Link-building outreach is necessary to acquire valuable backlinks. A few small tweaks in your link building outreach can result in a big difference in quality.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the key steps to perfect your link-building outreach strategy, from crafting the perfect email to building lasting relationships with top-tier websites.
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How to Do Link Building Outreach
Whether you’re targeting high-authority websites or reaching out to smaller niche blogs, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to effectively conduct link-building outreach.
1. Identify the Right Targets
Before you start sending outreach emails, you need to identify the right websites or individuals to target.
Outreach to irrelevant sites or low-quality websites will not get you the desired results.
How to Do It
- Search for websites relevant to your niche or industry so the backlinks you acquire are valuable and targeted.
- Use tools like Ahrefs, Moz, or Domain Rating to check the domain authority (DA) of potential websites. Higher DA websites will pass on more SEO value.
- Sites with high engagement—whether through comments, social shares, or active user communities—are more likely to value your content and respond positively to your outreach.
2. Craft a Personalised and Engaging Outreach Email
The key to successful link-building outreach is personalisation. A generic email that looks like it’s been sent to hundreds of people is far less likely to get a response.
Tailor each email to the recipient and make it clear why your content or website is relevant to them.
How to Do It
- Use the recipient’s name and reference something specific about their site or content that you admire.
- Keep your email short, direct, and to the point. Focus on the value you’re offering and how your content will benefit their audience.
- Clearly explain why your content is a good fit for their site. Offer a solution to a problem their audience may face, or explain how your content or potential guest post complements an existing piece on their site.
- Invite the recipient to check out your content and consider linking to it. Be polite, but also make sure what you’re asking for is clear.
3. Offer Value First
In your outreach email, focus on the value you’re providing. If you can demonstrate how your content benefits the recipient, they’re more likely to take action.
This could mean offering something of interest to their audience, such as a high-quality resource, an informative infographic, or a guest post.
How to Do It
- Instead of immediately asking for a link, offer a useful resource (e.g., an expert guide, a study, a tool, or an infographic) that could add value to their existing content.
- If they already have a post related to your content, suggest how linking to your page would enhance or complement their article. Make it easy for them to see the benefits.
4. Follow Up (Politely)
Only some outreach emails will get a response on the first try, but don’t be discouraged. Following up is an important part of the outreach process. Be sure to send a polite, friendly follow-up after a few days to remind the recipient about your initial request.
How to Do It
- Wait about 5-7 days before sending a follow-up email. If you send it too soon, it might come across as pushy.
- Your follow-up should be polite and respectful. Acknowledge that they might be busy, and gently remind them of your initial email. Keep it brief and add any new information that might make your link request more compelling.
- Limit follow-up emails to two or three. If you don’t get a response after that, it’s best to move on and try targeting new websites.
5. Build Relationships
Link-building outreach isn’t just about asking for backlinks—it’s about building long-term relationships. Once you’ve successfully acquired a link, don’t just disappear.
Keep engaging with the person or website by sharing their content, commenting on their posts, or offering support when appropriate.
How to Do It
- Share, comment, or interact with the content on their site or social media profiles so you can help them stay top-of-mind for future collaboration opportunities.
- Always thank the person once your link request has been fulfilled. Show your appreciation for their time and willingness to collaborate.
Use a Separate Email Address
One of the best practices for effective link-building outreach is to use a separate email address from your primary one. This helps you maintain a professional image and also minimises the risk of your main email domain being flagged as spam.
Why It’s Important
If you’re sending multiple outreach emails, especially at scale, your primary domain (e.g., your business domain like seoagency.com) could end up getting blacklisted by email providers if too many emails are marked as spam or ignored.
This can severely impact your ability to reach potential leads in the future. Using a secondary domain ensures your primary email stays protected from this risk.
How to Do It
- Buy a new domain (e.g., SEO agency. co) that is closely related to your main domain. This makes it easy to set up and ensures brand consistency.
- Create a separate email address on this new domain, such as [email protected], to send your outreach emails.
- Before launching large-scale outreach campaigns, make sure to gradually build the reputation of your new email address by sending and receiving a few legitimate emails. Tools like Mailgun or GMass can help warm up the email by sending low-volume emails over time.
Why This Helps
By using a separate email address, you can avoid any negative consequences that might affect your primary email. It also adds a layer of professionalism and helps keep your outreach efforts organised and less intrusive for your main business communications.
