For businesses, new or old, getting noticed by the right audience is crucial, and luckily, there are many ways to do it. Beyond the core strategies of SEO, PPC, and social media, some specialized tactics can be incredibly effective when used correctly. One such tactic is using the Help a Reporter Out (HARO) platform, which can help establish your expertise, increase brand visibility, and boost SEO through backlinks.

Curious how? Let’s dive in:

• Understanding HARO and its functionality
• Leveraging HARO for backlink generation and brand awareness
• Mastering the art of responding to HARO queries effectively

What is HARO?

Help a Reporter Out (HARO) is a platform developed by Cision that connects journalists, businesses, and individuals. It serves as a hub for posting queries requesting information, statistics, and expert opinions for articles in development. Experts can respond to these queries, providing journalists with valuable insights. Often, journalists will quote these experts in their articles and provide backlinks to their websites when relevant.

Example of a HARO query Journalists on the platform often represent well-known publications, making HARO a fantastic avenue for link building, a crucial aspect of SEO. It simultaneously enhances brand awareness and media coverage. The platform’s effectiveness is evident in the emergence of numerous HARO link-building services in recent years. These services offer to secure high-quality links from top media outlets, albeit at a significant cost.

Setting up Your HARO Account

Creating your HARO account is simple. Head over to the HARO website and complete your profile. You’ll need to provide your name, email address, and basic information about your expertise and industry.

Next, customize your preferences to receive requests tailored to your expertise and set your desired email notification frequency.

How to Respond to HARO Queries (With a Template)

Successfully leveraging HARO for backlinks is about responding to the right queries, at the right time, and in the right way. Let’s break down how to do just that. Here’s a basic template I recommend using:

Here are some key takeaways from this template:

• Always address the journalist by name.
• Express gratitude for their time.
• Indicate your willingness for follow-up or an interview (journalists rarely take this up, but it’s good practice to offer).
• End with a thank you in advance. Interestingly, this email signature style tends to yield more positive responses. Of course, there’s more to crafting a compelling HARO pitch than just this template. In the next section, we’ll explore some essential tips to elevate your responses.

Tips for Utilizing HARO for Backlinks and PR

Here are my top tips for responding to HARO queries in a way that showcases your business effectively, helps you secure backlinks and PR opportunities, and fosters relationships with journalists.

1. Evaluate the Media Outlet’s Domain Rating

Domain rating (DR), sometimes referred to as domain authority depending on the SEO platform, reflects your website’s SEO strength. When focusing on backlink building, prioritize higher DR backlinks as they offer a more significant boost to your own DR. Checking the DR of the media outlet behind a query helps determine if pitching to that journalist is worth your time.

Utilize a tool like Ahrefs’ Free Website Authority Checker.

2. Prioritize Relevant Queries

With hundreds of HARO queries posted daily, focus on those aligning with your expertise. Remember, experience is now a factor in Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines! In the example above, Cynthia seeks consumer analysts. If you fit the bill—whether through professional experience, research in the field, or relevant qualifications—you might be an ideal candidate.

3. Showcase Your Credentials

Highlight your credibility and expertise upfront. Clearly state your qualifications and relevant experience. Don’t underestimate the power of your background. You don’t have to be Elon Musk to earn a backlink from The New York Times!

4. Respond Promptly Within 30 Minutes

Time is precious for journalists, so swift responses are crucial. While most HARO queries come with deadlines, aim to be among the first to respond. Journalists often need quick quotes for articles and press releases; they value convenience over lengthy narratives. Capitalize on this by aiming to respond within 30 minutes. Speed is key to securing HARO links!

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5. Make Your Response Quantifiable and Quotable

Back up your input with case studies and statistics to increase your chances of being featured. For instance, instead of stating, “B2B sales focus is important,” try something like, “Prioritizing B2B sales can result in a 138% year-over-year return.” Also, strive for quotability. Envision your response within a Forbes article. Does it fit seamlessly, or does it sound awkward? Strong quotes are insightful, memorable, concise, and to the point. Clear, concise writing makes it easier for journalists to choose your pitch over others.

6. Avoid Following Up Before Receiving a Response

No response likely means the journalist deemed your pitch unsuitable due to time constraints or lack of relevant expertise. Refrain from pursuing them further as it signals desperation for backlinks or media exposure, potentially leading them to avoid you in the future.

7. Manage Expectations: Not Every Pitch Will Succeed

A 5-10% success rate on HARO is considered normal. While some individuals achieve slightly higher rates, securing media coverage and a backlink for every pitch is unrealistic. Maintain a positive outlook and stay consistent with your HARO pitches. If needed, delegate the task to a team member. The key is to persevere beyond just a few pitches! Remember, quality over quantity applies to backlinks as well. Focus on building high-quality links and relationships, which brings us to our next tip.

8. Prioritize Relationship Building

HARO is a two-way street, not a one-sided transaction. Shift your focus from solely building backlinks to nurturing relationships with journalists. Share their articles with your network, follow up with gratitude, inform them about the share, and offer assistance with future articles.

9. Track Your Progress

Backlinks vary in value. Factors like context, relevance, and authority all play a role in how search engines assess a website’s ranking power. Implement a spreadsheet to track your HARO success. It can be a simple setup tracking “Publication Name” and “Yes/No” for successful placements, or a more detailed system (like this one).

Tracking your results helps you measure, optimize, and scale your link-building endeavors effectively.

10. Leverage Google Alerts

Setting up Google Alerts is recommended to receive instant notifications whenever you earn a new backlink. Additionally, regularly conduct site searches and utilize SEO tools to discover new backlinks.

This practice helps identify patterns and trends in the backlinks you acquire, such as common topics or effective pitch styles. Armed with this data, you can make more informed decisions about HARO link building and determine its long-term viability within your SEO strategy.

11. Integrate HARO into a Broader Backlink Strategy

Just as backlinks have different values, there are numerous approaches to building them beyond HARO. Other effective strategies include guest posting, niche content creation, statistic-driven posts, infographics, content syndication, and lead magnets like offering free tools. Diversifying your efforts contributes to a more natural backlink profile with varied anchor text across multiple channels.

Begin Your Backlink Journey with HARO

HARO outreach is a powerful tool for businesses to enhance brand visibility, drive referral traffic, and most importantly, build high-quality backlinks. Witnessing your business featured in media publications is incredibly rewarding. Embrace these HARO tips and best practices, and you’ll soon experience this firsthand!