The simple, yet potent, service is used by over 800,000 users, staking its claim as one of the best ways to connect with journalists, publicize your company, and bolster the domain rating of your website.
But with such a distinct array of queries to choose from, along with endless publications to sift through, it can feel a little overwhelming to determine where it’s best to spend your time.
To make your life just a little bit easier, we’ve compiled a list of our top 10 publications for HARO pitching, (along with opportunity examples!) and why they’re so effective as part of your outreach strategy:
1. Business Insider
To start things off, we have Business Insider. It’s an American finance and business news website boasting a Domain Rating of 92 and organic traffic of 23.6 million a month according to Ahrefs.
The overarching theme of business notwithstanding, there are plenty of pitching opportunities for people with unique and personal insights to share. Here’s an example of a pitch you might be a great fit for regardless of your positional seniority, business acumen, or net worth:
Who would have thought that a trip to Paris could land you on Business Insider?
Sometimes, it’s really that easy. But regardless of how great a fit you might be, it’s important to first delve into the readership analytics of Business Insider before you get to pitching. That way, you’ll know exactly what kind of referral traffic to expect if you do land a placement.
SimilarWeb statistics show that 61.35% of all traffic comes from the United States, with Canada and the United Kingdom trailing behind at 5.42% and 5.26% respectively. In addition, while most online news outlets in the same space attract an older readership, the average Business Insider reader is in their mid-to-high 30s according to CEO Henry Blodget. Blodget also specifies that the publication targets the “next generation of leaders — the digital generation” by design, with almost half of all readership coming from internet enabled mobile devices like tablets and smartphones.
So, what does all of this mean for you?
Well, if your target demographic falls within these boundaries, Business Insider could be a great fit as part of your HARO outreach strategy. Keep an eye out for their queries, and do your best to craft a winning pitch using our PR outreach tips.
2. Healthline
Let’s cut to the chase: Healthline is a top tier American publication that covers all facets of physical, mental, and emotional health and wellness.
Their latest stories cover a lot of ground, ranging from frequently asked questions regarding the COVID vaccine all the way to practicing self care as a parent. As of 2019, a staggering 200 million people read from the Healthline community every month, but what exactly are they searching for?
As one might expect, readers browse Healthline to better understand a health condition, diagnosis, or medication. This means that medical consultants, doctors, nurses and physicians are always in high demand for their expert insights. Here’s an example of a query you might be a great fit for:
This is yet another great opportunity to get placed on a high authority website, but there are considerably tighter specifications. Healthline’s Medical Affairs team is committed to fact-checking contributions to ensure that published information is accurate, evidence-based, and trustworthy, so the average layman need not apply.
However, if you’re a licensed medical expert or have relevant credentials in the industry, then this publication could be a great fit as part of your outreach rotation. Just make sure that your pitch is fully researched before you hit send. We’ve noticed that this publication is an easy to land/high reward opportunity, if you have the right fit in terms of credentials.
3. HuffPost
If you’re looking to capture leads from a whole host of cultures, occupations, and backgrounds, then look no further than HuffPost.
The site caters to media in all forms: politics, business, entertainment, tech, culture, and satire. But is it an effective strategy to pitch a publication without any sort of theme or focus?
It may well be. There aren’t too many ultra-high Domain Rating (DR) publications using HARO – let alone ones with such diversity in their content.
As a HARO user, this kind of publication presents a unique traffic-building opportunity for you. If you’re open minded about the kind of HuffPost queries you pitch for, you might land multiple same-domain backlinks. But in this unique instance, you’re likely to attract completely new people every time. If you’re a new business owner, this alone might give you the momentum you need to get things moving.
With organic traffic sitting comfortably at around 9.4 million a month according to Ahrefs, a backlink on HuffPost can generate repeat exposure to your company and help you capture those repeat readers. But do keep in mind: according to SimilarWeb, HuffPost overwhelmingly caters to an American audience. Healthline’s traffic sources:
- 81.37% from the United States;
- 3.65% from Canada;
- 1.18% from the United Kingdom.
If your goal is to put yourself in front of an international audience, get wise to the figures before you go all-in. That way, there are no unwelcome surprises and you’ll know exactly what to expect if you do land a high-quality placement. Overall one of the best “bang for your buck”, actually attainable, ultra-high Domain Rating publications that ACTUALLY gives dofollow links regularly.
4. Realtor
The next big player is Realtor, a well-established real estate listings website founded in 1995.
The primary purpose of the site is to list and search properties available for buying, renting, and selling. However, the real estate news section also offers everything you need to know about the industry: from commentary on soaring house prices to the implications of a resurgent economy.
But with so many competitors in the same space, what gives Realtor the edge when it comes to maximizing your time spent on outreach?
Realtor is a particularly impressive addition to your backlink resume because of its global ranking. It takes the top spot as the number one most visited real estate website as of 2021, and SimilarWeb places the site at #143 in terms of worldwide traffic. Ahrefs also reports 21.9 million in organic traffic month by month. However impressive these numbers look, it’s important to note that traffic figures may fluctuate based on the Housing Market Recovery Index. Frequent surges in traffic also coincide with house price increases, as prospective homeowners begin to browse the market.
