Help a Reporter, Help Yourself: Leverage HARO for Brand Awareness

In the never-ending quest to add value for clients, creating stellar content is only half the battle for agencies. Without effective distribution, even the best content falls flat.
Finding high-quality backlinks is the unsexy, labor-intensive part no one talks about. HARO (Help a Reporter Out) changes the game for agency content creators.
By responding to HARO queries, you can secure high-quality backlinks, enhance your digital PR efforts, and drive significant referral traffic. With HARO, your stellar content gets the distribution it deserves, boosting your brand’s visibility and authority.
  • HARO offers high-quality backlinks
  • Effective strategies boost brand visibility
  • HARO backlinks improve domain authority
  • Building relationships with journalists is essential
  • Proper use of HARO establishes industry authority

What is HARO (Help a Reporter Out)?

HARO is a backlinking “ace in the hole” for agencies, PR professionals, and content creators. Launched in 2008, this platform bridges the gap between journalists and expert sources, offering valuable media opportunities that can elevate your clients’ profiles.
By responding to HARO queries and adding value, experts can secure high-quality backlinks and drive significant referral traffic.

Agency content creators, as subject matter experts, have the unique ability to browse these queries and provide insights that journalists are eager to feature. This transforms your expertise into media opportunities, driving brand growth and strengthening digital PR efforts.

A pair of white, stylized quotation marks on a blue background. The marks are depicted as two large, rounded shapes positioned side by side. The edges are slightly blurred, giving the image a soft, artistic appearance.
This expansive network of media outlets boosts brand growth and digital PR efforts, making HARO an indispensable tool for the agency’s clients and anyone serious about link-building and brand visibility.

Elevate Your Website Authority with HARO® Backlinks

Connect with journalists, offer expert insights, and earn valuable links to elevate your online authority and search engine visibility.

Start Building Authority Now!

How Does HARO Help Journalists?

Journalists thrive on fresh, expert insights to make their stories stand out. They turn to HARO, posting queries subject matter experts browse and respond to with valuable insights.
This isn’t just a one-way street—journalists gain credible sources while your clients score valuable media opportunities and prime backlinks. By submitting well-crafted responses, your content creators connect with journalists and top-tier media outlets, enhancing your digital PR efforts.
This exchange boosts referral traffic and helps in brand growth, opening up worlds of relevant media opportunities. HARO’s platform is a game-changer for PR professionals and journalists alike.
A man in a white shirt holding a smartphone, looking thoughtfully at colorful light bulb drawings floating in the air, symbolizing ideas or creativity.
A woman with short gray hair is holding a tablet. She is wearing a light-colored turtleneck sweater and appears focused. A 3D bar graph projection is visible above the screen. The background shows a modern office setting.

Is Help a Reporter Out Legit?

Absolutely, HARO is the real deal. This platform is a go-to for PR professionals and subject matter experts looking to score high-quality backlinks and valuable media opportunities.
Content creators submit queries on HARO to connect with journalists seeking expert insights. HARO’s legit status is backed by its extensive use in the digital PR world, where it helps experts and PR pros build a diverse network of relevant media opportunities.

Get Quality
Editorial Backlinks

Gain authority with top-notch editorial backlinks for superior SEO and online visibility.

Boost Your Rankings Now!

How to Use Help a Reporter Out

Sign Up and Set Preferences
First things first, create a HARO account. Customize your preferences to only get the HARO queries that matter to you. This way, you’re not sifting through irrelevant pitches.
Monitor Queries
Monitor the queries coming in. Regularly check HARO for relevant media opportunities. Prompt responses are key here.
Hands are typing on a laptop keyboard. The screen displays a "Stay Connected" message with a user icon and communication symbols, set against a blue gradient background.
A person holds a tablet displaying analytics data. Surrounding them are digital icons representing communication and information, such as chat bubbles, email, and graphs. Text overlays include phrases like "PLEASE, HELP ME" and "A pleasure to assist you.
A group of four people standing together, holding documents and clipboards, discussing a chart on one clipboard. The image captures a professional setting focused on collaboration and data analysis.
Five people in business attire are standing in a circle, each person grasping the wrist of the next, forming a connected chain with their arms. The image is taken from an overhead perspective.
Craft Effective Responses
When you see a query that fits your expertise, hit it with a concise, valuable response. Serve journalists by providing insights they can’t ignore. This is your chance to shine.
Build Relationships
Don’t just hit and run. Follow up with journalists to build long-term connections. A good relationship can lead to more opportunities down the line.
By leveraging these HARO features, you’ll tap into a robust media network, driving significant referral traffic and brand growth. HARO isn’t just about quick wins; it’s about creating a digital PR strategy with sticking power.

Benefits of Using HARO

High-Quality Backlink

HARO backlinks come from top-tier media outlets like Forbes and Business Insider. These valuable links can skyrocket your site's domain authority and build trust with your audience.

