Off-page SEO
HARO (Help a Reporter Out)
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What is HARO (Help a Reporter Out)?
HARO, which stands for Help a Reporter Out, is a platform, launched in 2008, that connects journalists seeking expert sources with subject-matter experts willing to provide quotes and commentary. Journalists send out daily queries for sources they need for articles they are writing, and SEO professionals respond with relevant expertise in hopes of being quoted and earning a backlink from the publication.
When executed well, HARO participation can generate high-authority editorial backlinks from major media outlets and industry-specific publications. Cision rebranded HARO as Connectively in 2024 and shut it down in December 2024; Featured.com acquired the HARO brand and relaunched it in 2025, and similar services such as Qwoted and Featured operate on the same model. The key to success is responding quickly with highly relevant, expert-level insights — generic or off-topic responses are almost universally ignored by journalists.
Why it matters for SEO
Journalist-request services like HARO are one of the most scalable ways to earn editorial backlinks from authoritative news publications without direct outreach campaigns. A single successful placement in a major publication can deliver more ranking authority than dozens of lower-tier links, making it a high-ROI tactic when executed consistently.
Example
A registered dietitian subscribes to a journalist-request service such as HARO. A reporter posts a query asking for experts on meal prep for night-shift workers. The dietitian replies within the hour with two concise, quotable tips, her credentials and a link to her site. The reporter uses one quote, and the published article credits her by name with a link to her practice's website.
Go further with HARO (Help a Reporter Out)
Put the theory to work
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