Optimizing Press Releases for SEO (and AI)

Part of your brand's story is shaped by the press releases you publish. These aren't just news updates—they’re digital assets that can boost visibility, reinforce credibility, and drive engagement when optimized effectively.

To stay relevant in today’s fragmented media environment, we need to write for both people and machines. That means structuring content that’s human-friendly yet AI-ready—without sounding robotic. As new habits emerge for finding information through search engines and large language models (LLMs), it’s critical to ensure your press releases are ready to meet those evolving expectations.

It’s not just about visibility on Google or Bing anymore. Large language models like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini are influencing how people consume news and content. That means your press release should be written with human readers, search engines and AI systems in mind—clear, factual, well-structured, and engaging, without ever sounding robotic. As expectations shift, the most successful press releases are those that adapt to these new, layered ways of information discovery.

Here’s how to get your press release working smarter, not harder.

Optimizing Press Releases for SEO (and AI)

1. Start With Strategic Keywords

Just like any other web content, your press release should include relevant keywords that your audience is actually searching for.

  • Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush to find high-volume, low-competition terms.

  • Focus on long-tail keywords that match user intent: e.g., “AI-powered logistics software” or “sustainable fashion partnership.”

  • Incorporate the keyword naturally in the headline, subhead, first paragraph, and body copy.

Avoid keyword stuffing—Google and AI models both favor content that reads well and feels human.

2. Use an SEO-Friendly Structure

The way your press release is organized can affect how easily it’s indexed. Stick to a clean and scannable format.

  • Include subheadings (H2s or H3s) to break up sections

  • Use bullet points or numbered lists to highlight details

  • Keep paragraphs short and to the point

Need a refresher on how to format your release? Check out our Press Release Format & Structure guide for a step-by-step breakdown.

3. Optimize for Featured Snippets

Want to show up in position zero on Google? Structure parts of your release to answer questions concisely:

  • Start a paragraph with a clear question, like “What is an AI-powered press release?”

  • Follow with a 1–2 sentence answer.

This format is not only Google-friendly but also gets picked up by voice assistants and AI-generated responses.

4. Add High-Value Links

Internal and external links can boost the credibility and SEO power of your press release.

  • Link to relevant pages on your site (product pages, blog posts, contact forms)

  • Include outbound links to trustworthy sources that support your claims

But don’t overdo it. Two or three links per 400–500 words is a good rule of thumb.

Looking to understand the broader business benefits? Check out How Press Releases Help Businesses.

5. Make It Multimedia-Rich

Search engines (and people) love visual content. Adding media can increase engagement and time on page—both of which help with rankings.

  • Include at least one image with alt text

  • Embed a YouTube video if you have one

  • Attach PDFs or infographics if relevant

Bonus: Multimedia content often gets indexed separately and may appear in image or video search results.

6. Include Schema Markup

If your press release is going on your own site, make sure your developer adds structured data (schema markup) to help search engines understand what it is.

  • Use schema.org “NewsArticle” or “PressRelease” markup

  • Helps Google display rich results and improves visibility in AI model training sets

This is a more technical step, but it’s a must-have if you want your release to stand out in search results.

Write for AI, Not Just People

7. Write for AI, Not Just People

AI models like ChatGPT and Claude scrape the web for structured, factual, and well-written content to generate answers. That means your press release should:

  • Be fact-based and free of fluff

  • Include stats, names, dates, and proper nouns

  • Use clear formatting and straightforward language

Press releases that are well-written and easy to parse are more likely to be referenced, summarized, or cited by AI tools.

Want to know how this fits into a broader strategy? See how it compares with other tactics in Press Release vs. Other PR Methods.

Ready to Boost Your Reach?

Optimizing your press release for SEO and AI is no longer optional—it’s essential. When done right, it helps your announcement go further, last longer, and reach more of the right people.

At túatú, we don’t just help you write a great press release—we make sure it gets seen. Our International Press Release Distribution with Guaranteed Publications ensures your news lands in the right media outlets, in the right markets, with real impact.

Contact us today to take your next announcement to the next level.