What's a "Backlink" ?
In the world of SEO, a "backlink" signifies when one website points to another using a link.
Let's pretend this email series was a blog post (which it will be later). If I create a link to the Wall Street Journal, that is considered a "backlink" to the Wall Street Journal.
Why Does This Matter?
Simply put, Google values websites with high-quality backlinks, meaning that website will appear higher in search results.
Imagine two identical websites about finance (same layout, content, etc.), but...
- Website A has no backlinks
- Website B has backlinks from the Wall Street Journal, Yahoo Finance, and Nerd Wallet
Which website do you think Google will "value" more? Obviously, Website B.
The thought being "this website had to be decent enough for someone else to link to it, so let's push it higher in the search results."
Backlinks are Hard to Get
As a Solopreneur (or small business owner) you need traffic to your website in order to survive.
And while much of that traffic can come from your social media content, you also want to gradually work on building "organic SEO traffic," so people can find you when they search on Google.
But, backlinks are hard to get, because someone else needs to think your content is actually worth linking to in the first place.
So, given the inherent difficulty, most people seek out backlinks through a process called "guest posting" whereby they reach out to the owner of a blog, ask if they can publish an article on the blog owner's behalf, and receive a backlink in exchange.
That means searching for blogs that are a good fit and sending cold emails (if you can even find the email address).
Talk about a massive pain and use of time.
My Secret Weapon: HARO
HARO, or "Help a Reporter Out," has been my secret weapon for high-quality backlinks.
In their words, "HARO connects journalists seeking expertise to include in their content with sources who have that expertise."
In my words, it's a marketplace that connects writers with subject matter experts. Aka supply and demand for content.
So instead of wasting time researching and cold-emailing blogs, you can apply as a Source for HARO and have the leads come to you.
How to Sign Up
Go to the HARO website, click on "I'm a Source" to read the rules and see how the site operates, then click "Sign Up."
The short version is:
- You receive 3 emails per day with a list of topics
- If you think you can add value to a topic, submit a response
Once you've signed up, you can manage your preferences in settings.
The "Master HARO" option below means your email contains requests about all topics.
It can't hurt to review that email a few times just to get a feel for how it works. However, you can see I only have "Business and Finance" selected, because those are the topics where I can add expertise.
Read the Emails
From there, the emails will start coming in (3 times per day).
Give them a read just to get a sense of the requests, styles, etc.
(By the way, if I'm busy I just delete it and wait for the next one)
How to Submit a Response
Okay so you found a topic you can add something to? Great! But how do you submit something?
Just click on the topic, and it will take you further down the email with specific instructions for that "Query."
Read the Query, and then just click the corresponding email and give your reply.
Here's My Exact Template
I have this saved in a Word document and I copy/paste it into an email:
That's it! Nothing fancy.
My Results
I define "success" as a published article with my response.
So far my "success rate" is 14%.
In other words, for every 7 submissions I enter, I expect that one will hit.
And this process alone has lead to a few "big hits" like:
All I've done is review the emails and respond. Nothing special.
The benefit is I now have high-quality backlinks pointing to my website.
(and secondarily I can post about it on LinkedIn to create even more awareness)
But the real "win" here is the link.
A Word to the Wise
Remember that you are dealing with Reporters and Journalists so you are technically "on the record."
(meaning they can use whatever you say)
So be ethical, honest, genuine, and for the love of God don't use AI or try to be an "expert" in a place where you don't know much.
If you happen to say something you wish you didn't, you need to notify the journalist and tell them you'd like the specific content to be "taken off the record and without attribution."
Just use the same judgement you'd use with email in a professional setting and you should be fine.
Action Items
This is another one of those things... you can either nod your head and delete this email, or take some action and give it a shot.
All you have to do is sign up and read a few emails.
Don't like it? Delete your account.
Alternatively, this could turn into a great source of lead generation to help move your website higher in the search results.
That's it for today. See you next time.
—Chris
How I Can Help Further...
If and when the time is right, I offer Advanced Financial Modeling Courses for FP&A and Private Equity Professionals. Check them out if you're interested (if not, that's cool too).
(to see if you qualify for a discount click here)