Brand Growth

Effectively leveraging HARO can lead to rapid brand visibility and exponential growth. By consistently appearing in media outlets, you solidify your reputation as an industry leader.

Referral Traffic

Quality backlinks from these high-caliber media sites can drive a ton of referral traffic to your site. This influx of visitors not only boosts your metrics but also brings potential customers directly to your door.

Foundational Package

Want to give us a try? Get your first backlink for $50 to give us a try!
Get Started Now!

Enterprise Package

Catered to businesses seeking comprehensive HARO® backlink management, this package includes all the benefits of the Growth Package, plus ongoing monitoring, analysis, and reporting.
Get Started Now!

SEO Ocean's Approach to HARO Link Building

The image shows the words "STEP 001" in large, bold letters with a contrasting background.

Initial Strategy Call

We kick things off by diving deep into your niche, and figuring out your ideal publishers, target audience, keywords, and link goals. It’s all about setting the stage right for your HARO success.
The image displays the text "Step 02" in large, bold white letters with a black background.

Account Setup

Our team sets up and optimizes your HARO accounts with precise keyword alerts. This way, you get notified about the most relevant media opportunities, saving you time and effort.
The image shows the number "03" in large, light-colored font with the word "STEP" above it in smaller letters, both set against a black background.

Query Monitoring

Our dedicated media coordinators are always on the ball, monitoring HARO queries multiple times a day. They’re looking for high-potential queries that fit your expertise like a glove.
The image shows the text "STEP 04" in bold, light-colored font against a black background.

High-Value Responses

When it comes to responses, we don’t just throw in the basics. We provide unique data, valuable insights, and fresh angles that make journalists sit up and take notice. This approach not only serves journalists but also ensures your content stands out.
Text on a black background reads "STEP 05" in large, bold, off-white letters.

Publisher Follow-Up

After submitting, our job is not over. We follow up with journalists to secure your inclusion, negotiate the best anchor text, and maximize the SEO value of every backlink․
Text displaying "STEP 06" in large, bold white font on a black background.

Relationship Building

Building a deep network of media outlets and maintaining those connections is key. We nurture long-term relationships with publishing contacts, ensuring you’re a go-to expert for future queries.
By leveraging the same HARO features that top PR pros use, SEO Ocean ensures your brand growth and referral traffic skyrocket, delivering results that set you apart in your industry.

Best Practices for Responding to HARO Queries

Respond Promptly

Time is money, so respond to HARO queries as soon as they arrive in your inbox. The quicker you submit, the better your shot at getting featured.

Tailor Responses

Don’t just copy-paste. Customize each response to fit the specific query and stand out from all the pitches journalists receive.

Provide Valuable Insights

Make your responses rich with data-driven insights. Experts who offer valuable insights get noticed.

Structure Responses Well

Keep it clean and readable. Use bullet points and concise paragraphs to make your points pop.

Build Relationships

Deliver high-quality responses consistently. This not only helps in the short term but also fosters long-term relationships with journalists and media outlets.

Explore

Backlink Packages

Unlock SEO potential with diverse backlink packages tailored for businesses. Elevate your online presence now!

What we do

  • Enhance online visibility
  • Drive organic traffic
  • Increase site authority
  • Tailored for businesses
Get Started Now!

Conclusion: Experts Offer Valuable Insights

HARO can be the megaphone for your agency’s creative and strategic prowess. For agency professionals, it’s the key to unlocking valuable media opportunities, securing high-quality backlinks, and boosting brand growth.
By submitting well-crafted responses, your team can connect with journalists, provide valuable insights, and elevate your clients’ online presence. HARO can drive significant referral traffic and establish your agency’s authority in the industry. This platform empowers you to turn expertise into impactful media coverage, making HARO a trusted tool for any agency focused on maximizing client ROI.

FAQs

HARO continues to operate effectively, providing a diverse network of journalists and experts.
It connects journalists with expert sources for credible information.
Yes, it is widely used by PR professionals for high-quality backlinks and media coverage.
Sign up, set preferences, monitor queries, craft effective responses, and build relationships.

Jeff Jenkins

Author | SEO Writer

"I'm a passionate writer with a unique blend of human creativity and AI expertise. At SEOOcean.ai, I craft compelling blog content for our tech clients, helping them engage their audience and achieve their marketing goals.

Linkedin-in Globe

Jeff Jenkins

Author | SEO Writer

A man with glasses and a mustache smiles at the camera. He is wearing a blue button-up shirt. The background is a simple gradient of light tones.

I'm particularly excited about the intersection of AI and search, and I leverage my knowledge to curate thought-provoking content for SEOOcean's own blog, focusing on the "Future of Search."

A pair of white, stylized quotation marks on a blue background. The marks are depicted as two large, rounded shapes positioned side by side. The edges are slightly blurred, giving the image a soft, artistic appearance.
Search

Feed

coming soon…

RSS RSS Feed

Categories

Popular