If you’ve read my blog or watched our YouTube videos, you know how important press releases are for online reputation management.
Frankly, it’s surprising to me that even in 2026 Google regards press releases with so much importance.
But it’s true, in reviewing multiple clients, press releases remain as one of the most effective ways to help bury negative search results.
In this post, I’m going to teach you the best practices for writing a press release that will rank high on search engines and to top it off, I’m going to share the automated tool I created using ChatGPT that will do 90% of the work for you.
- Methodology
- What To Write My Press Release About?
- How To Write And Optimize A Killer Press Release That Ranks On Google
- Using ChatGPT To Write Your Press Release
- List of PR Distribution Services
- Conclusion
Methodology
For this guide, I looked at four separate clients, two are our clients, and two belong to another agency.
A total of 11 press releases were analyzed and even though it’s a small sample size, I believe it gives us enough clues to help you write a PR search engines will love.
I’m sorry I can’t share the client names or the specific releases, as that would violate their confidence.
However, there’s plenty of non-identifying info I can share and when analyzed as a set, we can glean the exact ways to craft a release that will rank well.
And it goes without saying, that all of the releases that are ranking on Google were published to paid press release distribution services.
Thus, if you’re doing DIY reputation management and you want a press release to rank high, you’re probably going need to pay for it.
Here’s an overview of the four cases I looked at.
Client # 1
Client #1 is our client and when I Google his name, I found three press releases ranking in the top 10 search results.
Negative links to suppress: .gov and other websites/blogs
Domains of ranking press releases: finance.yahoo.com (via prnewswire.com), accessnewswire.com, 24-7pressrelease.com
Word Counts of releases: 1,016, 1,040, 1,151
Special Note: We used the alter ego strategy to help this client, which means the persona and all of the press releases are 100% fabricated.
So, you don’t even need to be a real person to publish press release news that’ll rank well.
Client #2
Client #2 is not our client and when Googling his name, three of the top 10 search results are paid press releases.
Negative links to suppress: Justia and news websites
Domains of ranking press releases: fairfaxtimes.com, norfolkdailynews.com (via issuewire.com), finance.yahoo.com (via accessnewswire.com)
Word Counts of releases: 1,016, 1,040, 1,151
Client #3
Client # 3 is not our client and he has one press release appearing in the top 10 of Google.
Negative links to suppress: PacerMonitor
Domains of ranking press releases: finance.yahoo.com (via accessnewswire.com)
Word Counts of releases: 673
Client #4
Client #4 is our client and 4 of the top 10 search results for his name are press releases.
Negative links to suppress: news stories
Domains of ranking press releases: issuewire.com, finance.yahoo.com (via prnewswire.com), 24-7pressrelease.com, openpr.com
Word Counts of releases: 1,184, 1,084, 1,135, 1,125
What To Write My Press Release About?
When you sit down to write your release, you need a topic.
But what if you don’t know what to write about?
Well, the nice thing about the paid distribution networks is they’re not going to scrutinize your content too hard.
After all, you are paying them to get your news published.
I’ve seen titles as simple as:
- John Doe Announces New Website
- John Doe Responds To His Recent Interview
The majority of online reputation management clients are business people, so it’s usually best to pick something in your niche.
John Doe of Acme Paper could author releases using any of these topics:
- John Doe of Acme Paper Explains Why Warehouse Organization Is the Key to Safer Operations
- Acme Paper’s John Doe: How To Adapt To The Changing Demands of the Paper Industry
- John Doe on What Businesses Get Wrong About Warehouse Efficiency
- The Hidden Costs of Poor Inventory Management: Insights from John Doe of Acme Paper
- John Doe of Acme Paper: Three Lessons Learned from Working in a Fast-Paced Warehouse Environment
The nice thing about the paid press releases online reputation management agencies write is that they only need to be good enough.
Don’t feel like you have to write a nobel-prize winning release.
Write something passable and get it out there, so Google can find it.
Now, let’s move into the eight steps for writing a release Google will love and rank highly for your name/business.
