Building links is one of the hardest parts of SEO, and you probably know that the best links — links that help you rank — come from authoritative websites that are hard to get mentioned on.
It is indeed possible to get mentioned on these sites, though. And it doesn’t necessarily involve hiring an expensive PR firm to pitch your story.
Let’s be honest — most companies don’t have a good story to tell. They’re doing great work and delivering great value to their customers, but they’re at best subject matter experts.
Now subject matter experts are great and in demand, but it’s hard to become a trusted source for journalists. It’s hard to scale getting mentioned or quoted when you have to build one-off relationships.
You may be familiar with Help A Reporter Out, otherwise known as HARO. As they say on their homepage, “HARO connects journalists seeking expertise to include in their content with sources who have that expertise.”
HARO is a great tool that we’ve used to great effect at Credo before, but it has its limitations and in recent years has become less used and relevant than in the past. Plus, it still relies on daily emails about pitches and doesn’t provide a web interface for browsing pitches to then reply to.
So if you’re using HARO and looking for alternatives or are completely bummed out on HARO and want something better, you’ve come to the right place.
Here are five HARO alternatives to consider.
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Terkel
Terkel has quickly become a major player in the world of connecting experts with publications looking to quote them for their expertise, in exchange for a backlink.
Founded by Brett Farmiloe, who formerly started and sold small business SEO agency Markitors, Terkel provides a feed of pitches available for content. Most are in the format of “What is your best tip for X?” to gather a large set of pitches and ideas that the writer can then select from for their article.
Terkel provides services for writers and brands as well as those seeking to be quoted. Brands post their upcoming content to their feed, the Terkel team reviews and approves, sources are given up to two weeks to respond, and then the Terkel team writes the article for the brand.
Brands can post for free, and sources get five free responses and then pay for a membership. Because of this, Terkel is best for an agency or brand who’s invested in getting their name out there as a thought leader in exchange for a backlink.
Help A B2B Writer
Help A B2B Writer is a service very similar to HARO that connects writers or creators at business-to-business companies with sources.
Help A B2B Writer is different from HARO or Terkel in that they have smart algorithms working in the background that only alert qualified sources about requests for a quote created by a writer. This alert is delivered via email and the source is invited to reply.
This service is completely free and is run by the team behind Peak Freelance.
Qwoted
Qwoted is another service connecting vetted experts with brands or publications looking for trusted sources. As they say on the site, Qwoted is great for:
- Media looking for experts, guests, and story ideas.
- PR and marketing pros looking to secure more coverage for their clients or company.
- Small businesses and personal brands wanting to build their brand and grow their online profile.
As someone looking to be an expert, you sign up using a non-personal email address and add hashtags that are relevant to your expertise. Once your profile is approved, you have access to a searchable feed to find opportunities. PRs and marketers can also create leader profiles and build relationships with outlets via the Qwoted platform.
Qwoted is free for up to two pitches per month. At $149 per month, the Pro plan gets you unlimited pitches, media searches, and much more.
SourceBottle
SourceBottle is another HARO alternative where you can sign up as a writer (“Find A Source”) or as an expert (“Be A Source”) and they’ll send you email newsletters every day with new opportunities.
On your profile, you can control the types of pitches you see and their frequency. You can also snooze pitches for a bit if so desired.
Similar to HARO and Help A B2B Writer, and different from Terkel and Qwoted, everything is handled via email. Their technology is a bit dated looking (just like HARO) and just serves as an interface for you to sign up. They take a more lean-back approach to let pitches come to you, instead of the lean-in approach of Terkel and Qwoted.
SourceBottle has multiple payment options. With a free profile, you get email alerts, but as you go up the levels of subscription you get more features such as an Expert Profile (that writers/journalists can see) and the ability to respond to “Call Outs” within emails.
ProfNet
A final HARO alternative to consider is ProfNet, which is owned by the same company as HARO.
Simply put, as they say, “ProfNet Connects Journalists to Expert Sources.”
Just like the other services mentioned, ProfNet provides the ability to sign up as an Expert or a Journalist.
Experts sign up, set their preferences, and then sit back to let pitches come to them.
Journalists sign up, submit their queries, and receive pitches from experts.
Pretty simple, right? We think so.
ProfNet is free.
Check out ProfNet (from Cision)
Need a PR/Content Agency to Pitch For You?
Here at Credo, we help companies connect with digital agencies who offer the services you need. If you’re considering using HARO or any of the above alternatives, you’ll find that it’s time consuming.
So if you want to work with an agency who can pitch you as a source and help you earn backlinks to help SEO, schedule a free call with our team to get started.
