SEO Press Release Template

Headline & Subheadline

Lead with the news in one scannable line so an editor decides in seconds that it is worth reading.

Headline

State the single most newsworthy fact in plain, active language. Aim for roughly 8 to 12 words, front-load the strongest detail, and skip hype words like ‘revolutionary’ or ‘game-changing’ that editors instantly distrust.

Headline: [Company] [Action / News Verb] [What & Why It Matters]

Example shape: ‘[Company] Launches [Product] to [Concrete Benefit].’

Subheadline

Use one supporting sentence that adds the second-most-important detail: a number, a date, a partner, or a market. It should make sense on its own if the headline is cut.

Subheadline: [Supporting Detail: timing, scale, partner, or outcome]

• Keep the headline under ~70 characters where possible for clean display.
• Use title case for the headline, sentence case for the subheadline.
• Never bury the news: if the headline is vague, the email gets deleted.

Lead Paragraph (Who/What/When/Where/Why)

Deliver the full story in one tight opening paragraph so it stands alone if everything below is cut.

The Lead (First Paragraph)

This is the most important paragraph in the release. In two to three sentences, answer the five Ws so a reader who stops here still has the complete story. This is the inverted pyramid in action: most important facts first, supporting detail later.

Dateline: [City, State], [Month Day, Year]:

Lead: [Who: Company] today [What: announced / launched / released] [the news], [Why it matters: the benefit or problem solved]. [When & Where: availability, date, region].

Quick Check

• Who: the organization making news.
• What: the single core announcement.
• When: launch, effective, or event date.
• Where: market, region, or venue.
• Why: the reason a reader should care.

If your lead needs three commas to breathe, split it. Short, declarative sentences read as credible; long ones read as marketing.

Body & Supporting Details

Back the lead with proof, context, and specifics that help a journalist write the story without calling you.

Supporting Paragraphs

After the lead, layer in evidence in descending order of importance. Give reporters the facts, context, and color they need to file quickly: the easier you make their job, the likelier the pickup.

Paragraph 2 (Context): [The problem or market trend this news addresses].

Paragraph 3 (Proof): [Concrete, verifiable details: features, pricing, availability, real numbers you can stand behind].

Paragraph 4 (Significance): [Who benefits and what changes for them].

Rules of Thumb

• Use only verifiable facts: one fabricated or inflated stat can sink your credibility with a reporter for good.
• Cite sources for any data: [Source & Date].
• Write in third person and AP style; spell out numbers one through nine, use numerals for 10 and up.
• Keep the whole release to roughly 300 to 500 words on one page.

Boilerplate & Quote

Add one human, quotable voice and a reusable company description editors can lift verbatim.

The Quote

Include one or two quotes that sound like a person, not a brochure. A good quote adds perspective or meaning that the facts alone cannot: reporters quote insight, not adjectives. Attribute it clearly with name and title.

Quote: ‘[A genuine, specific statement about why this matters],’ said [Name], [Title] at [Company].

Avoid empty filler like ‘We are thrilled and excited.’ Say something only your leader could say.

Boilerplate (About Section)

End with a short, evergreen paragraph describing your company. Editors reuse it word for word, so keep it accurate and current.

About [Company]: [One to three sentences: what you do, who you serve, and one credibility marker such as founding year or scale]. Learn more at [Website].

• Keep the boilerplate to roughly 50 to 100 words.
• Update it whenever your size, focus, or leadership changes.

Contact Info & Distribution

Make follow-up effortless and choose how the release reaches the right journalists.

Media Contact

Always include a real, monitored contact: a missing or slow reply kills a hot story. List a named person, not a generic inbox.

Contact: [Name], [Title]

Email: [Email]  |  Phone: [Phone]

Press kit / assets: [Link to logos, images, fact sheet]

Distribution Options

1. Direct outreach: personalized pitches to specific reporters who cover your beat: the highest-quality, highest-effort path.
2. Newsroom post: publish on your own site or press page so the news lives at a URL you control.
3. Paid wire: [Wire service] for broad syndication and on-the-record visibility.

Mark the top of the release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE or add an embargo line: ‘Embargoed until [Date & Time].’

SEO & Link Reality Notes

Set honest expectations for what a press release does and does not do for search rankings.

The Link Truth

This is the part most guides get wrong. Per Google’s own guidance, links in paid or syndicated press releases should be marked nofollow or sponsored. Wire distribution is a paid placement, so its links are not meant to pass ranking signals: using PR wires as a link-building scheme can be treated as a link spam violation.

Where The Real Value Is

• Earned pickups: when a journalist writes their own story, any link they choose to add is editorial: that is the link that actually helps.
• Brand mentions: unlinked mentions still build awareness, branded search demand, and trust.
• Your owned URL: the newsroom version on your site is fully indexable and yours to keep.

Practical SEO Tips

1. Write for the journalist first, the algorithm second.
2. Include your target keyword naturally in the headline and lead.
3. Do not stuff anchor-text links into the wire copy expecting ranking gains.
4. Measure success by coverage and referral traffic, not wire-link counts.

Do press release links help my SEO rankings?

Generally no, not directly. Google's guidance says links in paid or syndicated press releases should be marked nofollow or sponsored because wire distribution is a paid placement. The real SEO benefit comes from earned coverage (when a journalist writes their own story and chooses to link or mention you) plus the brand awareness and branded-search demand that coverage creates.

Why should I add nofollow or sponsored to links in a wire release?

Because the placement is paid. Google treats links you pay to place as advertising, and using PR wires to build links can be flagged as a link spam violation. Marking them nofollow or sponsored keeps you compliant and signals that you are pursuing PR for coverage, not for manipulating rankings.

How long should a press release be?

Aim for roughly 300 to 500 words on a single page. Journalists are busy, so lead with the news and cut anything that is not essential. If a detail does not help a reporter write the story, move it to a linked fact sheet or press kit instead of the release body.

What is the inverted pyramid and why does it matter?

It is the journalism convention of putting the most important information first and the least important last. It matters because editors cut from the bottom and readers stop early, so your lead must carry the full story on its own. Order your body paragraphs by descending importance: context, then proof, then significance.

Should I pay for a press release distribution service?

It depends on your goal. Paid wires give broad, on-the-record visibility and can be useful for compliance or awareness, but they rarely generate meaningful coverage by themselves. For actual stories, personalized outreach to reporters who cover your space usually outperforms a paid blast: many teams do both.

What makes a press release actually newsworthy?

A clear reason for someone outside your company to care: timeliness, real impact, a notable number, a recognizable name, conflict or surprise, or local relevance. Routine updates and feature tweaks rarely qualify. Before writing, ask whether a journalist with no stake in your company would consider it news. If not, find a sharper angle.