HARO (Help a reporter out) is a platform for journalists to get relevant expert input when they are writing articles without having to spend a lot of time on it. SEO experts realized it and they started using the platform to get backlinks to high-performing online publications such as the Wall Street Journal and Forbes.
CMO, CEOs, and CTO signed up for the HARO newsletter. This newsletter is published and sent to you three times a day from Monday to Friday. If they realized that there was a query relevant to their area of expertise, they could respond and have a higher chance to get published.
It has become harder for executives to grow in popularity because there are a lot of experts which makes the pool saturated.
Pros of HARO
Free earned media
Website owners, digital marketers, and budding SEO specialists have gotten a lot of messages selling links. Selling a link can be likened to buying followers – it is a worthless and empty endeavour.
HARO gives the professionals a chance of getting placed in high-ranking publications and what they get in return is expert input on a subject that the journalist proffers. The good thing about this is that is a white hat.
Source of experts when creating content
The platform makes it easier for bloggers and journalists to source. The process is simple, logging in to the Cision account, posting a query, and waiting for replies to come in.
In the past, journalists had to hunt down experts, a process that took a lot of work and time. They had to scour the internet, make connections, and then maintain their relationships with experts.
Frequent publications provide you with a lot of opportunities
You are going to get three newsletters published in your inbox Monday to Friday. This means there is a chance of winning five links in a month. The value of the links is high which is why there are many link-building companies out there.
The newsletters are divided into different categories, which makes it easier for you because you don’t have to spend a lot of time on the task. Here is a good guide from Velseoity
Cons of HARO
Are you speaking to an expert?
It is easy for anyone to sign up on the platform and claim they are experts. There is no vetting done. This makes it easy for illegitimate sites that are looking for a shortcut. A fake website that makes money from adverts can boost its SERP and SEO using HARO.
If you are a journalist or blogger, the quickest way of weeding fake accounts is through social proof. They need to provide their LinkedIn profiles so you can check them out.
There are a lot of websites looking to take advantage
HARO’s golden era has passed. Many people know about HARO, and many people use it. When journalists post a query, they usually get even more than 100 replies. Most of them go with the first ones that come.
Make sure your pitches are shaped to align with EAT algorithm from Google (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) so that journalists see you as a sure option. You can also set your alarm for it to coincide with the newsletter release. This ensures you are early with the pitch.
Questionable queries
Sources aren’t the only thing to look out for, you have to be on the lookout for questionable queries too. Focus on your niche, and if you have some doubts on the query or publications, a quick Boolean search of the publication and journalist is going to help.
