Release

Although it is still a nice free service, I would not abuse this one. Although it is better than nothing, it adds “Visit our Site” as a link back to your website which is not the kind of anchored text we are looking for. Other than that, this one will also add social bookmarking buttons to your press release but does not offer a PDF version.

Google Base

When such a tool comes from Google, use it! You can even add links with your keywords as anchored text.

SeeNation

Although their generated URL’s are not pretty and there is nothing flashy on their website, SeeNation makes one way link building easy by allowing html to be used within your press release and search engines seem to be indexing their pages fairly quickly.

Exact Release

Although their website doesn’t seem to be very popular at this point and html is not supported within a press release, I would still recommend their service. First, it adds social bookmarking buttons and a title surrounded with H1 tags on top of the page. Additionally, it adds a follow link to your website and after 2 weeks, you can still find your press release on their website without having to use their search box. It’s just too bad that you are not allowed to use your own anchored text but still, this press release service could have some good link building value if they gain in popularity.

Media Syndicate

Although this one does not add any link back to your website, it is probably the service that will help you spread the word the most. After a few days, you will find many websites publishing your press release using their feed including Google News.

PR USA

Although their website doesn’t look the best, it allows you to add one way links to your website with keywords as anchored text. In addition, their pages seem to be indexed fairly quickly by search engines and their service generates a PDF version of your press release. Unfortunately, it doesn’t add any social bookmarking buttons.

Open PR

What I like the most about this service is that you don’t need to register before you can submit a press release and you can add your logo. It also adds a very nice PDF version of your press release along with social bookmarking buttons at the bottom of the page. In addition, URL’s are short and indexed quickly by search engines. It’s just too bad that the only link back to your website is a full URL.

Good luck in your one way link building efforts!

Cheers,

Frank