Backlinks can be a game-changer—when they come from the right sources. At Tanot Solutions, we didn’t just hope for better rankings; we went straight to the top, securing links from over 90 high-DR websites like HubSpot and Entrepreneur.
But what’s the secret to landing these coveted spots? What makes one pitch stand out among hundreds of others? It’s not luck—it’s strategy.
In this post, we’ll share the details on how we leveraged HARO (and similar platforms) to land those prized backlinks. From selecting the perfect queries to crafting responses that get noticed, you’ll learn exactly what worked for us and how you can implement it, too.
What is HARO and How Does it Work for Generating Haro Backlinks?
HARO is a platform that connects journalists with expert sources. Reporters from top publications, blogs, and news outlets use HARO to source quotes, insights, and data for their articles.
HARO provides an excellent opportunity for businesses to gain media coverage by being featured in top publications.
HARO for link building is a highly effective strategy for gaining high-quality backlinks from reputable publications.
If your response is selected, the journalist will often credit you and your business with a backlink.
HARO isn’t the only platform offering this service. Tools like Qwoted, SourceBottle, and Featured.com provide similar opportunities. Each platform caters to different types of media requests, meaning businesses can diversify their backlink acquisition strategy by using multiple services.
Who Should Use HARO for Link Building?
HARO can be the deciding factor in how far your content goes online for several types of businesses:
- Startups: Get exposure on high-traffic websites.
- Established Brands: Reinforce brand authority by being featured in well-known publications.
- Service Providers: Demonstrate expertise to a wider audience.
- eCommerce Businesses: Drive more organic traffic to their websites.
- B2B and SaaS Companies: Build relationships with relevant publications for niche authority.
Using HARO can significantly enhance brand visibility by getting featured in high-traffic websites and reputable publications.
HARO link-building services can benefit these businesses by providing valuable connections with journalists and securing high-authority backlinks.
However, success on HARO isn’t automatic. You need to be strategic in selecting the right queries to answer. This is where many businesses go wrong, as they cast too wide a net or answer questions outside their expertise.
The Regular HARO Process
Let’s start by explaining the typical process for securing HARO backlinks:
These queries come from various media outlets, ranging from niche blogs to major news organisations.
Implementing a well-thought-out HARO link-building strategy is crucial for maximising the effectiveness of your efforts.
1. Sign Up for Multiple Platforms
Signing up for HARO is straightforward. Create a free account on the platform and start receiving daily emails with journalist requests and media queries.
To enhance results, use additional platforms like Qwoted and SourceBottle. These platforms offer similar opportunities but may cater to different industries or media outlets, enhancing your HARO link-building efforts.
2. Monitor HARO Requests
Once you sign up, you’ll start receiving multiple daily digests of media queries. Each request includes:
- The media outlet.
- The reporter’s query.
- The deadline.
- The desired expert profile.
By closely monitoring these requests, you can identify valuable media opportunities that align with your expertise.
Monitoring these requests closely can help you secure valuable HARO links that enhance your site’s authority.
3. Respond Quickly
Journalists often work on tight deadlines, so response time is crucial. Ideally, you should respond within the first few hours of posting a query. Set up an efficient workflow to quickly filter relevant queries and craft effective HARO pitches.
4. Provide Expert Responses
Journalists are looking for authentic, expert insights and opinions. Crafting a concise, clear, and valuable response increases your chances of being selected. Include any credentials, titles, or relevant expertise supporting your claim. A well-crafted response can significantly increase your chances of securing a valuable HARO link.
Here’s a sample response for a HARO query:
- Query: Looking for experts in content marketing strategies.
Sample Answer:
Note how the response is personalised, relevant, and offers clear expertise.
5. Build Relationships with Journalists
If you get selected, don’t stop there. Follow up with the journalist to thank them and offer further assistance, building strong media relationships. This relationship-building can open doors for future opportunities. HARO link-building agencies can assist in maintaining these relationships, ensuring consistent and high-quality pitches.
6. Track and Measure Results
Once your quote is featured, track where your content is published and the impact of these high-quality links on your site’s traffic and domain authority.
Tracking performance metrics such as traffic and domain authority can help you evaluate the impact of your HARO efforts.
