Public relations (PR) articles do help SEO, but not in the direct, keyword-ranking way many brands expect. If you’re publishing PR with the goal of ranking for competitive non-brand keywords, you’ll likely be disappointed. If, however, your goal is to build trust, authority, and brand demand, PR can play a meaningful role in your SEO ecosystem.
Understanding how PR impacts SEO is critical to using it correctly.
How PR Helps SEO (Indirectly)
Most PR articles include nofollow links, meaning they don’t pass traditional PageRank or link equity the way editorial backlinks do. For years, this caused marketers to dismiss PR as “bad for SEO.”
That thinking is outdated.
Google evaluates far more than just follow links. It looks at:
- Brand mentions
- Branded search behavior
- User engagement with branded results
- Authority signals across trusted publications
PR articles influence all of these factors.
Rather than acting as a ranking lever, PR acts as a trust amplifier—and trust plays a major role in how users and algorithms respond to your site.
Example: Brand Search Domination
Imagine an ecommerce brand publishes PR articles on:
- Yahoo Finance
- Business Insider (via syndication)
- Digital Journal
Each article explains:
- What the brand does
- What makes the product different
- Quotes from the founder
- Context around the market or category
What Happens in Search
When a consumer searches the brand name, Google now shows:
- Press coverage from recognizable publications
- Articles explaining the product and its benefits
- Founder commentary that humanizes the company
Instead of a thin SERP with just a homepage and ads, the brand now occupies multiple positions on page one.
SEO Impact
✔ Stronger brand trust
✔ Higher click-through rates on branded searches
✔ Reduced likelihood that users click competitor ads
✔ Increased confidence before landing on the site
This is especially powerful for ecommerce brands, where trust directly affects conversion rates. A shopper who sees credible press coverage is far more likely to complete a purchase than one who sees only ads and unknown reviews.
Why This Matters for Ecommerce SEO
Google doesn’t rank in a vacuum—users influence rankings through behavior.
PR helps by:
- Increasing branded searches
- Improving engagement on branded SERPs
- Supporting higher conversion rates once users arrive on site
These are not direct ranking signals, but they strengthen the entire SEO funnel, making it easier for your site to perform well over time.
What PR Does Not Do
PR articles are often misunderstood or oversold. It’s important to be clear about their limitations.
PR articles usually won’t:
- Rank a product page for competitive keywords like “best fitness bench”
- Replace high-quality editorial backlinks from reviews or comparisons
- Outperform affiliate content, buyer guides, or long-form SEO pages
If your objective is to rank for non-brand, high-intent keywords, PR alone will not get you there.
Where PR Fits in a Smart SEO Strategy
PR should be viewed as:
- Brand infrastructure
- Reputation insurance
- Demand creation
It works best when paired with:
- Editorial reviews
- Affiliate content
- On-site SEO
- Comparison and “best of” articles
PR makes all of those efforts more effective by establishing legitimacy before users ever land on your site.
Why PR Matters to Affiliate Managers
Affiliates are risk managers. Before they invest time, traffic, or ad spend, they ask:
- Is this brand credible?
- Will this convert?
- Is there brand recognition?
PR articles help answer those questions.
Example: Affiliate Recruitment
An affiliate considering whether to promote a product searches the brand and finds:
- Recognizable press coverage
- Clear brand positioning
- Founder-led credibility
Result:
The affiliate is more likely to:
- Join the program
- Feature the brand prominently
- Commit paid media or SEO resources
PR doesn’t just support SEO—it reduces affiliate hesitation.
What PR Does Not Do (for Affiliates or SEO)
PR articles usually won’t:
- Rank affiliate landing pages for competitive keywords
- Replace affiliate reviews, comparisons, or buyer guides
- Drive immediate affiliate revenue on their own
PR is not a substitute for:
- Editorial content
- Affiliate SEO
- Influencer deliverables
But it raises the ceiling on what those channels can achieve.
Final Takeaway
PR is brand SEO, not keyword SEO.
It strengthens authority, credibility, and demand—creating the conditions where:
- Other SEO efforts perform better
- Affiliates convert more effectively
- Influencers and journalists are more willing to cover your brand
When used correctly, PR doesn’t replace SEO, it supports and amplifies it.
For brands looking to align PR initiatives with measurable SEO outcomes, working with specialists who understand both attribution and organic growth is critical. Firms such as Uptake Affiliate Services focus on building sustainable affiliate strategies that complement broader PR and SEO efforts—helping brands earn visibility, credibility, and long-term search value through carefully selected publisher partnerships rather than short-term tactics.
Book a call today: www.calendly.com/marc-a-yott
