(13 min. read)
What Is Link Building Outreach?
Link building outreach is the process of earning new links that lead to your website by contacting other people (bloggers, influencers) and building relationships with them. This last part is vitally important. You can't expect others to satisfy your every whim just because. Without good outreach efforts, you're just another email in someone's crowded inbox.
You might have heard before that the link building outreach process is a simple transaction. You pay the fee, and the publisher adds your link to one of their articles or publishes your article (with your link in it) on their website.
These times are long gone now.
Nowadays, to be truly successful, you need to put yourself out there and establish a connection with another human being. You cannot play the game half-heartedly and expect stellar results.
Generally speaking, outreach link building boils down to five steps:
- Finding people you want to reach out to
- Reaching out to them
- Establishing a working relationship with them
- Tracking your results
- Maintaining the relationships
It might sound simple. But, as we get into the details, you'll understand why the entire process can resemble competing for power in a world dominated by political realism.
However, before we do that, we've got one question to answer.
Why Consider Link Building Outreach?
Given that we've just compared the process of acquiring high-quality backlinks to political intrigue, you might be asking yourself — why even bother? Isn't "the outreach game" too difficult for it to be considered a viable option?
It's a fair question.
First of all, the links you get by playing the game — in terms of quality and impact — are miles above your regular backlinks. We're talking about relevant, high-quality links from authoritative sources that point to your site and boost its domain authority. A higher domain authority means better search engine rankings.
Google likes to bet on proven players, but can you blame them?
Another benefit is that link building campaigns can drive direct traffic to your site. It's pretty obvious, but the more websites link to your site, the more exposure it gets and the more people visit it. And, at the end of the day, that's exactly what we want to accomplish here — putting your brand in front of as many pairs of eyes as possible.
It's also worth mentioning that building relationships with influential website owners can have additional benefits. For example, they may lead to future collaborations.
Last but not least, a good link profile often means more credibility in your industry. It might sound harsh, but SEO has become an indispensable part of digital marketing.
Other people and businesses will look at your link profile and judge you based on it.
Building a Successful Link Building Outreach Campaign
So, you've considered the pros and cons of joining the outreach game and are ready to go all in. Great! Now, all that's left to do is to prepare your link building outreach strategy.
Let's break down how you can launch an effective outreach campaign.
1. Identifying High-Quality Link Prospects
The entire process begins with finding people who will agree to link to your site.
You shouldn't contact every person you come across. Instead, you need to vet your potential partners carefully.
This step takes a lot of time, so it would be perfect if you start creating the procedure for it right away. Think about the most important criteria — traffic, relevancy, domain rating — and prepare a checklist that includes everything you need to look out for.
Don't settle for subpar links from dubious websites. Using outreach for link building purposes is challenging — make sure you get rewarded for your efforts. Securing a high-quality link placement can be difficult, but it's not impossible. Tools like Ahrefs, Moz, and SEMrush are perfect for this task. You can use them to gain insights into link prospects and their value.
Websites that are valuable link targets have good domain authority and relevance to your niche.
Remember that not all links are created equal. Quality over quantity is vital if you want to increase the success of your link building efforts.
2. Finding Contact Information
Once you've identified your prospects, it's time to find their contact information. In most cases, an email address will do.
Link building email outreach can even be considered a separate approach to getting links.
Tools like Hunter.io,Snov.io, and LinkedIn can help you locate email addresses and contact forms.
While it's always better to send a personalized email than a clichéd message, using automation to find contact information is totally fine. Ensure your communication is directed to the right person, usually the content manager or editor.
3. Crafting Your Pitch
We're finally faced with the biggest hurdle on the road to success — establishing a dialogue with your potential link partners.
How do you get a response? Personalize your outreach messages!
A generic template won't cut it. Customize each email based on the recipient's website and work. Take some time to get familiar with what they do and who they are. Once they notice you give a damn about their job, they will repay the favor.
At the same time, don't forget to provide value in your message. Explain in plain English why they should link to your website.
