DEEP DIVE

Master your pitch

Most SEOs approach link building like they're playing a numbers game. They blast out thousands of "can I write a guest post for your site?" emails hoping that 1% of people respond.

This sucks for a few reasons:

• You're wasting editors' time (and they know it).

• You're immediately getting deleted.

• Even when you do land a post, it's a one-and-done deal.

• You rarely get to link to revenue-generating pages.

While this strategy might get some backlinks, it's not the links you want. If an editor immediately replies, "Sure, send us your guest post!" to your template email, they're doing the same for hundreds of other SEOs. 

Their outbound link profiles are usually toxic garbage, linking to casinos, payday loans, and every other scheme under the sun.

You want links from sites that are hard as hell to get into. Sites with squeaky clean outbound link profiles that Google actually trusts. 

And guess what? These hard-as-hell sites delete your "I love your website" email faster than you can say "how much for a guest post?"

To get links from respectable sites with editorial standards, you need to completely change your pitch strategy.

The typical guest post outreach looks something like this:

Or something like this . . .

Don’t do this . . . Here’s what to do instead.

Step #1: Ask for a contributor slot

First things first: Stop using the term "guest post" in your outreach. It's an immediate red flag that screams, "I just want a link."

Instead, establish yourself as a writer looking for recurring work. Not a one-night stand, but a long-term relationship.

Don’t mention your website. Don’t ask how much they charge for a link. Nada. Make it about THEM and how you can help them.

Believe it or not, you’re actually helping editors and site owners by offering your writing on a frequent basis. Managing freelance writers and one-offs is an absolute nightmare. They are begging for people who can regularly contribute solid content to their site.

If a site is producing three to four articles per day, they're almost certainly in need of GOOD content writers. 

A prime example of this would be the website BarBend—a fitness website with a DR of 75 and monthly site traffic of 329.7K (according to ahrefs). 

Yes, it has evergreen content, but it also has a section dedicated to “News,” and that means daily writing and publishing.

Instead of asking for a guest post, ask for a column or contributor slot by saying you're a fitness writer looking to expand your online portfolio and would like to offer your services.

I’d say something along these lines: 

It’s these types of pitches that get us above 35% response rates:

Step #2: Ask for money

As you can see in the example above, I love offering the first article “pro bono” just to get my foot in the door. But free writing/work can be a red flag. 

Sometimes I’ll pitch myself as a technical writer with domain expertise on a specific topic and tell them I’m looking for 10–15 cents per word. 

That’s right, you can get paid to build links to your site! 

If I were trying to get a link on ahrefs, Semrush, etc., this is the strategy I would use. I would edit the email above to highlight my expertise a bit more and tell them directly in the email “I’m looking for 10–15 cents per word.”

Again, working for free is a red flag and asking for money outright is different from what other SEOs are doing. It’s a way to be taken seriously. 

Step #3: Prove your expertise

The key to landing contributor slots is demonstrating that you actually know what you're talking about.

Most people screw this up by trying to prove their expertise in a novel-length email that showcases everything they know.

Don't do this. Editors are busy people. They don't have time to read your 2,000-word email about why you're the world's foremost expert on dog food.

Instead, be concise and use specificity:

This is much better than:

This is also why I emphasize building out a personal website for your persona. You can’t put all your accomplishments in an email. But you can put them on your website. 

And editors will check your website before replying to you. They see your skills and experience and voilà—you build trust and they reply to your email.

Step #4: Follow up effectively

Most people either never follow up or send the dreaded "just checking in" email that immediately gets deleted. 

I always send three emails per contact at a website with this approach:

1. Wait 5–7 days after each email, for a total of three emails.

2. Send a SHORT follow-up with additional value.

3. Include a specific question that requires a response.

Example:

This works for three reasons:

• You add new value (not just "bumping" your previous email).

• You ask a specific question that's easy to answer.

• You demonstrate that you understand how content operations work.

That’s it!

That right there is how I’m able to land backlinks to my money pages on DR > 50 websites in my niche.

Now you’re probably thinking, “But Alex, I need links from new referring domains, not 100 links from the same domain” and you’d be right.

I’ll cover that in the next issue.

Your next steps

Reading articles and theory is cool, but you know what will actually move the needle for your business?

Action. Don't just read this.

Implement it or send it to a team member.

Here's what to do next:

1. Identify 5–10 high-quality sites in your niche that publish regular content.

2. Find the right editor's contact information for each site.

3. Craft a personalized pitch using the template above.

4. Send your pitches and follow up 5–7 days later.

5. For each positive response, deliver exceptional content that meets their standards while naturally including your link.