Link building has always been the backbone of search engine optimization (SEO). Building links helps your website gain authority and rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). There are many strategies, but the best includes HARO Link Building, Link Earning, and Competitor Backlink Acquisition.
In this comparison from Agensify, we will break down three top link-building tactics. We will compare key features like backlink quality, implementation ease, and potential to drive organic traffic. This will help you decide which method best boosts your site’s authority and improves SEO performance.
HARO Link Building
How HARO Works
HARO (Help a Reporter Out), now Connectively, is a powerful tool that connects expert sources with journalists. When journalists need expert insights for their articles, they post HARO requests on the HARO platform. As an expert, you can use HARO to respond to these relevant queries with valuable insights and gain quality links in return.
Help a Reporter Out Challenges
HARO’s effectiveness comes with challenges:
- Responding quickly is crucial because journalists often choose the first relevant replies. Crafting a compelling pitch is tough, given the competition.
- Your HARO response must be concise, directly address the query, and showcase your expertise.
- The process is also time-consuming—reviewing daily emails, drafting responses, and following up can take hours each week.
- Maintaining relevance is the priority; irrelevant or off-topic pitches are easily ignored.
Success with HARO Link Building requires persistence, strong writing skills, and a strategic approach to each HARO account.
HARO Backlinks Quality
If a journalist features your HARO response, you gain a high-quality backlink from their website. These high-authority backlinks are from high-authority publications like The New York Times, Business Insider, and Wall Street Journal. These backlinks are highly valued by search engines and almost come at no cost beyond crafting compelling HARO pitches.
HARO Benefits
- High Domain Authority: HARO connects you with high domain authority websites, which helps boost your website’s ranking.
- Referral Traffic: HARO can drive significant referral traffic to your website, increasing engagement and potential conversions.
- Brand Awareness: Being featured in major publications helps build brand awareness and establishes your brand as a thought leader in your industry.
- Media Coverage: HARO provides media coverage opportunities, which can enhance your online presence and attract potential customers.
There’s always value in letting HARO Link Building Experts handle it—Make sure you get the most out of your link-building efforts.
How Link Earning Works
Link Earning is a link building strategy focused on creating high-quality, valuable content that naturally attracts backlinks. The idea is to produce content so insightful, informative, or entertaining that other websites find it worth linking to without any guest posting or HARO outreach.
Challenges in Link Earning
Link Earning comes with several challenges:
- Content Creation Costs: Producing standout content can be expensive, ranging from $200 to $800 per piece depending on the complexity and quality.
- Time-Consuming: It takes time to build authority and earn organic links, often requiring months of consistent effort.
- Lack of Control: You have less control over who links to your content, making it difficult to target specific domains or industries.
Earned Links Backlink Quality
Backlinks earned through Link Earning are from diverse, high-authority sources, with Domain Ratings between 50-90. These links are highly valued by search engines because they signify that your content is recognized as a credible resource. The monetary cost is high due to content creation, but if done properly, the long-term SEO benefits can outweigh the initial investment.
Competitor Backlink Acquisition Explained
How Competitor Backlink Acquisition Works
Competitor Backlink Acquisition involves analyzing where your competitors get their backlinks and targeting the same sources. By using tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz, you can identify high-authority sites that may also link to your content.
Challenges in Competitor Backlink Acquisition
Competitor Backlink Acquisition comes with many challenges:
- Tool Costs: Analyzing backlinks requires advanced tools like Ahrefs, costing between $99 to $399 per month. These tools are essential for uncovering competitors’ link-building tactics.
- Content Creation: To attract links, you may need to create high-quality content, which can be costly. Producing in-depth articles, guides, or unique resources that appeal to high-authority sites may require budgets ranging from $100 to $1,000 per piece.
- Incentives: Securing backlinks may sometimes involve offering incentives like guest posts or even monetary contributions. Some sites expect donations or sponsorships, which can add to the overall cost.
- Outreach Effort: Once you’ve identified potential sites, the outreach process is time-intensive. Crafting personalized emails (with a strong subject line), building relationships, and following up requires sustained effort and can take weeks or even months to yield results
Competitor Backlink Quality
Backlinks gained through this method are from domains with Domain Ratings between 40-80 and per your choice. These links are valuable as they come from sources already linked to your competitors, proving their relevance and authority in your niche. While the financial cost of tools is significant, the strategic advantage and quality of backlinks can be personal choice.
Comparing the Three Strategies: Pros, Cons, and Use Cases
When choosing between HARO Link Building, Link Earning, and Competitor Backlink Acquisition, it is very important to understand how each strategy aligns with your SEO goals.
HARO Link Building is powerful for securing high-quality backlinks from authoritative sources. It’s especially useful for businesses looking to quickly boost their site’s credibility and visibility.
The process is time-consuming, the rewards are substantial, making it a preferred method for many looking to build authority without direct costs
There’s always value in letting HARO Link Building Experts handle it—Make sure you get the most out of your link-building efforts.
Link Earning, on the other hand, focuses on creating exceptional content that naturally attracts backlinks over time. This method is highly effective for establishing long-term authority and generating organic links.
The challenges here include the significant investment in content creation—costs can range from $200 to $800 per piece—and the time it takes to see results. While it requires patience and consistent effort, the links earned are often more diverse and sustainable.
Competitor Backlink Acquisition. This strategy is strategic and allows you to replicate proven successes, but it requires advanced tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush, which can be expensive.
The outreach process is time-intensive and may involve costs related to content creation, incentives, or even donations.
Each strategy has its place depending on your resources and goals. If you are looking for quick wins with high authority websites and organic traffic that will not only boost the traffic but also increase your authority, visibility and credibility then HARO would be most suitable for your business.