Here are a few compelling reasons you can include in your pitch:
- Your article is in some way better (it is more in-depth, it includes new data, etc.) than the article they already link to.
- They have a broken link on their website they could replace with a link to your high-quality article.
- You have an article that nicely ties in with their audience's subject area of interest.
Example Template:
Subject: Loved Your Article on [Topic] - Quick Question
Hi [Name],
I recently came across your article on [Topic] and found it incredibly insightful. I especially appreciated your point about [Specific Point].
I wanted to share a resource I think your readers might find valuable: [Your Resource]. It offers a fresh perspective on [Topic] and complements your work perfectly.
Would you be open to including it in your article?
Thanks for considering!
Best,
[Your Name]
Also, don't be afraid to send a polite follow-up if you don't hear back. It's always possible that your message got buried under a pile of other emails. That said, don't ask for a link every day. Being desperate is never a good look.
4. Tracking the Results
The outreach process doesn't end after you get the link. Every good link building strategy must include a stage where you evaluate your actions and go back to the drawing board.
Track your outreach success rigorously. Don't hyperfocus only on one aspect while ignoring the others.
Use spreadsheets or CRM tools to keep tabs on:
- Emails sent
- Responses received
- Links acquired
- Follow-ups needed
Adjust your strategy based on what works and what doesn't. If certain types of pitches yield more responses, focus on refining those methods.
Common Link Building Outreach Tactics
Earlier in the article, we listed a few reasons why a publisher might want to link to your website. This section expands upon this issue, presenting commonly used techniques to grow your link profile.
Here are some of our favorite link building strategies:
Guest Posting
Also known as blogger outreach, guest posting involves writing articles for various blogs in exchange for a link back to your site. More often than not, the article will need to meet specific guidelines, and you will need to pay a small fee.
Both costs and expectations grow with site quality, so getting your content published on a well-ranking website will require a lot of work.
Ensure the sites you target have a good audience and high domain authority to avoid getting the short end of the stick.
Broken Link Building
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Well, what if it IS broken, but no one noticed — except you?
Besides doing your good deed for the day, pointing it out to a website owner might earn you a link.
This method can be described in three simple steps:
- Find broken links on websites in your niche.
- Ask the webmasters to link to you instead.
- You have one link more in your collection.
This method is highly effective because it's mutually beneficial. You help the publisher fix issues on their site while getting a valuable link in return.
Skyscraper Technique
Building a skyscraper is a statement. You're basically telling others: "I'm the top of the top here. Everyone else is beneath me."
In the context of SEO, the Skyscraper Technique requires you to survey the landscape, find the best piece of content (the tallest building in the area), and create something even better.
It's not easy, but the rewards are well worth the effort. If your article truly stands head and shoulders above the competition, it will start to gain traction on its own accord. When that happens, convincing others to link to your content should be as easy as pie.
You have to build the skyscraper, though — that's the hard part. And there can only be one tallest skyscraper in the world.
So, if you have the tallest skyscraper, show it off! Contact websites linking to inferior content and ask them to link to yours instead.
Digital PR
Working with influencers and journalists is a surefire way to set yourself up for success. Many SEOs have already taken advantage of that by promoting their high-quality content with the help of those people.
Participating in platforms like HARO is a proven link building outreach tactic and a flagship example of this cooperation in action — the journalist gets one more source to cite in their article, and you get one more link to add to your outreach list.
You likely won't build many links this way, but those you do build will be extremely valuable.
Tips for Effective Outreach
Effective link building with outreach is both an art and a science. As such, it often gets complicated.
If you aren't experienced, it's easy to accidentally get a spammy link that does more harm than good. Building genuine relationships with your outreach targets also isn't a walk in the park. It might take you weeks (or even months) before someone gives you a link that's worth the effort.
If you want to avoid the hassle, you could use a link building outreach service, such as the one we offer at WhitePress®. We'll handle every aspect of your link building campaign, from creating personalized outreach messages to tracking the results with the help of link building tools.
Still, if you would like to tackle the challenge yourself, here is a list of tips to help you get started.
