Aug 09, 2024
Casey Bjorkdahl is one of the pioneering thought leaders in the SEO community. In 2010, Casey co-founded Vazoola after working for a Digital Marketing Agency for five years in New York City. Vazoola is now one of the fastest growing and most widely recognized SEO marketing firms in the country.
What’s email outreach? Why does it matter to your link building efforts?
Mastering the art of outreach can transform your SEO strategy and boost your site's authority.
It’s no secret that link building has a huge impact on your website’s SEO. After all, it boosts search rankings and increases traffic.
There are a few different ways to obtain backlinks, but effective outreach is key to success. Fortunately, there are tips and tricks to elevate your outreach success ratio.
With over 50 years of combined email outreach among our team, you can imagine that we’ve written more than a few emails. We’ve compiled our list of best practices for writing link outreach emails, along with example templates that you can borrow.
Key Takeaways:
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Learn how to write effective link building outreach emails and how to ask for backlinks
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Discover key elements of successful outreach.
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Explore best practices and tools for link building campaigns.
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Access example templates to kickstart your outreach efforts.
Table of Contents:
9 Tips for Conducting Effective Outreach
Our experience at Vazoola has shown outreach is a necessary element of an effective link building strategy.
For example, when you reach out to website owners, you can inform them of broken links on their sites. Then you can propose your content as a replacement.
Likewise, outreach can mean pitching guest posts, asking for mentions, or requesting links to high-quality content you’ve created.
Are you ready to maximize your link building outreach results? Remember the following email outreach tips:
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Focus on value: You're not just pointing out a problem. You're offering a solution. Highlight how your content can enhance their site.
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Personalize your emails: A Backlinko survey showed personalized emails have a 32% better response rate than generic ones.
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Identify the right person to contact: Use platforms like LinkedIn and X, formerly known as Twitter. You also can check out a website's “About Us” or “Contact Us” pages. Finding the correct contact person ups the chance your email will be read and acted upon.
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Research your targets: Before sending emails, research potential link targets. That way you can make sure they are relevant and authoritative. Tools like Moz or Ahrefs can help you determine potential link partners’ domain authority and relevance.
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Build relationships: Establish rapport before making a request. Engage your targets on social media, comment on their blog posts, and share their content to build goodwill.
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Convey Friendliness: A friendly tone can make a similar difference. It leaves a positive impression and fosters future collaboration.
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Use Tools for Large-scale Link Outreach: Automation tools like Buzzstream, Respona, and SEMrush can streamline your outreach process. That way, it’s more efficient and effective.
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Be Concise and Clear: Busy professionals value straightforward communication that respects their time. Make sure your emails quickly get to the point and include all necessary details.
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Include Contact Information: When you use a website's contact form for outreach, always include an alternative way to reach you. For example, provide your email address.
Pro Tips:
Leverage reverse image search tools like Google Images or TinEye to find websites using your images without proper attribution. Reach out to these sites and request a link exchange for continued use of the image.
How to Write an Outreach Email: 5 Elements of Link Building Emails
Effective outreach emails are made up of a few key elements. In our experience, each part helps capture the recipient's attention and encourages a response.
Subject Line
Your outreach email subject line is your first impression. Make it compelling and relevant to the recipient. Avoid generic phrases. Instead, use specific language that hints at your value. For example, "Enhance Your SEO with This High-Quality Resource," is more appealing than, "Link Exchange Request."
From Address
Use a friendly and professional “from” address. Avoid impersonal addresses like "noreply@yourdomain.com." Personalization starts with your email address. An email from a real person is more likely to be opened and read.
Greeting
Personalize your greeting. Address the recipient by name and mention something specific about their website or content. You’ll show you’ve done your homework and aren’t sending a mass email. For instance, "Hi John, I loved your recent article on SEO trends."
Body
The body of your email should be concise and to the point. Explain why you’re reaching out and how you can provide value. Mention the specific link or content you’re referring to. Also include the way your content complements or enhances the target.
Highlight the benefits of linking to your content. For example it might offer additional information or a different perspective.
Include data or statistics to back up your claims. For instance, "Studies show websites with diverse link profiles rank higher in search results. Our article on link building strategies offers insights that your readers will find valuable."
Call to Action
End with a clear call to action. Are you asking for a link, a collaboration, or feedback? Make your request clear and straightforward. For example, "Would you be interested in linking to our article as a resource for your readers?"
Pro Tips:
Incorporate unique data or case studies into your outreach emails. Highlight how your exclusive data can provide added value to their content. That enhances its credibility and appeal to their audience.
6 Tools for Email Outreach Campaigns
For large-scale outreach campaigns, consider using automation tools.
Platforms like SEMrush streamline the outreach process by letting you send personalized emails at scale.
The following tools help manage your contacts and track responses, thus saving time and increasing efficiency:
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Buzzstream: The platform helps you manage relationships and outreach efforts effectively.
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Respona: Respona combines PR and SEO outreach with an intuitive interface.
