TL;DR
This guide serves as the ultimate guide to HARO link building services, covering everything you need to know about the process, how to maximise your success, and why Connectively is still a powerful tool for building authoritative backlinks.
HARO, which was created to connect journalists with expert sources, has long been a favourite link building tool for SEO professionals. The recent rebranding to Connectively brings enhanced features, but the core service remains the same — connecting businesses, entrepreneurs, and professionals with media outlets looking for expert insights.
For UK businesses, working with a HARO link building agency or using a HARO outreach service can drastically improve your website’s domain authority, visibility, and organic search rankings.
What is HARO?
HARO, which stands for Help a Reporter Out, is a platform designed to connect journalists with experts who can provide insights, commentary, and data for their articles.
It’s an excellent tool for building high-authority backlinks, which in turn help improve a website’s SEO performance. In 2024, HARO was rebranded as Connectively. Despite the new name, the fundamental process and benefits of HARO remain the same.
Why has it become a vital link building tool?
HARO is particularly useful for businesses looking to secure editorial backlinks from high-authority media outlets. Publications such as Forbes, The Guardian, and The Telegraph often source expert quotes via Connectively, providing businesses with the opportunity to be featured in some of the most respected publications in the world.
How does HARO work?
The process of HARO link building is straightforward yet powerful. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how it works:
1. Journalists submit queries: Journalists, bloggers, and editors from well-established media outlets submit queries requesting expert sources for their articles. These queries span a wide range of industries, including business, health, technology, and lifestyle.
2. Experts receive notifications: If you’ve signed up for Connectively, you’ll receive daily emails featuring these journalist queries. Queries are grouped by industry categories, allowing you to focus on the topics most relevant to your expertise.
3. Submit a pitch: Once you find a relevant query, you can submit a pitch. This involves responding to the journalist’s question, providing valuable insights, and positioning yourself as an expert. If your response is chosen, the journalist will include your input in their article and provide a backlink to your website.
4. Earn high-quality backlinks: When the article is published, your website gets a high-quality backlink from a reputable publication. These backlinks are incredibly valuable for improving your website’s SEO by signalling to search engines that your site is authoritative and trustworthy.
Why use HARO for link building?
Connectively remains one of the most effective ways to build high-authority backlinks for several reasons:
High Domain Authority (DA) links
One of the greatest benefits of HARO link building is the ability to earn backlinks from high DA websites. Many of the journalists using HARO write for major publications such as the BBC, The Guardian, and the Financial Times. A backlink from these websites can significantly improve your website’s credibility and search engine ranking.
Increased organic traffic
When your website is linked from a reputable source, you’re more likely to see an increase in organic traffic. These backlinks help you climb the search engine rankings, making your site more visible to potential customers searching for relevant services.
Brand authority and thought leadership
Being featured as an expert source in well-known publications helps position you as a thought leader in your industry. This can boost your brand’s credibility and create trust with your target audience. In the long term, it establishes your business as a reliable and authoritative presence in your sector.
Long-term SEO benefits
The SEO benefits of HARO are long-lasting. The more high-authority backlinks your website accumulates, the more trust you build with search engines. Over time, this leads to sustained improvements in search rankings and higher domain authority, which can have a lasting impact on your online visibility.
Cost-effective strategy
Unlike other link building strategies that require paid outreach, Connectively allows you to secure high-quality backlinks with minimal financial investment. It’s a time-efficient and cost-effective solution, making it particularly appealing to small and medium-sized businesses looking to improve their online presence without breaking the bank.
Digital PR pay-per-link
£450 per link
3 month PR & link package
£1,800 per month
How to maximise success with HARO link building
To achieve the best results with Connectively, it’s essential to have a well-thought-out strategy. Here’s how you can maximise your success with HARO link building:
Respond quickly
Journalists often receive dozens of responses to each query, so timing is critical. Aim to respond as soon as you receive a relevant query. The faster you respond, the better your chances of being noticed and selected by the journalist.
Provide value and insight
Journalists are looking for expert opinions, data, and unique insights. Be sure to craft a response that’s thoughtful, informative, and adds real value. Avoid generic answers and focus on offering something insightful and actionable.
Tailor your responses
Customise each pitch to the specific query you’re responding to. Use the journalist’s name, reference the query, and make your response as relevant as possible. This personalised approach will make your pitch stand out and increase your chances of being selected.
Be concise
While it’s important to provide detailed responses, journalists appreciate concise and to-the-point answers. Avoid long-winded explanations and stick to the key points. A well-organised and clear pitch is more likely to catch the journalist’s attention.
Use data and statistics
If possible, include data, statistics, or case studies in your responses. Journalists love to back up their articles with facts, and providing data makes your response more compelling. It also positions you as a credible and reliable source of information.
