When you’re running a startup, paid ads are often the first thing you cut not because they don’t work, but because budgets simply don’t allow it.
But here is the goodnews for you all that in 2026, free PR submissions still support SEO by building authority when budgets of businesses are tight.
Early-stage companies like Airbnb proved that earned PR alone can create authority, rankings and momentum without spending heavily on ads.
Now, when you know how industry leaders are using PR sites, lets start this guide which explains what PR sites are, why they still work, and how to use free PR submission sites in the smart way to build your own brand.
List Of Free Press Release Submission Sites
| S. No. | Website | DA |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | https://web.archive.org/ | 93 |
| 2 | https://www.npr.org/ | 92 |
| 3 | https://www.businesswire.com/ | 92 |
| 4 | https://www.prfree.org/#google_vignette | 91 |
| 5 | https://www.yumpu.com/en | 90 |
| 6 | https://www.prweb.com/ | 90 |
| 7 | https://www.mediapost.com/ | 86 |
| 8 | https://news.thomasnet.com/submit-pr | 85 |
| 9 | https://www.prlog.org/ | 83 |
| 10 | https://betanews.com/ | 81 |
| 11 | https://www.openpr.com/news/submit.html | 80 |
| 12 | https://www.pr.com/ | 79 |
| 13 | https://www.bizcommunity.com/ | 79 |
| 14 | https://www.newswire.com/ | 76 |
| 15 | https://www.issuewire.com/ | 75 |
| 16 | https://www.einpresswire.com/ | 71 |
| 17 | https://www.realwire.com/ | 70 |
| 18 | http://prsync.com/ | 67 |
| 19 | https://www.webwire.com/ | 67 |
| 20 | https://www.pr-inside.com/ | 66 |
| 21 | https://pitchengine.com/ | 66 |
| 22 | https://www.24-7pressrelease.com/ | 66 |
| 23 | https://www.1888pressrelease.com/ | 65 |
| 24 | https://www.pressreleasepoint.com/ | 64 |
| 25 | https://www.accesswire.com/ | 64 |
| 26 | https://onlineprnews.com/ | 62 |
| 27 | http://www.sbwire.com/ | 61 |
| 28 | http://www.releasewire.com/ | 61 |
| 29 | https://www.send2press.com/ | 60 |
| 30 | https://www.directionsmag.com/ | 59 |
| 31 | https://www.nanotech-now.com/submit-press.cgi | 58 |
| 32 | https://www.newswiretoday.com/ | 58 |
| 33 | https://www.onlywire.com/ | 58 |
| 34 | https://pressat.co.uk/ | 56 |
| 35 | https://www.prleap.com/ | 56 |
| 36 | https://prmac.com/ | 54 |
| 37 | https://www.prunderground.com/ | 54 |
| 38 | https://www.businessportal24.com/en | 53 |
| 39 | https://www.prurgent.com/ | 52 |
| 40 | https://www.marketpressrelease.com/ | 50 |
| 41 | https://icrowdnewswire.com/ | 47 |
| 42 | https://www.theopenpress.com/ | 47 |
| 43 | https://express-press-release.net/ | 46 |
| 44 | https://www.globenewswire.com/ | 46 |
| 45 | https://www.clickpress.com/releases/ | 46 |
| 46 | http://express-press-release.net/ | 46 |
| 47 | http://www.pressbox.co.uk/ | 44 |
| 48 | https://www.briefingwire.com/ | 44 |
| 49 | https://www.webnewswire.com/ | 44 |
| 50 | https://archive.clickpress.com/releases/ | 41 |
| 51 | https://www.prfire.co.uk/ | 41 |
| 52 | http://www.bizeurope.com/pressrelease.htm | 37 |
| 53 | https://www.pressreleasepost.com/ | 33 |
| 54 | https://scoopasia.com/ | 28 |
| 55 | https://travpr.com/ | 25 |
| 56 | http://www.freeprnow.com/ | 23 |
What Are PR Submission Sites?
PR sites are those websites where you can share press releases on the web.
They distribute company news, product launches, partnerships, events, and reports on public news webpages that search engines can crawl and display in SERP results.
In recent studies it is clearly mentioned that over 75% of brands use press releases to gain backlinks to increase online credibility even if their budgets for off-page seo are limited.
