The Easiest High-Authority Links You Will Ever Build
Journalists are on deadline. They need expert quotes, data, and sources. If you can provide that, you get a link from their publication.
We're talking links from Forbes, Business Insider, HuffPost, TechCrunch — sites with DA 80-95.
HARO (Help a Reporter Out)
HARO (now part of Connectively) connects journalists with sources. You sign up, receive email queries from journalists, and respond with relevant expertise.
How to win at HARO:
Direct Journalist Outreach
Don't wait for HARO queries. Proactively reach out to journalists who cover your industry.
Follow them on Twitter/X. Read their work. When a story breaks in your niche, email them with a fresh angle or expert commentary. That's newsjacking in action.
"Hey [Name], saw the news about [topic]. We work with 500+ companies on this exact issue and have some data that might add to your coverage. Happy to share if useful."
Short. Valuable. Not salesy.
The Success Rate
HARO response-to-placement rate: roughly 5-15%. Sounds low, but each placement is a high-DA link.
Direct journalist outreach: even lower conversion, but the links are even more authoritative.
The Compound Effect
Build relationships with 10-15 journalists in your space. Over time, they come to YOU when they need a source.
That's when the magic happens. This is the thought leadership flywheel in full effect.
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