What We Did Differently to Land 90+ High-Quality Backlinks
Our success wasn’t just about following the regular process. We took several additional steps that helped us land HARO backlinks on high-DR websites like HubSpot, GoDaddy, and Entrepreneur. Our tailored approach can be seen as a specialised HARO link-building service that ensures high-quality results.
Our unique value proposition was our ability to provide tailored, high-quality responses that stood out to journalists.
1. Tailored Our Responses
Many businesses use templated answers, which fail to stand out. We took the time to create customised pitches specifically for each query, ensuring our HARO pitches were relevant and valuable.
For example, if the question was about SEO, we shared real data from our client successes to demonstrate expertise.
2. Built a Team for Quick Turnaround
Responding to HARO queries is often a race against time. We created a dedicated team to monitor HARO requests in real-time and respond quickly. This significantly improved our chances of getting selected, forming a key part of our HARO link-building strategy.
3. Leveraged Case Studies and Unique Data
Journalists appreciate exclusive insights. We incorporated case studies, client success stories, and proprietary data into our responses. This set us apart from generic answers and provided the journalist with useful, verifiable content, leading to valuable HARO links.
4. Used Featured.com for Enhanced Visibility
In addition to HARO, we used Featured.com, a platform that offers paid options to connect with journalists. By leveraging multiple HARO-like platforms, we increased our exposure and had more opportunities to respond to relevant queries, complementing other link-building strategies.
5. Followed Up for Better Results
We established a follow-up process to improve our chances of being selected. A simple follow-up after a few days could remind the journalist about your submission, especially if it’s time-sensitive.
Example Follow-Up:
Follow-ups are often overlooked but can be the difference between getting featured or missing out, making them a crucial part of HARO link-building.
Choosing the Right Relevant Queries for More Outcomes
Choosing the right queries is one of the most important factors for success on HARO. Many businesses fail because they respond to queries outside their area of expertise. Effective query selection is crucial for maximising the impact of your HARO efforts. Here’s how you can ensure you’re picking the right queries: Choosing the right queries is essential for effective link building, ensuring your efforts are focused and impactful.
1. Stay Within Your Expertise
Journalists seek credible, reliable sources, so expertise alignment is crucial. If your LinkedIn profile says you’re a social media expert, don’t respond to queries about financial planning. You’ll likely be rejected. Instead, focus on areas where you have documented expertise.
For example, if you’re a content strategist, answering questions about content marketing, SEO, or brand storytelling will align with your profile and increase your chances of getting selected, effectively building links.
2. Consider the Publication
Focus on media outlets that align with your industry or target audience. If you’re a B2B company, responding to queries from B2B-focused publications will likely yield better results than responding to lifestyle outlets. Targeting well-known news sites like the Wall Street Journal can maximise the effectiveness of your pitches and enhance link-building success.
3. Assess Query Requirements
Not all queries are worth your time, so effective evaluation is essential. Prioritise queries where you have relevant experience and can provide unique value. Avoid overly broad questions that attract many responses, as the competition will be fierce. Providing unique value in your responses benefits readers and helps search engines recognise your site as a credible authority.
How Follow-Ups Helped Us Secure More Backlinks
Follow-ups play a crucial role in increasing the chances of getting featured. As previously mentioned, a simple, polite follow-up can ensure your response stays at the top of the journalist’s mind. Here’s why follow-ups work:
- They show persistence: Journalists appreciate professionals serious about helping them meet their deadlines.
- They keep your pitch relevant: With dozens of responses flooding their inbox, a follow-up can nudge the journalist to revisit your original submission.
This practice allowed us to land features on top sites even when our initial response didn’t get immediate attention. This practice also helped us build links on top sites by ensuring our pitches stood out.
Conclusion
Securing HARO backlinks on 90+ high-DR websites required more than responding to queries. By strategically picking the right questions, tailoring our responses, and following up consistently, we generated significant SEO results for Tanot Solutions.
Ultimately, diversifying your backlink profile with various types of backlinks, including HARO backlinks, can lead to better rankings and more organic traffic.
However, success comes from a well-thought-out strategy, not just sheer volume. Our approach has proven that landing high-quality backlinks is achievable—and repeatable.
Ultimately, HARO link-building services can help secure high-DR backlinks and boost search rankings.
Are you ready to improve your SEO? Contact Tanot Solutions to learn how we can help you secure high-DR backlinks and boost your search rankings.
