The Press Release Comeback? Adapting to AI and Changes in SEO, Search Algorithms and Evolving Media Habits

The Valuable Role Press Releases Play in Marketing

Despite the shifting media landscape, press releases continue to hold value. Think of the press release as a direct-to-buyer, media bypass marketing tool. Unlike traditional content marketing, which can sometimes struggle with credibility, press releases bring a sense of authority and legitimacy that’s hard to replicate. The news format immediately signals originality and importance, lending credibility that helps cut through the noise of other content forms.

But "newswires", often used to distribute press releases, face significant challenges. Fortunately, there is a fix.

The Challenges Facing Newswires Today
While press releases remain valuable, traditional newswire distribution's effectiveness has significantly declined. Several challenges are contributing to this reduced impact:

• SEO Algorithms: Search engines continuously update their algorithms, making it harder for press releases to rank well. SEO has become a moving target.
• Demand for Higher Content Quality: As search engines emphasize content quality through updates like Google's "useful content" and E-E-A-T (Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness), poorly written or overly promotional press releases can be deprioritized or ignored.
• Duplicate Content Penalties: Many newswires still distribute the same press release across hundreds of outlets, but search engines now penalize duplicate content, reducing search visibility and rankings.
• Outdated Formats: The press release format itself is evolving. Releases that are limited to plain text and a few images are no longer enough to capture the attention of today’s audiences.
• Changing Media Consumption Habits: Google search volume is declining as people turn to AI. But even within search engines, we’re seeing AI-generated answers taking precedence. This means fewer people are scrolling down to view traditional search results. It also means fewer people are using search and organically discovering press releases.

Adding to these challenges is the fact that the MAJORITY of internet activity happens OUTSIDE search engines, yet most newswires focus exclusively on search to surface press release visibility.

It’s no wonder many newswires are seeing reduced traffic, fewer placements, and a general decline in effectiveness.

It's a broken model.

Newswires need to rethink their approach to press release distribution.

What you want is:

• Targeted content delivery
• Organic discovery across diverse platforms and channels
• Amplified presence where audiences actually spend time

Here’s how to combat these challenges and restore press releases to their rightful place as a powerful marketing tactic for content amplification.

1. Diversify Press Release Formats

Sending the exact same press release to hundreds of websites doesn't engage audiences or improve SEO. Instead, transform press releases into dynamic, multi-format content. This includes:

• Interactive news articles: Incorporating multimedia elements such as video and audio create a more engaging and immersive experience.
• Engaging blog posts: Repurpose releases into conversational blog formats that resonate with readers while improving SEO.
• Video content: With video consumption on the rise, translating releases into short, attention-grabbing videos can broaden reach.
• Podcasts: Audio formats are increasingly popular, offering a new way to engage audiences who prefer listening over reading.
  This approach not only makes the content more engaging but also enables distribution across a wider range of channels.
• Newsletters: Newsletters remain one of the most effective tools for direct audience engagement. By including press releases in popular newsletters, you can reach a more targeted audience. Delivering curated content directly to inboxes, press releases can bypass search engine algorithms entirely.

2. Leverage Alternative Distribution Channels
While search engines are still important, they no longer dominate the way they once did. Today, the majority of internet activity happens OUTSIDE search. To adapt, press releases need to surface organically across the platforms and channels where their targeted audiences are spending time - and in FORMATS appropriate for these micro-communities:

• News forums and social media channels: Reach audiences where they actively engage with news and discussions.
• Podcasts and newsletters: Target niche communities with content tailored to their interests.
• AI-powered discovery: As AI platforms become more integrated into daily life, it’s important to ensure press releases can be indexed and surfaced in these newer environments.

By meeting customers where they spend their time, you can regain lost traction and improve visibility.

3. Prioritize SEO Best Practices
With ever-changing SEO rules, staying on top of best practices is critical. Focus on creating high-quality, unique content that delivers value, adheres to E-E-A-T guidelines, and avoids duplicate content issues. Structured data and multimedia elements can further boost SEO rankings.

4. Embrace AI and Automation
AI technologies can enhance the visibility of press releases by optimizing content for different platforms and search engines. Newswires should consider using AI-driven tools for content creation, automatic translation into multiple languages, and performance analytics. Automation also ensures that the content remains fresh and consistently distributed across the web.

5. Offer Flexible, Scalable Solutions
Finally, newswires need to adapt their business models to provide more flexible and scalable solutions for their clients. This includes offering tiered pricing, pay-per-release options, and the ability to customize press release distribution based on specific needs.

By addressing the core challenges — outdated formats, SEO roadblocks, and changing media consumption habits—newswires can regain lost ground and even emerge stronger.

How?

One solution is NewsRamp.com. NewsRamp programmatically does all the above, and it's why we use them to amplify Newsworthy.ai press releases. NewsRamp curates press releases into multiple unique content formats (articles, blog posts, TLDRs, video, audio, and Zero-Click), translates them into up to 12 languages, and then syndicates the content across social media, forums, newsletters, podcasts, and news sites, resulting in increased online visibility and engagement for Newsworthy.ai press releases.

Want to learn more? Book a call with one our founders.