While free press release distribution sites may not generate the same publicity that paid news wires can produce, they are a growing tool for businesses to increase their traffic and exposure. Using a free press release distribution sites services can increase your search engine optimization efforts with regular, thoughtful adoption.

First, the value in using press releases online is from their distribution and linking capabilities. When you create your online press releases you are doing two things. First, you are telling your story to a wide audience of journalists, bloggers and industry professionals. That alone can help you tell your story to an even bigger or better targeted audience, but you are also providing content that will be published and posted around the internet at participating sites that acts as fuel for your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts.

SEO is essentially the process by which you can improve your search engine rankings so that more searchers find, and hopefully follow, your website link. In turn, you will gain traffic and prospects that can be converted to clients. This constant flow of traffic can be very dependent on your search engine rankings. For example, the first organic, or unpaid, search result gets over two thirds of the search traffic. So, the more you can get your content published across the internet, the better your chances for improved search results rankings.

In fact, as you create more links to your site, using the links embedded in your press release, you stand to increase your Google Page Rank. This measurement that Google established looks at how many relevant sites are linking to your site as one of the criteria for higher Page Rank. As your Page Rank increases, so to does the frequency that you appear in search engine results. Combine that with other SEO efforts and your site can potentially climb on the results pages of relevant searches.

While the SEO effects can be tremendous, there is also the ability to engage journalists through use of free press release distribution sites. In regards to getting that journalistic interest in your story, as you publish your press releases you also increase your chance of attracting writers that would like to interview you or use your story for a piece they are publishing. This is generally more effective if you can use your published press release to target specific writers in your area or niche. Even if they did not specifically pick up the press release, you can still forward it to them possible consideration.