How To Write And Optimize A Killer Press Release That Ranks On Google
If you follow the steps below, you’ll have a well-crafted release that gives you a great shot to appear on the first page of Google search, at or near the top ten.
#1 Headline
Put the person’s full name and/or company name in the headline.
Your main keyword should be first, whether that’s the individual’s name or the business name.
The rest of the headline should contain a specific topic, preferably one of interest.
Here’s an example of a perfect headline:
John Doe of Acme Paper: 5 Ways To Create Safe Working Conditions in a Crowded Warehouse
Notice how it is immediately clear who and what the release is about.
Even the words after the colon (5 Ways To Create Safe Working Conditions in a Crowded Warehouse) would make for a compelling article.
A nice byproduct of putting the name first is that it will also get into the URL, which is another little nudge to help it rank better.
#2 First Paragraph or Sub-Heading
The opening repeats the person’s name and/or business name and expands on the exact subject promised by the headline.
Example:
Warehouse safety starts with smart planning. John Doe of Acme Paper Company shares five practical strategies businesses can use to reduce risks, protect employees, and keep operations running smoothly in crowded warehouse environments.
Not only does this opening reinforce the headline, we have our target keyword(s) appearing within the first two sentences.
Even if you were writing a release to submit to news outlets in the real world, this is good practice.
#3 Stay Tightly Focused on One Topic
Don’t wander off in a new direction.
If you find yourself doing that, make that “wandering” into another release all it’s own.
Provide useful information that gives readers advice, steps, examples, statistics, and answers.
Keep your entire piece laser-focused on one well-defined subject.
#4 Make The Body Relevant
Address the following within your release:
- why it matters
- how it works
- what you can do
- use specific facts
- cite credible sources, statistics, and outside evidence
You can separate each section with a short sub-heading to help break up large text blocks; this makes it easier to read.
#5 Work The Person’s Name In Naturally
Don’t stuff the person’s name over and over.
That won’t work.
Instead, work it in a few times naturally.
A great way to do this is by using direct quotes from the individual.
For example:
In a 2021 article, John Doe said, “Warehouse safety begins and ends with regular training and operational procedures.”
#6 Use The Person’s Name As The Media Contact
Another practical way to get the name into the release is to put it as the Media Contact.
Most of the paid press release distribution services we use offer the opportunity to put name, website, and social media contacts in.
Take advantage of this to cross promote other digital assets.
#6 Length
When I worked in professional sports, the mantra was to keep the releases as short as possible.
Releases were treated as teasers, only a paragraph or two in length.
Reporters who were interested would contact us and then write a feature story based on their interview with us.
It’s different when you’re writing for the purpose of online reputation management.
You don’t have to write a book, but you also need to write more than just a few paragraphs.
While some releases that rank are only 500-600 words, I recommend aiming for 1,000.
#7 Images
Some of the releases I evaluated had images, some didn’t.
If you choose to use an image, it does make it look nicer and also gives you 1-2 more ways to get your name into it.
- Caption – a caption is easy “John Doe of Acme Paper“
- Filename of image – make sure the image is named with your keyword, i.e. “John Doe – Acme Paper“
Images in your release are not mandatory, but they can be helpful, if you have them.
#8 Publication
Lastly, you should always publish your release through credible distribution networks that are going to get indexed.
Your content matters, but if Google doesn’t index it for whatever reason, it’s not going to appear in search results.
We use several of these press release distribution services.
Usually – but not always – Google won’t show multiple results on page one from the same domain, so best practice is to not publish every release on the same distribution service.
Mix things up, put one release on each network, and you’ll wind up with more than one release popping on page one and pushing down your negative links.
And when seeking a paid press release distribution network, don’t get caught up in how many news sites they distribute your news to.
Nine times out of ten, the native release published at the source is the one that appears high on Google.
That’s the only one that matters to you.
Using ChatGPT To Write Your Press Release
As I was writing this blog post, OpenAI took away the ability to make GPTs shareable to the public.
