WTF is Haro = Help A Reporter Out

The Boring Basics of HARO (and Friends)

HARO — short for Help A Reporter Out — is a platform where journalists post quote requests for upcoming stories. You (or your brand/agency/client) respond, hoping to be featured and score that all-important backlink. It’s not just HARO anymore. We also monitor Featured, Qwoted, Terkel, and other media-request platforms to cast a wider net.

What Haro Helpers Does (So You Don’t Have To)

We scan, sort, and pitch — fast and with precision. You give us a few details (who you are, what you do), and we:

Handpick only the most relevant requests
Write punchy, tailored responses that sound like you
Submit and follow up, no missed deadlines, no guesswork

Our team’s a blend of seasoned writers, ex-journos, and niche specialists. Whether you’re in SaaS, law, fitness, health, finance — we’ve likely gotten links in your field and can do it again.

TL;DR: Haro Helpers = a done-for-you, press-getting machine.

👉 view pricing

🤔 Why Not Just Do It Yourself?

You can. Many try. But they quickly realise HARO and co. aren't as simple as it seems and speed matters as journalists don't wait. If you:

Don’t have time
Don’t know what a good pitch looks like
Keep getting ignored...

...then we can help. Or train your team. Or ghostwrite it while you nap.

Not ready to hire us? I still drop tips regularly on our socials or will reply to any friendly email. We’re called Haro Helpers for a reason 😉

FAQ's / Frequently Asked Questions

Service Basics & Process

Link Quality, Standards & Delivery

What is HARO?

Help A Reporter Out. It is a media request service where journalists ask for expert input and sources pitch answers for potential inclusion and attribution in published pieces.

Which platforms do you pitch on besides HARO?

Alongside HARO/Connectively we cover MentionMatch (formerly Help a B2B Writer), Source of Sources (formerly HERO), JournoRequest, SourceBottle, Qwoted, Featured, ProfNet, and ResponseSource — plus other vetted journalist callout lists that have proven ROI.

Can I see samples or case studies before signing?

Yes, we can and have provided real life links we have landed in your niche, and also supply case studies from previous work and success stories.

Do you offer white label for agencies?

Yes. We can run fully white label under your brand with branded email domains and/or utilising your reporting templates, and sign any NDAs where needed.

What is the TAT on the links?

It can vary depending on the niche of the website as well as publication schedules. First links can take a few weeks, then momentum builds and placements arrive more steadily. As a guide, a batch of ten links typically lands within 10 to 16 weeks.

Will I get to approve the pitches before they are sent?

In an ideal world, sure — but pre-approving every pitch would blow past most deadlines, and you'd effectively be doing half the outreach work yourself. Instead you get full visibility: every email we send from the domain inbox you assign to us is logged and available to you, so you can review the quality yourself. You'll find it's consistently solid. You're always welcome to leave notes or ask us to tweak the approach, and we'll tailor future pitches accordingly.

Do I have to respond to journalists directly?

No, not directly — and this ties into the approval of pitches question we also get asked. If you've got the time to do that yourself, congrats, you don't really need us. "If you hire us, we put words in your mouth."

Can I choose what sites I get links from?

You can't choose specific sites — journalists decide who gets featured. We do filter by your goals and quality criteria though. If you already have "dream sites" in mind that happen to be ones we pitch to anyway, you don't need to flag them — when that opportunity comes up, we'll naturally go after it for you.

Are they all follow links?

About 90 percent are follow. Nofollow links still add value for diversity and trust. We aim for a balanced, natural profile.

How topically relevant are the sites?

Topical relevance varies by niche; some get a steady stream of direct callouts, others fewer, though most see significant opportunities overall. Where direct hits are limited, we also offer hybrid or business-focused placements to help build DR and overall credibility.

What happens if I don't get any links?

We provide a clear refund or replacement policy if a link quota is not met within the agreed timeframe.

Do I get to see the live links?

Yes. Every link we secure is reported in full, including anchor text, live URL, and domain metrics.

Which publishers or practices do you avoid?

We avoid PBNs, link farms, pay-to-post lists, spun or AI-generated junk sites, irrelevant directories, and networks that sell placements — a growing list as AI content farms scale up. We prioritise real editorial teams, topical relevance, stable traffic and natural link profiles.

Do journalists always include a backlink with the quote?

Not always, but we know most of the outlets that don't, drawn from a decade-long database of thousands of journalists and publishers. A few sneaky, underhand journos can still slip through our screening now and then, alongside other responders. Good news for you, we don't charge for invalid or low quality, bait and switch links. If anything, we're more frustrated by these than our clients.

Will they all be from different domains?

Not always. Two links from the same domain can happen if we pitch a second query days or weeks later, since the first link may not surface for 3 to 6 weeks. We never skip fresh opportunities regardless. We only ever bill once per domain, and syndicated links are always free.

Does the platform guarantee a minimum DR/DA?

HARO itself doesn't guarantee a specific DR or DA, though it does check submissions for quality and spam more closely than the previous incumbent did. We go further: our baseline is DR 40+, though average placements typically land in the DR 60 to 70 range. We check every domain ourselves and only pitch sites that meet that standard.

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