But what does this mean for you?
Well, it could be a smart strategy to ramp up your pitching in periods of high housing demand, supply, and online search activity. If you’re a realtor, designer, or have other forms of experience in real estate, this creates a golden opportunity for you to get featured on one of the most authoritative websites in the industry with very little time commitment.
5. Buzzfeed
This list wouldn’t be complete without Buzzfeed, an internet media, news, and entertainment publication based in New York City.
Buzzfeed is without a doubt one of the most popular websites in the world, with figures from February 2020 suggesting that over 64 million unique visitors are browsing every month. This has since risen by over 41% year over year during the pandemic, cementing Buzzfeed as one of the best opportunities for expert sources to land a DR91 dofollow backlink.
But what separates this publication from the others on this list?
Aside from sheer visibility and virality, the answer is simple: Buzzfeed articles are written at a 4th grade reading level.
In fact, most articles on the publication last no longer than 150 words. This might sound excessively short, and even a little counterintuitive in terms of page ranking and search engine optimization.
However, Buzzfeed looks to target a diverse audience of people of all backgrounds and ages. Making sure that articles are accessible and easy to read is a necessary step in achieving that. The idea is to quickly digest one article and promptly move onto the next. What this means for you as an expert source is that the content within your pitch should reflect these site-wide customs.
To reiterate on this point, understanding the publication you’re pitching for is crucial. Sending over paragraphs of complicated analysis might work well on business or finance-focused websites, but is largely a waste of your time on Buzzfeed. Instead, sending a short, snappy pitch with no more than two or three sentences is much more likely to result in success.
To that end, the nature of the Buzzfeed queries that end up on HARO usually follow suit. Most have low barriers to entry and require little to no in-depth commentary, such as the one below:
Fortunately, these pitches take very little time for you to write, and don’t require much subject matter expertise (sometimes, none at all). If your target audience is a little more general, pitching this publication is definitely worth the effort.
6. Forbes
To nobody’s surprise, next up is Forbes: The premier HARO publication for those who don’t mind a solid Nofollow link.
Forbes is a household name, and one of the most well respected publications on this list. It features articles on topics such as investing, marketing, and finance, but contributors also foray into science, politics, and law when appropriate. That means that you can expect an assortment of diverse opportunities to pitch, from more predictable exposition on “Stock Market Sectors” to something a little more out there, like “Pool Maintenance Tips”.
Landing a linked mention would be worth its weight in gold regardless of nofollow status, and the reason is simple: Forbes is a rapid fire credibility builder. Through the lens of the consumer, if you’re featured on a credible source, you become a credible source. This fosters trust, and gives people the confidence they need to do business with you.
Forbes has historically claimed to be the “Home Page for the World’s Business Leaders”. It’s reasonable to expect that a placement would gain the interest of C-suite executives, decision makers, and high net-worth investors.
It’s somewhat difficult to reach this market through more traditional methods of advertising, so making yourself known on a well-respected media outlet is one of the best ways to grab their attention. In doing so, you position yourself to make new connections and build valuable partnerships, both of which may lead to exciting long-term opportunities.
If your goal is to become a speaker at conferences and business events, for example, this is the best place to start in moving the needle.
In terms of traffic, the entire Forbes enterprise reaches approximately 26 million people every single month across all platforms. This includes every facet of online media, on social, through video and print, and even during virtual events. With editions produced in 27 countries and regions worldwide, Forbes truly left no stone unturned in offering accessibility to all.
These factors combined, Forbes makes a great addition to your outreach efforts. Landing a single placement sends a signal to readers that you’re doing something right, reinforcing your reputation and cultivating new levels of brand awareness.
7. Business News Daily
Launched in 2010, Business News Daily is a publication designed to help readers grow their business, become better leaders, and advance their careers.
As one might expect, their target audience primarily consists of entrepreneurs and small business decision makers. Boasting approximately 2 million monthly visitors, landing a placement on Business News Daily is a great way to get in front of changemakers in your industry rather than an audience with no particular focus.
It’s also worth mentioning that this publication is truly a HARO mainstay. Given their wide coverage over business in general, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to pitch them virtually every single week. So if your first couple pitches are unsuccessful, there’s nothing stopping you from trying again.
Quick note: This is not always the case: certain high DR publications use HARO sparingly, and if you miss your window of opportunity, another might not come around any time soon.
Pitching Business News Daily is also beneficial for those looking to generate interest from outside of the United States. Some publications on this list boast an almost entirely American readership, which can be advantageous if it aligns with your business goals.
However, Business News Daily has the edge in terms of audience diversity, with India, the United Kingdom, Canada, and even the Philippines being some of the most frequently visiting countries according to SimilarWeb.
8. The Wall Street Journal
Second only to Forbes in terms of landing a high value Nofollow link with relative ease, and founded as early as 1889, The Wall Street Journal is an American publication primarily concerned with business and financial news.
It’s also one of the largest newspapers across the United States, with circulation exceeding 2.834 million copies per day. With that said, we’re here for the best publications to pitch on HARO, and this one certainly does not disappoint.
