Link building strategy
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A new site needs a few trusted links, not a big package. This month by month plan shows what to build and when.
Read articleBlogger Outreach: How to Get Links From Real Websites
Outreach is how real links are earned: find the right sites, offer something useful and follow up politely. Here is the process and the email templates I use.
This guide covers blogger outreach from prospect list to live link, including email templates. It is part of my link building guide.
Quick answer
Blogger outreach means contacting site owners and editors to earn links, guest posts or mentions. The steps are: define the target page and what makes it link-worthy, find relevant sites with real traffic, find the right contact, send a short personal email that offers something useful, follow up once or twice, and track every conversation.
Step 1: Have something worth linking to
Outreach for a thin sales page rarely works. Pitch pages that help the other site’s readers: detailed guides, free tools, original data, case studies or an expert article written for them. On this site, pages like the anchor text ratio calculator and free SEO checklist are built to be linkable.
Step 2: Find the right sites
- Google searches:
"keyword" + "write for us","keyword" + "guest post","keyword" + "resources". - Competitor backlinks in Ahrefs or Semrush: sites that link to similar pages may link to yours.
- Lists of top blogs and newsletters in your niche.
- Authors who already write about your topic on news and industry sites.
Filter every prospect with the 12 checks in how to check guest post site quality. Real traffic and relevance come first.
Step 3: Find the right person
Write to the editor or the author of the relevant article, not a generic info@ address, when you can. Check the about, contact and author pages, LinkedIn, or use a tool like Hunter to find the address pattern.
Step 4: Write a short, personal email
Good outreach emails are short, specific and about the reader’s site. Generate a starting draft with my free outreach email template generator, then personalise it.
Template: guest post pitch
Subject: Article idea for [Site]: [specific topic]
Hi [Name],
I enjoyed your piece on [article], especially the part about [detail]. Your readers seem to ask a lot about [problem], so I’d like to write a practical guide on [topic], with [unique angle: examples, data, checklist].
Three possible titles:
1. [Title 1]
2. [Title 2]
3. [Title 3]
I write about [topic] at [your site]; here is a recent example: [link]. Happy to follow your guidelines.
Thanks,
[Name]
Template: resource or broken link
Subject: Small fix for your [topic] page
Hi [Name],
I was reading your [page title] and noticed the link to [old resource] no longer works. I recently published [your resource], which covers the same thing and is up to date: [link]. It could be a useful replacement.
Either way, thanks for the great page.
[Name]
Step 5: Follow up, politely
Send one follow-up after 4 to 5 days and a final one after another week. Keep it to two lines. Stop after that; repeated emails damage your reputation and your domain’s email deliverability.
Step 6: Track everything
| Column | Why |
|---|---|
| Site, traffic, DR | Prioritise the best prospects |
| Contact name and email | Personalise and avoid duplicates |
| Pitch type and date | Know when to follow up |
| Status | Sent, replied, accepted, live, declined |
| Live URL and anchor | Check the link and keep your anchor mix natural |
What reply rate to expect
Reply rates depend heavily on how relevant and personal your pitches are and how strong your offer is. Generic mass emails get very few replies. A small list of well-researched prospects with tailored pitches beats a large blast every time.
What about sites that ask for payment?
Many sites answer outreach with a price list. Google’s spam policies say paid links that pass ranking value should carry rel="sponsored" or nofollow. Decide your own policy, understand the risk, and never pay for links on sites that fail the quality checks. More in dofollow vs nofollow links.
Done for you
I have placed 5000+ links for clients, including brands like Capterra UK, Adobe and OKX. I only use real sites with real traffic, and every link is checked live for 6 months.
Frequently asked questions
What is blogger outreach?
Contacting website owners, editors and writers to earn links, guest posts or brand mentions for your site.
How many follow-ups should I send?
One or two short follow-ups spaced about a week apart. After that, move on.
Is blogger outreach white hat?
Earning links by offering genuinely useful content is in line with Google’s guidelines. Paying for links that pass ranking value is not.
What makes an outreach email work?
A specific, personal opening, a clear offer that helps the other site’s readers, and a short message that is easy to say yes to.
Can I automate outreach?
You can automate tracking and follow-up reminders, but personalise each first email. Generic mass emails get ignored.
Sources
Facts checked against these official pages on 10 October 2026. Read my editorial policy.
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