Conduct Competitor Analysis
Keeping a close eye on your competition can bring a wealth of knowledge. For instance, it's not unusual to find a high-quality website that links to your competitors but not to you.
What should you do in this situation?
One of the best options to bridge the gap is to actually find a way to get a link from the same source.
It's only one example of what you can uncover when you keep tabs on your opposition. So, don't underestimate it.
Personalize Everything
We've said it before, but it's worth repeating — sending generic emails will get you nowhere.
Instead of sending spammy outreach emails, personalize each message. Use the recipient's name and mention something specific about their website or content.
You should be focused on building relationships. Building links is a nice by-product of that.
Avoid Over-Personalization
We know what you're thinking — didn't they just encourage personalizing outreach messages?
Yes, we did. However, everything has its limits. Sometimes, going over the top will get you nothing in return. You'll only waste your time and get frustrated when left on read. Keep this in mind when preparing your pitch.
Be Persistent But Polite
Follow up if you are still waiting to hear back from the publisher, but don't hound them relentlessly.
One follow-up email after the initial is ideal. Two is pushing it. Three? Now, you're way out of line.
Among other things, link building outreach involves patience. Rushing things will backfire — sooner or later.
Keep It Short
Busy professionals don't have time for long-winded emails. Get straight to the point quickly and clearly — brevity is your friend here!
No one likes to spend their precious time figuring out what you had in mind.
Outreach Tools and Automation
Using the right tools can make or break your campaign. Here are a few standout products that will get you one step closer to link building outreach success.
BuzzStream
BuzzStream helps track your email outreach effortlessly. With its help, you can manage multiple campaigns simultaneously without losing track of communications or progress metrics.
Ninja Outreach
Ninja Outreach excels at finding influencers in any niche and provides valuable insights about their social profiles and followers — helpful for tailored pitching strategies!
Hunter.io
Hunter.io finds email addresses linked to particular domains, making it easy to gather all the contacts needed for mass outreach campaigns.
Create a Data-Driven Link Building Outreach Process
So, there you have it! This guide to link building outreach covers everything you need to do it right. While link building outreach might seem a daunting task, it's worth every ounce of effort.
Take a personalized approach to link building outreach — it's all about making genuine human connections. Perform link analysis regularly to ensure you're on track and adjust your strategy as needed.
If you want to take your efforts up a notch, consider using tools like Ahrefs, Moz, or SEMrush to identify high-quality link prospects.
When crafting your pitch, the focus should be on personalization and value. Wait for the links to roll in, but don't hesitate to follow up politely if needed.
Link building outreach is one of the best ways to boost your SEO. So, roll up your sleeves and get started — there's work to be done!
FAQ
What should an outreach email include?
An effective outreach email should include:
- a personalized greeting,
- a clear and concise message,
- an explanation of the value you are offering,
- and a polite closing.
The most important thing is to build trust, show the other person that you care about their business, and explain what you have to offer.
What is link reclamation?
Link reclamation is one of the methods you can use to request a link. It involves finding broken, missing, or unlinked mentions of your brand or website and reaching out to the site owners to get a link back.
It's an excellent way to reclaim lost link opportunities and improve your site's backlink profile.
Should I use templates in my emails?
Templates can streamline your outreach process by providing a structured format for your emails. It's a good way to reduce the time you need to spend on every potential lead.
However, don't mindlessly rely on your link outreach templates. Personalize your messages, at least a bit, for the best results.
How do I identify link targets?
Identifying suitable link targets can be tricky. A website with high traffic isn't going to cut it. You need to find a site relevant to your niche or industry that is likely to link to your content.
These can include bloggers, industry influencers, or resource pages (resource page link building). Analyze their content and backlinks to ensure they are a good fit for your outreach strategies.
What metrics should I track?
Key metrics to track include:
- The response rate to your outreach emails
- The number of backlinks acquired
- The domain authority of linking sites
- The referral traffic generated
Tracking these metrics will help refine your link building process and improve overall effectiveness.