These free pr sites help your website connect with trusted news platforms, boosting SEO, generating referral traffic, and building credibility without extra costs.
How free PR submission sites usually work?
Step1: You prepare a press release.
Step2: You submit it using a web form.
Step3: Then that platform posts it in a news section.
Step4: After that search engines discover and index the page.
What most services are offered by free PR websites?
Following are the services offered by press release sites:
- Business name with a short overview
- One or two outbound links
- Contact information
- Image or video support on selected platforms
Many well-known PR submission websites operate on older domains with steady crawl patterns. This allows search engines to pick up your content faster than publishing the same update on a new blog that still struggles for visibility.
How Free PR Submission Sites Boost SEO?
PR submission can actually boost SEO performance of your website in long run website visibility, build authority and reach the right audience without spending heavily on off page marketing
1. Improve Website Authority
If you get backlinks from established news sites, it increases your website’s credibility and reliability.
Google or other search engines like Bing treat these links as endorsements, which can help to improve your website’s domain authority.
Over the period of time, consistent press release submissions create trust signals for search engines, making your website appear more reliable in search results.
Key points to be considered before you publish PR online are as follows:
- Links from aged domains carry more weight
- Press releases provide anchor text that adds contextual relevance
- Trustworthy backlinks can indirectly improve rankings for multiple pages
2. Faster Indexing and Crawling
Search engines crawl press release pages frequently, particularly those websites which have steady traffic.
When you publish a press release, search engines discover your new content faster.
This early detection can help your website appear in search results sooner for timely news, product launches or data updates.
Benefits for SEO after getting published in online pr websites are as follows:
- New pages get indexed faster
- Updates are recognized quickly
- Fresh content keeps search engines engaged
3. Increase Brand Visibility and Mentions
Every published press release creates brand mentions across the web.
Even if users do not click the links, search engines notice these links as citations.
Referral link juice from press release sites also brings potential customers to your website.
After a period of time, repeated mentions on multiple websites strengthen your brand’s digital footprint, which can build more trust and authority in the eyes of both users and search engines.
Points to be remember before you publish publish press release online:
- Press releases increase online mentions and citations
- Referral traffic can drive qualified visitors
- Consistent exposure strengthens brand recall
4. Support Keyword Ranking
Writing content for press releases also includes relevant keywords naturally in the title, subheadings and body can help your targeted pages to rank for specific keywords while maintaining a natural link profile.
When backlinks use similar anchor text pointing to your website, search engines understand the content theme better.
What Are The Key Benefits Of Using Free PR Submission Sites?
PR submission offers several advantages like supporting Off page SEO activities, brand visibility and link building while keeping costs low.
1. Cost Effective SEO strategy
Publishing free press releases reduces reliance on paid backlinks.
If you are on cost cutting and donot want to spend more over these kind of promotions then it is the best option for you all.
2. Boost Organic Traffic
Press releases often appear on news webpages and because of the high domain authority of these websites, pages get indexed by search engines quickly.
This can send new visitors to your website in the form of link juice who are actively looking for your product or service.
3. Build Brand Credibility
Being featured on recognized websites creates trust signals for your brand online.
Even if the link is no-follow, repeated mentions improve your online reputation and help search engines associate your brand with authority.
4. Helpful For New Websites
New websites often struggle to get noticed by search engines because of low authority.
Submitting press releases to established sites like forbes or msn gives your content early exposure, improving crawl frequency and indexing.
5. Long-term link value
Free Press Release submission sites often host content for months or years.
This means the backlinks remain active and can continue to support SEO for a long time, unlike temporary listings.
Including contextual anchor text with consistent press release submissions may become a powerful and affordable tool to support your off-page SEO strategy over the period of time.
What Are The Common Mistakes To Avoid While Submitting PR?
Many beginners unknowingly reduce the value of their press releases by making errors that search engines notice and readers dislike.
Here are some common mistakes that should be avoided at any cost while publishing PR.
1. Over-Optimized Anchor Texts
Using the same keyword repeatedly in links can look unnatural to any search engine.
To avoid the spam signal use a mix of branded anchors, generic phrases and relevant keywords.
This creates a natural link profile and improves ranking without looking manipulative.
2. Spinning Low-Quality Content
Copying or slightly rewriting content from other sources harms your credibility.