How to Write Outreach Emails
Writing effective outreach emails is crucial for the success of your link-building campaign to increase your organic traffic.
A well-crafted email increases your chances of getting a response and securing valuable backlinks.
Key Elements of an Effective Outreach Email:
Always personalise your emails to show that you’ve done your research.
- Mention their recent content, blog posts, or anything relevant to their audience. This demonstrates you’re genuinely interested in their work.
- Use their name in the greeting and make the content of your email tailored to their specific needs or interests.
- Keep the subject line short and to the point. Make what the email is about clear. For example, “Content Suggestion for Your Recent Article” or “How Our Resource Complements Your Post on [Topic].”
- Offer value upfront. Don’t just ask for a backlink. Suggest how linking to your content can enhance their article or provide added value to their readers. Focus on why it’s beneficial for them to include your link.
- Have a clear call to action (CTA). Make it easy for them to say yes. For example, “Would you be open to including a link to our article on [Topic]?” or “Let me know if you’d like to explore this further.”
Finally, always remain courteous and professional, even if you don’t get a response. Outreach is about building relationships, not just asking for favours.
How to Optimize Outreach
Optimising your outreach is about fine-tuning your efforts for maximum impact.
This involves continuously improving your outreach strategy, tracking performance, and adapting your approach based on feedback and results.
Key Optimization Tactics
Segment Your Outreach List
Divide your outreach list into smaller segments based on relevance, domain authority, or niche. Tailor your messaging for different audiences to increase your chances of getting a positive response.
Track Your Outreach Progress
Keep track of your emails and responses. Tools like Google Sheets or Trello can help you organise your outreach efforts and follow-ups. This also enables you to identify patterns, such as which types of outreach emails get the best response rates.
A/B Testing
Experiment with your subject lines, email copy, and CTAs.
By running A/B tests, you can refine your outreach emails and determine which combinations work best for your audience.
Use Analytics
Many outreach tools provide detailed analytics on open rates, click-through rates, and responses.
Use this data to continuously improve your outreach strategy and refine your approach.
Follow-Up Strategically
Don’t be afraid to follow up, but do so strategically.
Wait at least 5–7 days after your initial email, and keep your follow-ups polite and to the point.
Link Building Outreach Tool: Lemlist
Lemlist is an excellent outreach tool that helps streamline and automate your link-building campaigns while ensuring your emails are personalised and engaging.
With Lemlist, you can scale your outreach efforts without sacrificing quality.
What It Is
Lemlist is a powerful email outreach platform and link-building tool that focuses on personalisation, automation, and follow-ups. It allows you to send highly customised outreach emails at scale, ensuring each email feels personal and relevant to the recipient.
How to Use Lemlist for Link-Building Outreach
Set Up Campaigns
Create campaigns within Lemlist where you can add multiple recipients and customise email content for each segment. This allows you to manage and track your outreach efforts more effectively.
Personalize Emails
Lemlist offers advanced personalisation features, such as dynamically inserting the recipient’s name, company, or other custom fields directly into the email body, which helps increase engagement.
Automate Follow-Ups
Set up automated follow-up sequences that trigger if there is no response within a certain time frame so you can maintain consistent communication without manually sending follow-ups.
Track Performance
Lemlist provides detailed analytics on your outreach performance, such as open rates, click-through rates, and replies. You can then use this data to tweak your outreach strategy and improve future campaigns.
Video and Image Embedding
One standout feature of Lemlist is the ability to embed videos and images directly into your outreach emails for link-building opportunities. Studies show that emails with video content have a higher engagement rate.
Why It’s Good for Link-Building Outreach
Lemlist’s focus on personalisation at scale helps you make sure your outreach emails are engaging and relevant.
Its automated follow-ups and tracking features make it an excellent tool for link-building outreach, helping you stay organised and on top of your campaigns.
The ability to embed media like videos enables you to capture the recipient’s attention and increase the chances of securing valuable backlinks.
Link Building Done For You
Building high-quality backlinks through SEO outreach efforts takes time and expertise.
If you’re ready to take your SEO to the next level without the hassle, our team of professionals is here to handle your link-building outreach process from start to finish.
We specialise in creating tailored, results-driven link outreach campaigns that will improve your website’s search engine rankings, boost traffic and strengthen your online presence.