So, instead of just giving you the link to the “Press Release Writer” GPT, I’ll give you the full instructions, so you can create it and use it yourself.
Here’s a screenshot of mine, so you can see the Name, Description, and Conversation Starter.
GPT Instructions
Here is the exact instructions to copy/paste into your GPT.
# ROLE
You are a press release strategist who specializes in developing press release topics and headlines designed to perform well in Google search.
Think like an SEO strategist and experienced magazine editor, not a publicity writer.
Your job is to identify press release ideas that:
* Clearly establish who the person or company is.
* Connect them with specific areas of expertise.
* Match subjects people may actually search for.
* Provide enough substance to become a genuinely useful article.
* Build topical authority over multiple press releases.
* Avoid generic, repetitive, purely promotional ideas.
# INTERACTIVE PROCESS
Ask ONE question at a time. Never ask all questions at once.
## STEP 1
Ask:
**What is the person’s full name?**
Wait for the answer.
## STEP 2
Ask:
**What do they do? Please include their profession/business, areas of expertise, location if relevant, and anything else you think I should know.**
Wait for the answer.
## STEP 3
Ask:
**Do you already have any press release title or topic ideas you’d like me to consider? If so, paste them here. If not, just say “none.”**
Wait for the answer.
# THEN CREATE THE IDEAS
After receiving all three answers, evaluate the person’s profession, expertise, audience, location, and potential search topics.
Return:
**USER’S IDEAS**
Include every idea the user supplied. You may lightly improve the wording of the headline, but do not change the underlying idea.
If the user supplied no ideas, omit this section.
**5 NEW PRESS RELEASE IDEAS**
Create five additional ideas of your own.
For each, provide:
**Headline:**
A proposed press release headline.
**Angle:**
One or two sentences explaining what the release would actually cover.
Keep the output concise.
# HOW TO DEVELOP STRONG IDEAS
Follow these principles when creating the five new ideas:
## Establish the entity immediately
Whenever natural, put the person’s or company’s full name in the headline.
The headline should make it easy for Google to understand:
**WHO is this about + WHAT subject are they associated with?**
## Target a specific subject
Avoid vague topics.
Bad:
“John Smith Shares His Thoughts on Business”
Better:
“John Smith Explains Why Small Businesses Struggle With Customer Retention”
Connect the person with a specific topic, problem, trend, industry, audience, or area of expertise.
## Consider search intent
Think about what someone might actually search for.
Look for opportunities involving:
* Problems people want solved
* Questions people ask
* Industry trends
* Practical advice
* Changes affecting the person’s industry
* Local issues
* Specific audiences
* Research or statistics
* How-to subjects
* Common mistakes
* Emerging trends
## Define the audience when useful
Specific audiences can create stronger topics.
For example:
“Financial Planning”
is less specific than:
“Financial Planning for Detroit Small Business Owners”
Consider audiences such as:
* Small businesses
* Families
* Students
* Entrepreneurs
* Retirees
* Homeowners
* Industry professionals
* Consumers
* Local communities
Do not force an audience into the headline when it doesn’t improve the idea.
## Build topical authority
The five releases should NOT be five versions of the same story.
Instead, create a cluster of related subjects around the person’s core expertise.
For example, someone associated with hospitality might cover:
* Sustainable tourism
* Culinary tourism
* Hospitality careers
* Guest experience
* Tourism growth
Different stories should reinforce the same broader area of expertise.
## Favor useful releases
A strong press release should contain information useful even to someone who has never heard of the person.
Favor ideas that could naturally contain:
* Practical advice
* Steps readers can take
* Examples
* Statistics
* Research
* Expert explanations
* Frequently asked questions
* Specific recommendations
Avoid releases whose only message is that the person or company is wonderful.
## Demonstrate expertise
Create topics that allow the person to SHOW what they know rather than simply claim expertise.
Quotes should eventually be able to contain genuine insight rather than generic statements.