Press releases should offer fresh, accurate and readable information. You should focus on clear headlines, concise language and meaningful updates so that your website’s trust score doesn’t get hampered.
3. Submitting to Spammy Sites
There are some low-quality websites that exist purely to sell backlinks and often carry penalties from search engines.
Avoid sites with thin content, too many ads or suspicious domains. Always stick to reputable sites with steady traffic and indexed pages to ensure your links are recognized.
4. Ignoring Formatting and Guidelines
Every PR site has its own submission rules, including word limits, image size and link placement.
If you ignore their policies then it can lead to delayed publication or cause your release to be rejected.
Always follow the formatting guidelines carefully, use proper headings, include multimedia and keep your press release organized for both readers and search engines.
Here is quick checklist to avoid mistakes:
- Vary anchor text naturally
- Write original and valuable content
- Submit only to trusted PR platforms
- Follow PR submission instructions and formatting rules wisely
By avoiding these common errors, your press releases can generate great backlinks that support your SEO on long term basis.
What Is The Difference Between Paid V/S Free PR Distributions?
Here are the major difference between paid PR distributions and free PR distributions.
| Feature | Free PR distribution Sites | Paid PR Distribution Sites |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | It focuses on SEO value, link building and indexing | It focus on media coverage, journalist outreach and brand visibility |
| Cost | Free | High cost per release |
| Distribution | Basic distribution on news portals | Wide distribution to large media networks, journalists and newsrooms |
| Backlinks | One or two links to your site | Can include multiple high-authority links |
| Publishing Speed | Slower approval times | Fast publishing |
| Placement Control | Few controls over formatting & placement | Full control, premium formatting and placement options |
| Search Engine Visibility | Yes, long-term hosted URLs | Yes, but some URLs may be short-lived |
| Best For | Startups, bloggers, small businesses, SEO teams with limited budgets | Major announcements, established brands, campaigns requiring high visibility |
How Does Free Press Release Submission In Matters SEO?
Free PR submission in SEO help when off-page budgets feel tight and backlink costs keep rising.
They support SEO by:
- Building branded link profiles
- Creating indexable mentions
- Supporting topical relevance
- Sending early traffic signals
- Strengthening brand searches
For startups and bloggers, press release submission sites reduce dependency on guest posts and paid links. For marketers, they help maintain steady off-page activity without draining budgets.
How Free Press Release Distribution Helps Nonprofits?
As a matter of fact, marketing budgets are always a luxury in the case of non-profits because they are competing to be seen in a crowded digital environment, especially in a space where they might not be able to afford to do so.
That’s exactly where free press release services can be a major marketing tool to give them more visibility along with a few free backlinks as a bonus!
Through the submission of press releases on well-known sites, nonprofits will be able to announce fundraising campaigns, boast of community-based activities as well as partnerships to the masses.
There are many websites with good DA-PA for press releases that offer free submissions for the benefit of Non Profits to secure both do-follow and no-followed links.
While do-follows are essential for SEO rankings, no-follows increase the chances for a more authentic link profile.
Conclusion
Free PR submission sites continue to support SEO in 2026 by helping websites build backlinks, improve indexing and increase brand visibility without high costs. For businesses, they offer a practical way to maintain off page SEO activity when budgets are limited.
When press releases are written with original content, natural anchor text and submitted only to trusted platforms they contribute to a healthier link profile and stronger search trust.
While paid PR platforms are useful for large announcements and media outreach, free PR submission sites work best for long-term SEO growth.
Used consistently and correctly, they help search engines to recognize authority, relevance and brand presence which makes them reliable.
Want to know more about OFF-Page SEO techniques, then you can also read our other blogs based on video submission, image submission or profile submission.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are free PR submission sites safe for SEO?
Yes, free PR submission sites can be safe for SEO if you choose reputable and high-quality platforms. Trusted PR sites help build brand visibility, referral traffic, and online mentions.
Do PR sites provide do-follow backlinks?
Most PR submission sites do not guarantee do-follow backlinks. Many links are no-follow or branded mentions, which is completely normal and safe.
Can PR submissions improve Google rankings?
Yes, PR submissions can indirectly improve Google rankings. They help by increasing brand awareness, online visibility, referral traffic, and natural backlink opportunities.
