HARO Is a Tool for Coders to Consider in SEO

Some SEO professional use Help a Reporter Out, or HARO, for link building. HARO puts out three emails a day with requests from journalists and bloggers who need an expert in a specific field. Sources can reply to an anonymous email and pitch ideas and their qualifications or their client's qualifications.

It's a free service where sources can get a backlink from an authority site if a reporter accepts their pitch. HARO boasts successes for sources who have received backlinks from major media outlets. Emails come Monday to Friday at 5:35 a.m., 12:35 p.m. and 5:35 p.m. ET. The competition is fierce and as soon as a journalist receives a reply they like, they probably won't read the rest of the pitches.

If you choose one of the three paid plans, you get keywords and early access to media opportunities. You also get to build a profile to send with your reply automatically. Even with a free account, a lot of patience and thoughtful replies, you can secure high authority backlinks.

There are people who say HARO is not worth the work it requires. Journalists and bloggers don’t have to give you a do follow backlink, nor can you choose the anchor text. It’s time consuming too. If you’re a real estate agent, you could send the suggested 100-200 words on your opinion on the housing market in San Francisco and never hear from a reporter and they do not publish your ideas. Story ideas change all the time.

If you have the time, HARO is a good way to get high-quality backlinks. If you want to try it, keep track of your time and the number of links you receive to see if it is worthwhile for you. So far, the reviews from the individuals who have used HARO to build backlinks are mixed. For more information click here https://www.reddit.com/r/SEO/comments/cnwhbl/anyonehavingsuccesswithharo/.