No one can deny the importance of helpful content in SEO.
But, with competition so high, building high-quality backlinks isnβt an option anymore. Itβs a must.
Now, outreach is a core part of link building. It lets you get in touch with the right people and build long-term relationships.
In this blog post, weβll cover everything from what link building outreach is to the tools you should use for maximum impact.
By the end, youβll have a complete A-Z link building outreach guide that works in 2024. Letβs dive in.
What is Link Building Outreach
Link building outreach refers to getting in touch with other website owners and asking them for a link back to yours.
Done right, it can single-handedly help you gain tons of high-quality backlinks for your site.
How to Use Outreach for Link Building?
Letβs discuss how to outreach for backlinks.
Skyscraper Technique
In essence, the skyscraper technique invovles creating a piece of content that people would want to link to.
But, instead of just creating it, you first find an article thatβs already getting links.
Then, you create a better, more linkable asset.
Lastly, reach out to the websites that are linking to that article and ask them to replace that link with yours.
The Moving Man Method
This strategy involves getting website owners to replace outdated links on their web pages.
Start by finding blog posts and articles in your niche that have links to outdated pages.
Then, reach out to the owner asking them to replace those links with yours.
The moving man method is one of the quickest ways to get quality backlinks.
Just make sure to reach out to domains that have a quality backlink profile.
The Guest Posting Technique
Guest posting involves posting articles on other websites with links back to yours.
The first step is to find high-authority sites in your niche.
Next, reach out and ask if theyβd like to publish a guest post.
They get to publish a quality piece of content and you get a backlink, making the deal a win-win.
Digital PR
Digital PR is more of a long-term link building approach.
It involves:
- Creating content around your brand
- Building relationships with journalists and publications
HARO (Help A Reporter Out) and press releases are two common digital PR strategies.
Link Building Outreach: What is An A-Z Guide for 2024?
Step 1: Link Prospecting
The first step to winning outreach links is to identify who to reach out to.
Some effective ways to find these prospects are:
- Exploring existing contacts
- Google search operators
- Using link building tools
Step 2: Prepare Your Email Sequence
Once you have a list of websites to target, itβs time to craft a sequence of outreach emails. The email sequence should include:
- Initial pitch
- The first follow-up
- The second follow-up
The key is to get the person to open your first email.
This is why itβs crucial to craft an intriguing subject line.
More importantly, make it about the recipient and not your business.
Plus, try to be as transparent as possible.
Lastly, send at least one follow-up in case your email was ignored the first time.
Step 3: Find Contact Information
Next, create a list of websites you want backlinks from.
You can do that by reverse-engineering your competitors through a tool like Semrush.
Then, find the contact information of the right people to reach out to.
Use a tool like Hunter.io.

Or, you can manually look for the email addresses on contact pages.
Step 4: Personalization
Personalization is key to engaging your email readers.
Itβs not about mentioning the recipient with their first name though.
You also need to mention something that makes you sound like someone who reads their blog.
Step 5: Build Partnership
Rather than focusing on one link building opportunity, work on building long-term partnerships.
Link Building Outreach: What are Tips, Tools, and Tactics?
Get the most out of your link building efforts with these tips and tactics.
Find the Right Contact
Finding the right person to contact is an important part. It increases your chances of getting a positive response.
One effective way to find prospects is by using LinkedInβs advanced search.
Mostly, the content manager of a blog is the right person to reach out to.
Be Relevant
Keeping your content relevant requires understanding who youβre talking to.
The subject matter of your email should pique the other personβs interest.
Importantly, make sure the subject matter of your email is in line with your subject line.
Keep your subject line relevant to whatβs in the body of your emails.
Write Quality Content
Thereβs no better way to attract backlinks than to write high-quality content.
Having a bunch of great articles aids your link building efforts.
This is because people prefer to link to quality content.
Of course, you donβt just want to write these pieces.
You need to proactively promote them and get them noticed by the right influencers in your industry.
Track Results
Tracking tells you if thereβs a need to make tweaks to your outreach strategy.
This is especially important when youβre not getting the desired results.
Without effective tracking in place, you donβt have enough information to make the right decisions.
You can use tools like Pitchbox to keep moving in the right direction.
Broken Link Building
Broken link building involves finding a web page with a broken link and proposing yours as a replacement.
Broken links on a website are harmful to its SEO, which is why itβs easy to persuade a website owner to replace it.
3 Link Building Outreach Tools
Link outreach tools help you:
- Find prospects and their contact information
- With email templates
- Track your results
By handling most of your workflows, these tools save your time while also improving results. So, consider using the following outreach tools:
Ninja Outreach

Ninja Outreach is a customer relationship management software (CRM). Its features make it perfect for link building outreach.
The tool finds email addresses of people by searching blogs, YouTube, and Instagram.
You can also analyze and track your results with this outreach tool.
With Ninja Outreachβs Chrome extension, you can find email addresses on any site by simply visiting them.
BuzzStream

BuzzStream is essentially a public relations management software, making it perfect for outreach and relationship building.
Courtesy of its discovery feature, you can find the names and contact information of anyone with a simple keyword search.
The digital PR software offers:
- Contact management
- Campaign management
- Link analytics
- Rank tracking
- Social media monitoring
- Email distribution
- Backlink management
BuzzSumo

BuzzSumo is a popular content discovery platform, but itβs also a great outreach tool. It also has a free Google Chrome extension with limited features.
BuzzSumo offers:
- Customer engagement dashboard
- Configurable alerts
- Competitive analysis
- Impact scoring
- Influencer tracking
- Trend tracking
- Reputation management
- Audience segmentation
With BuzzSumo, you can find bloggers, journalists, and influencers who are sharing your competitorβs content.
BuzzSumos βBrands Mentionβ feature helps you turn unlinked brand mentions into quality backlinks.
Pitchbox

Pitchbox is designed for SEO agencies and brands to find the right influencers and work with them seamlessly.
The platform provides everything you need to manage large-scale link building campaigns and establish long-term relationships.
Pitchbox may be more expensive than the other tools on our list, but for most users, itβs worth the extra cost.
Link Building Outreach: FAQs
What is Email Outreach in Link Building?
Email outreach in link building is the process of contacting a website owner and asking for a backlink to your site. The steps involved are finding the contact information, writing an effective pitch, and following up with a reminder.
What is the Link Building Outreach Process?
The link building outreach process involves finding link-worthy websites in your niche. The next step is to reach out with a well-crafted email pitch and get them to link to your site. Lastly, itβs important to follow up if they donβt respond the first time.
What Does a Link Building Outreach Specialist Do?
A specialist is typically responsible for finding link building opportunities. They collaborate with bloggers, influencers, and industry experts. Tracking results and reporting progress are other important aspects of their job.
What are the Most Effective Outreach Techniques?
Some of the most effective outreach techniques include social media, email, paid ads, and HARO. Not all are effective for everyone though. Itβs important to track your results and focus on the ones that work for you.
Conclusion: Link Building Outreach
Despite what you might have heard, no SEO strategy is complete without link building.
Outreach backlinks are arguably the most valuable SEO commodity, especially if youβre in a competitive niche.
The effectiveness of a campaign depends on your outreach approach.
Things like what channels you use to reach out, who you reach out to, and how you write your pitch matter a lot.
Every link building process starts with research, which involves finding relevant and authoritative websites.
Reaching out with an intriguing pitch is the second step. If they donβt reply, itβs always a good idea to send a follow-up email.
The blog post covers the outreach strategies you can use to build links in any niche.
However, keeping track of results is crucial if you want to focus on the ones that offer the best ROI.