## Look for semantic depth
Choose topics that naturally allow discussion of related concepts.
For example, a customer-service release might naturally discuss:
customer retention, loyalty, communication, listening, trust, follow-through, customer experience, and relationships.
Do NOT keyword-stuff.
## Consider geography
When location genuinely matters to the person’s work, incorporate it.
Person + profession + location + specific topic can create a strong and unambiguous association.
Do not add geographic terms when geography isn’t relevant.
## Think beyond the headline
Favor ideas that could support strong descriptive subheads such as:
* Why This Matters
* What Is Changing
* Common Mistakes
* What Businesses Can Do
* How the Approach Works
* What Consumers Should Know
Do not use these mechanically. They illustrate the type of depth a good topic should support.
## Use credible evidence
Favor topics that could be strengthened with credible outside statistics, studies, government data, industry research, or other authoritative sources.
Never invent statistics or research.
## Secondary headline potential
Favor topics that can support a useful explanatory deck beneath the headline.
The secondary headline should add context, specificity, audience, or benefit rather than merely repeat the headline.
# IMPORTANT EDITORIAL RULE
Do not confuse SEO with repetition.
The goal is not to repeat a person’s name or keyword as many times as possible.
The goal is to make the relationship between:
**PERSON → EXPERTISE → TOPIC → AUDIENCE**
extremely clear while producing content genuinely worth finding through Google.
# QUALITY FILTER
Before presenting each of your five ideas, silently ask:
1. Is it specific?
2. Is the person’s expertise relevant to it?
3. Could someone plausibly search for this subject?
4. Could the resulting release provide genuinely useful information?
5. Does it strengthen the person’s association with their desired field?
6. Is it sufficiently different from the other four ideas?
If an idea fails these tests, replace it.
# FINAL BEHAVIOR
Do not write the press releases unless the user asks.
At this stage, your job is to produce excellent press release **topics and headlines**.
After presenting the ideas, ask:
**Which one would you like to develop into a press release?**
Save it and try it out.
I tested it and it works, and in keeping with our John Doe of Acme Paper example, here is my back and forth with Chat.
I provided the name and profession and the GPT asked if I had any topic ideas.
When I told it “none,” it generated 5 potential ideas for me to choose from.
I chose #1 and the GPT wrote the release, which wound up included quotes, sub-headings and a total of 626 words.
Not perfect, but a good start.
Here’s a screenshot of the beginning of the release.
I didn’t spend a lot of time refining this GPT because my goal in this post is to teach you how to get a press release to rank high on Google, not how to write a press release that passes a GPT ZERO scan.
Maybe I’ll improve it in the future.
So, you’ll need to make edits yourself to help it get below 50% probability, if you want.
But for now, you have a tool that automates the majority of the work for you.
And honestly, we’ve seen that Google doesn’t care if the content is AI-generated.
The releases we generate using AI rank quite well with a light human touch applied.
So, now that you have a tool to help you write a release, get out there an get it published.
Remember, it’s good practice to write 3-5 releases and publish them on 3-5 different services for the best chance that they will all land in the top 10 organic search results.
List of PR Distribution Services
Here’s some of the top free and paid press release distribution services used by online reputation management agencies, including us.
- 24-7pressrelease.com
- accessnewswire.com
- businesswire.com
- einpresswire.com
- ereleases.com
- globenewswire.com
- issueWire.com
- netnewsledger.com
- newswire.com
- openpr.com
- pr.com
- prlog.org
- prnewswire.com
- prweb.com
- reachwire.co.uk
- redpress.net
- send2press.com
- zexprwire.com
Conclusion
Press releases remain as one of the most powerful tools for public relations and ORM agencies who provide reputation management services.
I hope you’ve found this post helpful and if you’re wanting to do your own online reputation work, you’ve got a good start by using the tips I’ve shared.
It’s a lot of work, but you can do it if you’re willing to invest some time and money into the services listed.
And if you decide you want it done professionally, please reach out.
We do this stuff every day and will have you shining online in no time.