What Is HARO?

The No. 1 Strategy You Need To Succeed

HARO link building has significantly impacted the search engine optimization (SEO) industry in recent years. But what exactly is HARO, and how does it operate?

HARO stands for Help a Reporter Out, serving as an online public relations (PR) platform designed to link journalists with industry experts capable of providing content relevant to their queries. Currently, over 75,000 journalists and bloggers leverage Help a Reporter Out (HARO) to discover credible quotes and sources of information for their stories.

How Does HARO Work?

Get Exposure in Respected Media Outlets

Help a Reporter Out (HARO) offers journalists a robust database of sources for their upcoming stories, covering a wide range of subjects from news stories to blogs on specific topics such as SEO, marketing, lifestyle, business, and more.

While the platform was initially created for reporters, HARO has evolved into a valuable avenue for businesses to promote their brands and enhance audience engagement.

But how exactly does HARO work?

Why Your Business Needs HARO Marketing

Boost Your Site’s Search Engine Ranking and Visibility

Integrating HARO and link building efforts open a goldmine of opportunity to establish authority in your industry. From small-scale businesses to big enterprises, HARO marketing can help build your brand with many other considerable benefits, including:

How To Use HARO for Backlinks

Take Your Pitch to the Next Level

1. Get Familiar With the Rules

The initial step in mastering how to utilize Help a Reporter Out (HARO) is to acquaint yourself with HARO's Rules for Resources. It's crucial to thoroughly read and adhere to these guidelines. Violating these rules will result in a single warning, and a second offense will lead to permanent banning from the platform. HARO strictly prohibits sources from pitching products and mandating backlinks or link swaps in exchange for their contribution. Therefore, even though a journalist may include a HARO backlink to your site, you should never request or demand one.

2. Create an Account

To get started with Help a Reporter Out (HARO), register as a source and select the plan that suits your needs to begin receiving HARO emails. HARO sends out three daily emails, each categorized by niche. Choose categories that are relevant to your industry and in which you feel confident contributing. Some of the categories include Business and Finance, Travel, Healthcare, Education, Entertainment and Media, Lifestyle, and Fitness.

3. Find Relevant Queries

Monitor your inbox for HARO email queries, and prioritize topics within your area of expertise. Respond only to queries for which you are most likely to be accepted. Depending on your membership level, you may have the option to filter the requests and queries you want to respond to. Utilizing the services of the best HARO link building provider can assist you in monitoring and selecting the right queries to respond to.

4. Create Quality HARO Pitches

After selecting a query, it's time to craft the perfect pitch for your HARO SEO campaign. A key rule for obtaining backlinks with HARO is to avoid excessive self-promotion. Concentrate on showcasing the value of your contribution to the journalist's content. If you're unsure how to respond to these queries, consider investing in the best HARO link building services to create well-thought-out responses that highlight your expertise. Given the thousands of responses journalists receive for each query, partnering with a HARO service provider that employs a data-driven HARO link building strategy is essential to ensure your pitch stands out and gets accepted.