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Hunter.io: This tool finds and verifies email addresses for outreach.
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Mailshake: The Mailshake resource automates email outreach with customizable templates.
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NinjaOutreach: The platform is a comprehensive influencer marketing and outreach tool.
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Pitchbox: Pitchbox streamlines the entire outreach process with automation features.
Pro Tips:
Identify high-performing content in your niche. Then create an even better version—more comprehensive, updated, or visually appealing. Use the superior content as a hook in your outreach emails. You’ll demonstrate how linking to your resource benefits their audience.
3 Link Building Email Outreach Templates You Can Steal From Us
Are you ready to launch an email outreach campaign? Perhaps you’re still unsure how to structure your message or what to say?
Check out a few outreach email example templates that our Vazoola team has created. While you’re at it, feel free to steal a template and make it your own!
What’s the best broken link building email template? It depends on the situation…
Outreach Email Template 1: Valuable Resource Link Request Template
Subject Line: Enhance Your Content with Our Comprehensive Guide
From: [Your Name] your.email@domain.com
Greeting: Hi [Recipient’s Name],
Body: I hope this message finds you well. I recently came across your article on [Topic] and found it incredibly informative. The section on [specific point] was particularly insightful.
I wanted to share a resource we’ve developed that complements your article perfectly. Our guide on [Related Topic] dives deeper into [specific aspect], offering detailed strategies and actionable advice. I believe it would be a valuable addition to your readers.
Call to Action: Would you consider adding a link to our guide in your article? Here’s the link for your reference: [URL].
Thank you for considering this request. I’m confident it will provide added value to your excellent content.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Position]
[Your Website]
Outreach Template 2: Best Broken Link Building Email Template
Subject Line: Found a Broken Link on Your Site – Here’s a Replacement
From: [Your Name] your.email@domain.com
Greeting: Hi [Recipient’s Name],
Body: I was browsing through your website and noticed a broken link in your article on [Article Title]. The link to [broken link URL] no longer works.
I recently published a similar resource on [Related Topic] that could serve as an excellent replacement. Our content covers [specific aspect] in detail and would be beneficial to your readers.
Call to Action: Would you be open to linking to our resource instead? Here’s the link for your convenience: [URL].
I appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to hearing from you.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Position]
[Your Website]
Outreach Template 3: Effective Guest Post Contribution Email Template
Subject Line: Guest Post Opportunity: [Topic Idea]
From: [Your Name] your.email@domain.com
Greeting: Hi [Recipient’s Name],
Body: I’ve been an avid reader of your blog for some time and greatly appreciate the insights you provide on [Specific Topic]. Your recent post on [Article Title] inspired me to reach out.
I specialize in [Your Expertise] and would love to contribute a guest post to your blog. Here are a few topic ideas that I think would resonate with your audience:
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[Topic Idea 1]
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[Topic Idea 2]
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[Topic Idea 3]
Each topic is crafted to provide valuable insights and actionable tips for your readers, similar to your existing content.
Call to Action: Would you be interested in featuring one of these posts on your blog? I can have the article ready for review within a week.
Thank you for considering my proposal. I’m excited about the possibility of collaborating with you.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Position]
[Your Website]
5 More Best Practices for Link Building Outreach Emails
Implementing even more best practices helps make sure your outreach efforts yield the desired results. We recommend some additional strategies to enhance your outreach:
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Follow Up Strategically: If you don’t receive a response within a week, send a polite follow-up email. Persistence often pays off in outreach. However, avoid being too pushy. A couple of follow-ups are usually sufficient.
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Monitor Your Success: Use tools like Google Analytics to track the performance of your outreach campaigns. Analyze which emails and strategies generate the most responses. Then refine your approach accordingly.
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Test Different Approaches: Experiment with different email templates, subject lines, and outreach strategies. That way, you can see what works best for your audience. A/B testing can help you identify the most effective tactics.
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Leverage Social Proof: Mention any notable websites or influencers that have linked to your content. The references can add credibility and encourage others to link to you.
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Offer Something in Return: Reciprocity can be a powerful motivator. Offer to share their content on your social media channels or mention them in your blog posts.
Pro Tips:
Regularly scan authoritative sites for broken links related to your industry using tools like Ahrefs or Screaming Frog. Notify the site owner about the broken link. Then suggest your relevant content as a replacement. It’s a win-win situation.
Boost Your SEO With Effective Email Outreach Examples
Link building through effective outreach emails is a powerful strategy that elevates your site's SEO.
By focusing on value, personalization, and persistence, you can improve your link-building efforts. Remember, successful outreach is about building relationships and providing value to the recipients.
Mastering the art of outreach takes time and practice. Still, the rewards are worth the effort.
By consistently applying the strategies we’ve suggested, you can build a powerful and robust network of high-quality backlinks. The collection is sure to boost your site's authority and drive organic traffic.
Pro Tips:
Collaborate with influencers in your industry to create and share content. Use their platforms to reach a wider audience and gain high-quality backlinks from authoritative sites that follow their content.