What is HARO in SEO

 

HARO

If you're looking for a way to boost your SEO and get high-quality backlinks from authoritative websites, you might want to try HARO. HARO stands for Help A Reporter Out, and it's a service that connects journalists with sources who can provide expert insights for their stories.

HARO is not only a great way to get media exposure and build your reputation as an industry leader, but also a powerful link building strategy that can improve your rankings and drive more traffic to your website.

But how does HARO work, and how can you use it effectively to get the best results? In this blog post, we'll explain everything you need to know about HARO SEO, including:

  • What are the benefits of HARO link building
  • How to sign up for HARO and set up your profile
  • How to find and respond to relevant queries
  • How to write a compelling pitch that gets accepted
  • How to track and measure your HARO success

Let's dive in!

What are the benefits of HARO link building?

HARO link building is the process of using HARO to get backlinks from reputable websites that cover topics related to your niche. Backlinks are one of the most important ranking factors for SEO, as they signal to Google that your website is trustworthy, relevant, and authoritative.

However, not all backlinks are created equal. Some backlinks can have a positive impact on your SEO, while others can have a negative or neutral effect. The quality of a backlink depends on several factors, such as:

  • The domain authority (DA) of the linking website
  • The relevance of the linking website to your niche
  • The anchor text used for the link
  • The context and placement of the link
  • The number and diversity of links pointing to your website

HARO link building can help you get high-quality backlinks that meet these criteria, as you'll be getting links from websites that have:

  • High DA and trustworthiness
  • High relevance and authority in your industry
  • Natural and editorial anchor text
  • Contextual and prominent placement
  • Variety and uniqueness

Some examples of websites that use HARO to source experts include Forbes, Entrepreneur, Business Insider, Huffington Post, New York Times, and many more. Getting a link from these websites can boost your SEO significantly, as well as increase your brand awareness, credibility, and traffic.

According to a study by Ahrefs, the average DA of websites that use HARO is 76.6, which is much higher than the average DA of websites on the internet (50.1). Moreover, the study found that 75% of HARO links are dofollow, which means they pass link juice and help your rankings.

How to sign up for HARO and set up your profile

Signing up for HARO is free and easy. All you need to do is go to https://www.helpareporter.com/ and click on "I'm a Source". You'll be asked to fill out some basic information about yourself and your business, such as:

  • Your name
  • Your email address
  • Your phone number
  • Your company name
  • Your company website
  • Your company bio

You'll also be asked to choose which categories of queries you want to receive. There are 46 categories available, covering topics such as business, finance, health, lifestyle, technology, travel, etc. You can select as many categories as you want, but make sure they are relevant to your niche and expertise.

Once you sign up, you'll start receiving three emails per day (Monday-Friday) at 5:35 AM, 12:35 PM, and 5:35 PM ET. Each email will contain a list of queries from journalists who are looking for sources for their stories. Each query will have:

  • A headline summarizing the topic
  • The name of the media outlet
  • The deadline for responding
  • The requirements for responding

You can browse through the emails and look for queries that match your niche and expertise. Alternatively, you can upgrade to a paid HARO account ($19-$149/month) and get access to additional features such as:

  • Keyword alerts that notify you when a query contains a specific word or phrase
  • Text message alerts that notify you when a query matches your criteria
  • Online interface that allows you to search and respond to queries directly on the website

How to find and respond to relevant queries

Finding relevant queries is crucial for HARO link building success. You don't want to waste your time responding to queries that are not related to your niche or expertise, or that are too competitive or low-quality.

Here are some tips on how to find relevant queries:

  • Use keywords or phrases that describe your niche or expertise to search for queries in the emails or on the website
  • Filter queries by category, media outlet, deadline, or query type
  • Check the DA and relevance of the media outlet using tools like MozBar or Ahrefs
  • Avoid queries that are too broad, vague, or generic
  • Avoid queries that are too specific, technical, or niche
  • Avoid queries that have too many or too few requirements
  • Avoid queries that have a short deadline or a long response time

Once you find a relevant query, you need to respond to it as quickly and professionally as possible. Journalists receive hundreds of pitches every day, so you need to stand out from the crowd and convince them that you are the best source for their story.

Here are some tips on how to respond to queries:

  • Use a clear and catchy subject line that includes the query headline and your name or company name
  • Use a professional and friendly tone and address the journalist by name
  • Introduce yourself briefly and explain why you are qualified to answer the query
  • Answer the query in a concise and informative way, providing facts, data, examples, or quotes
  • Include a link to your website or relevant page in your signature
  • Attach any relevant images, videos, or documents if requested
  • Proofread your pitch for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors
  • Follow up with the journalist if you don't hear back within a week

How to write a compelling pitch that gets accepted

Writing a compelling pitch is the most important part of HARO link building. Your pitch is your first impression on the journalist, and it determines whether they will open your email, read your response, and use your quote in their story.

Here are some tips on how to write a compelling pitch:

  • Be relevant: Make sure your pitch answers the query and provides value to the journalist and their audience. Don't go off-topic or promote yourself or your products.
  • Be original: Make sure your pitch is unique and not copied from somewhere else. Use your own words and insights, and avoid clichés and jargon.
  • Be specific: Make sure your pitch is specific and not vague or general. Provide concrete details, examples, data, or quotes that support your points.
  • Be concise: Make sure your pitch is concise and not long or rambling. Keep your response between 100 and 300 words, depending on the query requirements.
  • Be credible: Make sure your pitch is credible and not questionable or dubious. Provide sources, references, or links to back up your claims.
  • Be human: Make sure your pitch is human and not robotic or impersonal. Use a friendly and conversational tone, and show some personality or emotion.

Here's an example of a good pitch for a query about SEO trends in 2024:

Subject: SEO Trends in 2024 - Jenny Abouobaia from Ahrefs

Hi John,

I'm Jenny Abouobaia, an SEO specialist at Ahrefs, one of the leading SEO tools on the market. I've been working in SEO for over 10 years, and I've seen many changes and trends in the industry.

I'd love to share my insights on what SEO trends will dominate in 2024 for your article. Here are three trends that I think will be crucial for SEO success in 2024:

1. User intent optimization: User intent is the goal behind a user's search query. It can be informational (looking for information), navigational (looking for a specific website), transactional (looking for a product or service), or commercial (looking for reviews or comparisons). Optimizing for user intent means creating content that matches the user's needs and expectations at each stage of their journey. This will help improve user satisfaction, engagement, retention, and conversion rates.

2. Core Web Vitals: Core Web Vitals are a set of metrics that measure the user experience of a web page in terms of loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability. They are part of Google's Page Experience update, which will roll out fully in 2024. Improving Core Web Vitals will help improve user experience, ranking, and traffic.

3. Semantic search: Semantic search is the process of understanding the meaning and context of a user's search query, rather than just matching keywords. It involves natural language processing (NLP), artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML) technologies. Semantic search will help deliver more relevant and personalized results to users based on their intent, location, device, history, preferences, etc.

I hope you find these insights useful for your article. If you have any questions or need more information, please feel free to contact me.

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