Don’t sleep on HARO

[Monsterer]

Gets you links from major publications

Usually branded anchors (safe + powerful)

Builds real authority beyond SEO

Can drive referral traffic

HARO isn’t fast, but it’s one of the cleanest “white hat” options out there.

I’m curious how you guys are balancing HARO with other link-building strategies right now?

 

[ahtaraut]

My approach is as follows: HARO accounts for 20% of the total number of links, with the remainder being guest posts and direct agreements with editorial offices.

HARO tips:

• I respond within the first 30 minutes after receiving an email (I used to be able to do it faster)
• In my reply, I immediately provide ready-made quotes so that the journalist can easily copy and paste them
• I attach a high-resolution photo
• I write not as an SEO specialist but as an expert on a specific issue

But honestly? Effectiveness has dropped by 70% over the past two years. On the other hand, the links you get are really valuable. Forbes, Entrepreneur, Industry Week... you can't buy those yourself.

Now I focus more on direct contacts with journalists on LinkedIn. I subscribe to them, comment on their posts, and then offer comments on their topics. It works better than mass responses on HARO.

 

[Nut-Nights]

My approach is as follows: HARO accounts for 20% of the total number of links, with the remainder being guest posts and direct agreements with editorial offices.

HARO tips:

• I respond within the first 30 minutes after receiving an email (I used to be able to do it faster)
• In my reply, I immediately provide ready-made quotes so that the journalist can easily copy and paste them
• I attach a high-resolution photo
• I write not as an SEO specialist but as an expert on a specific issue

But honestly? Effectiveness has dropped by 70% over the past two years. On the other hand, the links you get are really valuable. Forbes, Entrepreneur, Industry Week... you can't buy those yourself.

Now I focus more on direct contacts with journalists on LinkedIn. I subscribe to them, comment on their posts, and then offer comments on their topics. It works better than mass responses on HARO.

AI?

 

[ahtaraut]

AI?

Yes, I use it to formulate answers faster. I read the journalist's question, quickly jot down the main ideas, and then AI helps me put it together properly. It saves a lot of time.

 

[shahil45]

Gets you links from major publications

Usually branded anchors (safe + powerful)

Builds real authority beyond SEO

Can drive referral traffic

HARO isn’t fast, but it’s one of the cleanest “white hat” options out there.

I’m curious how you guys are balancing HARO with other link-building strategies right now?

I have list of all Haro reporters, so it is easy for me to earn links. I know for last 1 year or so, the conversion is way less like 5 links for every 100 pitches. In the past, i used to get 20 links for 100 pitches. But, now i deal with reporters directly. They approach me if they need insight for their next story.

 

[Mystic Flow]

I agree, HARO might be slow but the authority those links bring is on another level. I’ve been mixing it with guest posts to balance speed and trust.

 

[wksdlsaneh]

HARO is great for authority links, but it’s slow and inconsistent. I usually balance it by running HARO alongside guest posting and niche edits—HARO brings in branded, high-authority links (good for trust), while the others give me more control over anchor text and speed. If you rely only on HARO, growth will be slow, but mixing it with other strategies keeps the profile natural and moving forward.

 

[SERP_Specialist]

100% agree — HARO is seriously underrated.
I landed a DR 75+ backlink just by spending 15 minutes writing a good pitch.
It takes consistency, but the quality of links you can get is way better than most outreach methods.
Pro tip: Stick to niches you actually know — your responses will sound way more authentic.

 

[iranker]

HARO can be an easy way to get link or not. I feel like it's saturated. You can also use Qwoted, Featured, SOS or proactive Digital PR outreach.

 

[digoth]

HARO is definitely solid for authority links. I usually pair it with niche-relevant guest posts and some branded outreach to keep the profile natural. It’s slow, but the long-term value is good.

 

[ShadowClicks]

HARO (or similar platforms like Featured) is essential for building E-E-A-T (Expertise, Experience, Authority, Trust), but it's not a volume strategy.

The best balance is to treat HARO as your Tier 1 Authority Builder—dedicate time daily to pitch highly relevant, data-backed quotes, knowing the payoff is high-DR, safe, branded anchors. You should then balance it with faster, higher-volume methods like Link Insertions (Niche Edits) or Guest Posting on relevant, mid-tier sites to address the Link Gap required by Ahrefs, as HARO alone is too slow to build sufficient domain authority.

 

[Mark Hurry]

Totally agree HARO links last long-term. I also use it as a steady add-on alongside other strategies. Interested to hear everyone else's mix too.

 

[spidermon]

HARO definitely helps, but the real difference shows when you combine it with backlinks that genuinely connect to your topic and content. That’s when you actually start to see meaningful results.