Patenting SEO strategies – is it the new normal?
We have never heard of any online marketing agency patenting SEO strategy. But we suppose if anyone would do it, it would be the likes of Warren Buffet.
Berkshire Hathaway’s Business Wire has been awarded a U.S. patent for the “technological process of optimising and distributing press releases to maximize their ability to be found and tracked in the search engines.” Source.
In short, they’ve patented an SEO strategy. This is a rather strange step but certainly something really interesting as this might lead to other SEO strategies being patented by SEO agencies?
Business Wire says its strategy is the result of “years of research and development and considerable investment.”
“Our new SEO patent provides complementary enhancements to Business Wire’s already powerful press release distribution and measurement services,” said Laura Sturaitis, Executive Vice President of Media Services and Product Strategy.
“Through Business Wire, customers have the power to analyze and optimize their press release content for search effectively, then simultaneously deliver their news to media and market participants via our patented NX delivery network, then measure audience engagement via our NewsTrak reports,” she added.
“With the awarding of this patent, in addition to Business Wire’s NX distribution technology patents, our company continues to develop unique, proprietary and more effective communications innovations that have been a hallmark at Business Wire for 50 years,” said Cathy Baron-Tamraz, Business Wire CEO.
This is certainly a huge precedent, and I am sure this is the start of “all-out war” between search engine optimisation companies in the United States and perhaps the UK as well.
Will Business Wire be keeping tabs on other agencies’ software development and processes for possible patent infringements? Is the process of PR distribution and analysis effective for Business Wires?
Warren is worth over $166.1B in 2025
What is our take on it?
- U.S patent system is flawed, ineffective and should be revised.
- SEO processes, strategies and technology is way too dynamic, patenting them is commercially not viable or worth it.
- This patent is based on very primitive on page analysis, there are many free tools out there than can do most of what is claimed here.
- Press Release SEO is not new, many leading distribution services offer search engine optimised press releases, in fact some come with automatic recommendations.
- This is Warren Buffett’s worst investment.