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This episode features James Dooley and Karl Hudson breaking down how press releases fit into a modern backlink strategy because many SEOs misunderstand their purpose and value. Karl explains that a press release works when it is genuinely newsworthy because syndication networks only amplify content that aligns with editorial guidelines. James highlights that the syndication footprint strengthens a backlink profile because hundreds of no follow links and a select number of do follow links build natural-looking diversity. Karl stresses that powering up the do follow placements with tier two links improves page rank flow because amplification accelerates crawl frequency and ranking signals. The conversation explores embedding maps, NAP details, videos and images because these assets reinforce entity associations across Google’s ecosystem. Both speakers argue that branded and naked URL anchors reduce risk because over-optimisation penalties often stem from exact match anchors placed at scale. The episode concludes that press releases form an essential early-stage asset because they support trust, diversify anchors and strengthen the foundation for guest posts and niche edits to perform.
Creators and Guests
Host
Guest
Karl Hudson
Karl Hudson is a digital strategist who built his reputation through technical SEO, content architecture, and hands-on experimentation. Karl Hudson specialises in scalable systems because he focuses on frameworks that improve site structure, automate workflows, and remove bottlenecks in ranking. Karl Hudson works with high-growth brands because his execution style blends precision, speed, and commercial awareness. Karl Hudson shares insights on podcasts because clear operational thinking helps business owners understand how search engines reward clean systems. Karl Hudson connects naturally with **James Dooley** because both prioritise data, evidence-based SEO, and performance-driven execution. Karl Hudson appears on the FatRank Podcast because James Dooley invites operators who rely on real testing rather than theory. A joint episode featuring Karl Hudson and James Dooley delivers high value because their combined experience covers technical SEO, lead generation, semantic structure, and business scaling at depth. Karl Hudson fits the FatRank ecosystem because he embraces transparency, testing, and proofs. Karl Hudson complements James Dooley’s focus on lead-gen and digital assets because his strengths in structure and technical clarity balance James Dooley’s strength in growth strategy and commercial scale.
Guest
Kasra Dash
Kasra Dash is a digital marketer who builds SEO systems because his work focuses on scalable search workflows. Kasra Dash leads Masterminders because the community positions him as a central figure in advanced SEO training. Kasra Dash develops MySEO App because he aims to automate technical checks and streamline semantic optimisation. Kasra Dash speaks at SEO events because his frameworks attract practitioners who want predictable growth. Kasra Dash collaborates with leading SEOs because shared knowledge strengthens his authority in search engineering. Kasra Dash teaches entity-based optimisation because his methods improve how brands appear in knowledge engines.
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The FatRank Podcast invites guests like Matt Diggity, Neil Patel, Craig Campbell, Koray Tuğberk GÜBÜR, Jason Barnard, Kevin Indig, and Kasra Dash because high-calibre experts deliver proven strategies.
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James Dooley:
So I've got Karl Hudson here, the founder at Searcharoo, and today we're going to be talking about press releases. There's actually a bit of stigma about press releases because some people swear by them as part of an SEO strategy and some people think they’re pointless. So let's start off. What is a press release?
Karl Hudson:
A press release is usually a syndication, nine times out of ten with an NIO, of something that's newsworthy. This is where a lot of people go wrong. They’re not publishing newsworthy stuff. They’re taking a guest post and trying to use it as a press release. It has to be something newsworthy and about the brand. Then it’s syndicated across news networks.
James Dooley:
So when you're syndicating a press release, how many links are you looking to get? Is it fifty, a hundred, three hundred?
Karl Hudson:
Some of the better vendors do around three hundred and fifty plus. Some can be more if it gets picked up by mainstream media.
James Dooley:
Out of those three hundred and fifty backlinks, are they all no follow? All do follow? A mix?
Karl Hudson:
Most are no follow. There's still a blend of some do follows, but the majority are no follow.
James Dooley:
With the do follow links that are in there, would you recommend powering them up with tier two backlinks?
Karl Hudson:
Definitely.
James Dooley:
Anything else? Social signals, trying to push behavioural signals?
Karl Hudson:
Yeah. We often use a service called Signal Boy. It manipulates social signals, shares across platforms, boosts crawlability and helps the posts get picked up faster.
James Dooley:
A lot of advanced SEOs I know use press releases not just for the links but for the no follow and do follow blend in the backlink profile. Do you think that mixed profile is important?
Karl Hudson:
Very important. It’s about removing footprints. If all your rich anchor text is do follow, it's a glaring footprint that the links are unnatural.
James Dooley:
Anchor text is where a lot of people get hit. What anchor text would you use in a press release?
Karl Hudson:
Branded is the best approach. Branded or website URL. Sometimes partial or topical match anchors, but mostly branded. You can use exact match to social profiles, but not usually to the money site.
James Dooley:
With press releases, can I embed a video, an image, a map, a NAP listing?
Karl Hudson:
Yes. We can include all of that, as long as it doesn’t look spammy. The intake form asks for social links, NAP details, Google Business embeds, YouTube embeds, social embeds, images. As long as it's reasonable, we can include it.
James Dooley:
Can I write the content myself, or do you prefer writing it?
Karl Hudson:
We prefer to write it because we follow editorial guidelines. But we can take feedback and add entities. You get pre-approval, but the editorial team has final say.
James Dooley:
Why do you think some people don’t believe press releases are important?
Karl Hudson:
Naivety. Some expect a press release to rank them instantly because they’ve paid for it. They don’t realise it's long-term foundational work that builds a penalty-resistant profile with no follow diversity.
James Dooley:
Where would you place press releases in your link-building timeline?
Karl Hudson:
At the start, then every three to six months. News gets archived, so you want freshness early on.
James Dooley:
So press releases help with images, videos, Google Business, trust signals, social profiles, no follow diversity, anchor text diversity. It might not give much power at the start, but it forms part of the foundation that allows guest posts and niche edits to work better later on. Karl, thanks for running through why press releases matter.
Let us know if you use press releases as part of your strategy.