Build relationships
Following up with journalists after they’ve published your contribution can help build long-term relationships. Thanking them for the opportunity and sharing their article on your social media channels can keep you top of mind for future stories.
Related read: How To Build Digital PR Relationships
What to avoid in HARO link building
While HARO is an excellent link-building tool, there are some common mistakes to avoid:
❌ Ignoring guidelines: Each journalist query comes with specific guidelines, such as word count, deadlines, and the type of information requested. Be sure to follow these instructions carefully. Failing to do so could result in your response being ignored, no matter how well-written it is.
❌ Keyword stuffing: While it’s important to include relevant keywords in your response, avoid overusing them. Keyword stuffing can make your pitch sound unnatural and promotional. Instead, focus on delivering a natural and informative response.
❌ Inconsistent engagement: Success with HARO comes from consistent participation. If you only respond to queries sporadically, you’re unlikely to see strong results. Make sure you’re regularly checking queries and responding to relevant ones to maximise your chances of securing backlinks.
❌ Being too promotional: Journalists are looking for expert insights, not promotional content. Avoid making your pitch sound like a sales pitch. Focus on delivering value to the journalist and their audience.
The benefits of hiring a HARO link building agency
While HARO can be a highly effective link-building tool, managing it in-house can be time-consuming. This is where hiring a HARO link building agency can make a significant difference. Here are some benefits of working with a professional agency:
Time efficiency
A professional HARO link building agency will monitor queries, craft responses, and submit pitches on your behalf. This saves you significant time, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your business while still reaping the benefits of HARO.
Higher success rate
Experienced agencies understand what journalists are looking for and can craft pitches that are more likely to be selected. They have refined the art of responding to HARO queries, resulting in a higher success rate for securing backlinks.
Consistency
A dedicated agency will ensure that you’re consistently responding to relevant queries. This consistent engagement helps build a steady stream of high-quality backlinks, which is crucial for long-term SEO success.
Expertise in multiple industries
HARO link building agencies often have experience across a range of industries, from technology to healthcare to finance. This expertise allows them to tailor responses to specific queries, increasing the chances of getting published in high-authority publications.
HARO link building results: What to expect
When executed properly, HARO link building services can deliver substantial results that drive both SEO performance and brand visibility. HARO gives you access to high-quality publications, and the potential benefits of this outreach method are significant. By consistently responding to relevant queries, you can secure backlinks from reputable, high-authority sites, boosting your site’s credibility and online presence.
Here’s what you can realistically expect from using a HARO link building agency or engaging in your own HARO outreach service:
3-5 Relevant queries per day in your industry
One of the greatest strengths of HARO is the frequency of opportunities. Depending on your niche or industry, you can expect to see 3-5 relevant queries each day.
Categories such as finance, business, health, and lifestyle tend to receive more queries, making HARO particularly beneficial for businesses operating in these sectors. These queries provide ample opportunity to engage with journalists and offer your expert opinion, which can lead to features in articles that attract large audiences.
Average Domain Authority (DA) of published links: 50-80
On average, the websites that publish HARO responses have a Domain Authority (DA) between 50 and 80. This means the backlinks you gain are from well-established, authoritative sites. Domain Authority is a key metric for SEO, as higher DA backlinks signal to search engines that your site is credible. Securing backlinks from sites in this DA range will have a noticeable impact on your search engine rankings, driving more organic traffic to your site.
Sustained improvements in search engine rankings
One of the major advantages of using HARO for link building is the long-term improvement in search engine rankings. Because HARO links are natural, editorial backlinks from reputable sources, search engines view them as a strong signal of credibility.
Over time, this leads to sustained ranking improvements for your targeted keywords. It’s especially effective for niche industries where competition is high but relevant backlinks can help you stand out.
Increased referral traffic from reputable publications
Backlinks from high-authority sites do more than just boost your SEO; they also drive referral traffic. When readers come across your mention in a major publication and click through to your website, you benefit from high-quality, targeted traffic.
This type of traffic often converts better, as visitors coming from reputable sources already trust your brand. By regularly securing links through HARO, you can build a steady flow of referral traffic that complements your SEO efforts.
Looking for some expert HARO link building? 👋
At Bulldog Digital Media, we specialise in helping businesses maximise their HARO link building potential. With years of experience and a deep understanding of the Connectively platform, we can help you secure high-quality backlinks from some of the most respected publications in the UK.
Our HARO outreach service includes monitoring relevant queries, crafting expert pitches, and building lasting relationships with journalists to ensure your business gets the recognition it deserves.
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Start your HARO link building journey today.