According to SEMRush, The Wall Street Journal exceeds 30.5 million in organic search traffic every month, competing against similar sites like Bloomberg and NY Times. The publication has excellent readership spanning across the United States, which spans into digital territory as well. SimilarWeb cites American traffic figures as high as 77.55%, with Canada trailing in second place at just 2.51%. Their impressive grip over the American market could be make or break depending on your target market. Regardless, securing a backlink on The Wall Street Journal would be a huge win for your brand’s reputation.
Note: If nothing else, this is one of the most well respected, well read financial publications on HARO.
An article involving your insights may lead to multiple new clients and even interview requests from separate publications. In some cases, you might even be able to establish a working relationship with the journalist in question, which can increase your chances of landing more WSJ placements in the future. This is important to consider before counting a publication out based on audience geographics.
One simple email takes ten minutes of your time, and could pay dividends in free publicity.
9. Bustle
The next on the list is Bustle, another frequent flyer on the HARO newsletter, and perhaps one of the best publications for lifestyle/wellness HARO contributors looking for a Dofollow link.
Unlike others listed above, this American magazine claims to be the “premier digital destination for young women”. It comes as no surprise that while Bustle covers news and politics, it goes much deeper into beauty, wellness, celebrities, and fashion trends.
If you’re tired of the business-heavy publications submitting queries outside of your niche, Bustle might be the bastion of hope you’re looking for.
To be straight forward: There aren’t so many publications that focus on a female audience on HARO.
According to Ahrefs, this one draws in 4.2 million in monthly organic search traffic, with most of their readership believed to come from women between the ages of 18 and 35. Overall, at a high-climbing DR 89, a feature on Bustle can make a world of difference in reaching the right audience for your company. The magazine was founded as recently as 2013, making their rapid traction all the more impressive.
Take a look below to get a feel for what kind of Bustle queries make it onto HARO:
The great thing about queries like this is that they’re fairly accessible. Anybody with expertise is encouraged to share their input. Take ‘relationship advice’: with such a wide subject matter, you have a lot of freedom. This means that your pitch is likely to be anchored around ideas unlike any other expert source pitching this query on HARO. Your creativity and originality heightens your chance of landing a placement.
On hyper-specific queries, this can be a lot more difficult to pull off. In circumstances where your pitch may end up looking similar to others, your credentials give you the edge. Keep this in mind when formulating a pitching strategy.
Rather than spending all your time hitting those objective, less imaginative queries, consider looking out for the ones that celebrate creativity. When you focus on pitching the ones that cast a wider net in terms of ideas, advice, and unique perspectives, you’re a lot more likely to land super meaningful placements and make the most of your valuable time.
10. The New York Times
The New York Times was founded in 1851 and has since become one of the most popular news websites in the United States.
As such, the NYT routinely achieves over 70 million unique visitors every month according to Statista, toppling many others on this list. With a sky high DR of 94, and ridiculously high monthly traffic, you can’t ask for much more.
Given its ubiquity, massive readership, and critical acclaim, The New York Times is widely regarded as an “newspaper of record”. In other words, it’s considered to be an authoritative and reliable source, which extends to you if you’re fortunate enough to land a placement.
It’s fair to assume that this authority may translate to difficulty when it comes to pitching. However, The New York Times is on this list for a reason. Combining high authority with accessibility, NYT journalists using HARO tend to request personal anecdotes and human interest stories rather than grandiose expert commentary.
Queries that focus on personal experiences are always a treat. You don’t need to conduct any research or worry about overlapping with another expert source – you just need to tell a captivating story. This means that your pitch will be entirely unique to you.
For those that may not have star studded credentials or a C-suite title, this is a refreshing change of pace. Using HARO may feel like an uphill battle at times, but landing a DR90+ placement and getting your insights included is made possible thanks to publications (and journalists!) like this.
In Summary
While a placement on any number of these publications can fortify your credibility, strengthen your brand presence, and raise your domain authority, having a proper outreach strategy makes all the difference.
The 10 listed above are some of the most authoritative, well known websites you can snag on HARO. They are all attainable, but can be some of the hardest if you don’t know how to approach them or are pitching from the wrong figurehead/website.
For this reason, hitting a wide range of different publications is the most reliable approach in terms of landing consistent placements and maximizing your long-term success using HARO.
To that end, make sure you understand the specifications and writing style of the publication you’re pitching for. It’s not a ‘one size fits all’: your Buzzfeed pitch won’t look anything like your Forbes pitch, so be sure to approach them differently. If you’re not sure, consider taking a look at the journalist’s existing articles to get a feel for their writing style, and keep it in mind when you start writing.
One last note: make sure not to let lower DR queries pass you by – especially if you’re a perfect fit. Pursuing a diverse backlink profile helps you rank higher, and consistent links are always better than no links at all. Of course, we can all agree that DR85+ publications do look the most appealing. After all, this list is full of them. They lead to higher levels of projected referral traffic, bringing in a healthy flow of new leads and business opportunities.
The best play is also the most simple: keep it consistent over time and pursue a wide range of different publications as part of your long-term link building approach. If you’re not quite sure how to proceed or don’t have the time to do it yourself, just call the experts to manage your journalist outreach.
