The process of contacting bloggers, journalists, and influencers to earn backlinks and mentions.
Outreach SEO is the practice of proactively contacting other website owners, journalists, bloggers, and content creators to earn a backlink to your own website. It is a fundamental and proactive link-building tactic. The goal of outreach SEO is to build relationships and to persuade other websites to link to your content. A well-executed outreach campaign is a direct path to acquiring high-quality backlinks from relevant websites, which can significantly boost your rankings, organic traffic, and domain authority.
Why Outreach SEO Matters
Outreach SEO is a crucial part of a modern SEO strategy because it allows you to take control of your backlink profile. In a competitive niche, you can’t always rely on other websites to link to your content organically. Outreach SEO helps you to:
- Build Relationships: It’s a great way to build relationships with other website owners in your niche.
- Increase Visibility: It can lead to a significant increase in qualified traffic and sales.
- Boost Authority: A backlink from a high-quality website is a vote of confidence that signals to search engines that your content is valuable and trustworthy.
Across Different CMS Platforms
The management of outreach SEO is a content and technical SEO strategy that can be applied to any CMS.
WordPress
WordPress users can easily manage their outreach SEO by using a variety of plugins. A good SEO plugin can help you track your backlinks and to ensure you are using a variety of keywords that are relevant to your content.
Shopify
On Shopify, outreach SEO is essential for your product descriptions and blog posts. You can use a variety of tools to find a backlink from a relevant website. A link from a high-quality blog or a news site can significantly boost your rankings.
Wix
Wix has a streamlined, user-friendly system, but you can still optimize for outreach SEO. The platform’s built-in SEO tools make it easy to manage your titles, meta descriptions, and on-page content.
Webflow
Webflow gives you granular control over your website’s design and code, which is perfect for a sophisticated link-building strategy. You can use it to create a perfectly structured page that is optimized for a specific keyword or set of keywords.
Custom CMS
With a custom CMS, you have the most control but also the most responsibility. You can build a system that automatically tracks and analyzes your outreach SEO and provides your content creators with data-driven insights.
Across Different Industries
The way you use outreach SEO will depend on your industry and your goals.
E-commerce
E-commerce sites can use outreach SEO to build a stronger brand reputation. A site that sells running shoes could get a backlink from a blog that reviews running shoes.
Local Businesses
Local businesses can use outreach SEO to build a stronger community. A local restaurant could get a backlink from a local newspaper or a local blog.
SaaS Companies
SaaS companies can use outreach SEO to build a stronger brand reputation. A company that sells project management software could get a backlink from a blog that reviews project management tools.
Blogs
Blogs are a great way to capitalize on outreach SEO. A blog that writes about cooking can get a backlink from a blog that writes about baking.
Dos and Don’ts of Outreach SEO
- Use a link outreach tool: A tool like SEMrush or Ahrefs is a must.
- Use a clear, compelling pitch: Your pitch should be personalized and should clearly explain why a website should link to your content.
- Build a relationship: A good outreach campaign is about building a relationship with a website owner, not just about getting a link.
- Avoid a spammy pitch: A spammy pitch can harm your brand’s reputation and can lead to a negative response.
- Avoid using outreach for a low-quality website: This can harm your SEO.
- Avoid ignoring the importance of a brand: The Knowledge Graph is a key part of your brand’s reputation.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Failing to do link prospecting: This is a basic but critical step. You cannot improve what you do not measure.
- Ignoring a user’s intent: A backlink should be used with a user’s intent in mind.
- Focusing on a single link-building tactic: This is a risky and outdated approach.
FAQs
How is outreach SEO different from guest posting?
Outreach SEO is the broad process of reaching out to a website to get a backlink. Guest posting is a type of outreach SEO where you write a guest post for a website to get a backlink.
What is the difference between outreach SEO and a backlink?
Outreach SEO is the process of acquiring backlinks. A backlink is the result.
What is a good outreach pitch?
A good outreach pitch is a personalized, compelling message that clearly explains why a website should link to your content. You should also ensure that your pitch is respectful and not spammy.
Can a website with a low domain authority still rank?
Yes, a website with a low domain authority can still rank. The key is to create high-quality, in-depth content that is relevant to a user’s search intent.
What is a “link prospect”?
A link prospect is a website or a piece of content that you have identified as a potential source for a backlink. It’s a key part of a successful link-building campaign.
