If done right, you’ll find a list of good websites to get backlinks from. But if you reach out to the wrong ones, you will end up building links from irrelevant sources, which may seriously hurt your SEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In short, you should focus on the right websites from the start for a more strategic and effective link building campaign and results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why is Link Prospecting Important?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Here’s why link prospecting is important:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Boost Your Rankings with Relevant Backlinks<\/strong> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
When you get relevant backlinks, you improve your website\u2019s rankings in search results. This means more visibility for the website, which brings a regular flow of visitors from search engines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As more people come across your website through search engines, you have a better chance of reaching more people and growing your audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Grow Trust and Authority <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Backlinks from trusted and reputable sources signal to search engines and users that your website is a trustworthy and credible source of information\u2024 Plus, it boosts your reputation and allows you to establish yourself as an authority in your industry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Drive Referral Traffic<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
In addition to improving your search rankings, backlinks from relevant sources also drive referral traffic. When visitors click on a link from another website to yours, you gain new visitors who might not have discovered your website otherwise, pretty nice, yes?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In fact, these visitors can turn into loyal followers or even customers, giving you a significant increase in both traffic and conversions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Build Valuable Relationships and Open Networking Opportunities<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s also about creating meaningful connections within your industry. By reaching out to website owners, you can build long-term relationships and strong partnerships. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
These connections can help expand your network and open up new link building opportunities that will positively impact your website\u2019s SEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now that you know why link prospecting matters, it is time to jump into the main steps of finding relevant websites for backlinks<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s start!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How We Do Link Prospecting in 7 Easy Steps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Before you start reaching out, you need a reliable plan, and that\u2019s where a solid link prospecting strategy is needed, helping you save time and stay focused throughout the campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ve simplified it for you\u2014here\u2019s how it works, step by step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step 1: Use Ahrefs to Find the Right Link Opportunities<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The first thing we do\u2014always turn to Ahrefs, one of our favorite link building tools<\/a>. We begin by using the “Content Explorer” <\/em>to search for content that fits our client\u2019s goals. But here’s the key\u2014we don\u2019t just type in a few keywords and hope for the best. We get really specific with our searches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We use a custom prompt: inurl:\/blog inurl:https:\/\/ “target keyword 1” OR “target keyword 2” OR “target keyword 3”<\/em> to make sure we\u2019re only getting the most relevant results, like in the example below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Ahrefs](\"https:\/\/saynine.ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/screen-shots-18.04.25-333-13-1920x1021.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nNext, we apply a set of filters to narrow down our search. We look for pages with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- DR of 50+<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- At least 1,000 visitors a month<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Why? Because these websites have strong credibility and get consistent traffic, just what we\u2019re looking for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We also make sure the content is at least 500 words long to ensure it’s a blog page and not a service page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step 2: Clean Up Domain Data<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Now that we\u2019ve gathered some data, the next step is to clean things up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This step is important because we want to make sure we\u2019re working with the most valuable domains. We take the information we\u2019ve collected and organize it into a clear, well-structured list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Next, we apply filters to this data based on the data we already have. This helps us refine our list and remove any domains we don\u2019t want to reach out to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some domains are marked as \u201cno list data\u201d<\/em>\u2014these are websites we\u2019ve already decided not to target for various reasons. For example, we might avoid targeting competitors or websites from niche websites we don’t build backlinks from (e.g., gaming). So, by filtering out these domains, we ensure that our outreach efforts are focused on the right targets and are aligned with effective link prospecting strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step 3: Identify the Right Websites<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
For this step, we get a little techy with the help of a bot our development team created just for us. This bot is so helpful in the process. We use it to quickly find keywords that align perfectly with what we\u2019re targeting. These keywords later help us identify relevant websites that meet our link building needs and goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Good ones: <\/strong>Keywords like software, platform, or solution. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Bad ones:<\/strong> Keywords like beauty, sport, health, or news that don\u2019t match our target niche.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Once it\u2019s done, the bot organizes the websites into two different groups:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Websites that are \u201cOK\u201d for us:<\/strong> These are the websites that meet all the right requirements, including relevancy and metrics.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Websites that are not \u201cOK\u201d for us:<\/strong> These are the ones that don\u2019t fit our criteria or aren’t a good fit for outreach.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/saynine.ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Screen-22.04.25-95-1920x935.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSo, with the help of link prospecting tools, we make sure we\u2019re only reaching out to the right websites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step 4: Classify Websites by Niche<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Once we\u2019ve cleaned up our list, it\u2019s time to bring in our handy helper\u2014for this, we\u2019ve built our GPT-powered bot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this step, we use the bot to go through the list of websites we\u2019ve already cleaned up. It helps us figure out the type of website (whether it’s SaaS or not), as well as the niche, including software development<\/a>, email marketing, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/saynine.ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/screen-shots-18.04.25-333-14-1-1920x1347.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nStep 5: Find the Right People On LinkedIn <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Now that we\u2019ve filtered our list and know exactly which websites we want to reach out to, it\u2019s time to find their LinkedIn pages. This step helps us understand more about the company\u2014what they do, how big they are, and sometimes even who\u2019s on their team. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We collect the LinkedIn company URLs for each website so that later, when we\u2019re doing outreach, we can personalize them even more. Once we have the company\u2019s LinkedIn page, we search for the people who are most likely to care about our outreach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019re talking about positions like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Link builder<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- SEO Specialist<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- SEO lead<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Content Marketing Manager<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Digital Content Editor<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Digital Marketer<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Marketing Specialist<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
These are the people who understand the value of good links and are essential when looking to find high-value backlink opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After identifying them, you can use an email permutator tool to figure out their possible email addresses.
It takes their name and company domain and gives us different combinations that might be their real email. Once you\u2019ve verified these addresses, you can use an SPF generator<\/a> to improve your email deliverability and bypass spam filters during email campaigns.<\/p>\n\n\n\nStep 6: Send Emails <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Outreach templates<\/a> are a great starting point, but real results come from personalization. So, now that we have the right people and their emails, it\u2019s time to send the outreach!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s our approach:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Make it personal<\/em><\/strong>: We don\u2019t send the same message to everyone. We check out their website or blog, learn about what they care about, and mention that in the email. Using their name and showing real interest goes a long way.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Add a CTA<\/em><\/strong>:<\/strong> Ending your email with a strong call to action will encourage your link prospects to take the desired action.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Follow-up message<\/em><\/strong>:<\/em> If they don\u2019t respond, we give it a few days and then send a friendly follow-up. Sometimes that second email does the trick!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"An](\"https:\/\/saynine.ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/screen-shots-18.04.25-333-16-1920x990.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAs you can see in this screenshot, one of our link builders keeps it personal and friendly\u2014just the kind of outreach that gets real replies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Add a CTA<\/em><\/strong>:<\/strong> Ending your email with a strong call to action will encourage your link prospects to take the desired action.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Make it personal<\/em><\/strong>: We don\u2019t send the same message to everyone. We check out their website or blog, learn about what they care about, and mention that in the email. Using their name and showing real interest goes a long way.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Websites that are not \u201cOK\u201d for us:<\/strong> These are the ones that don\u2019t fit our criteria or aren’t a good fit for outreach.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- Bad ones:<\/strong> Keywords like beauty, sport, health, or news that don\u2019t match our target niche.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- At least 1,000 visitors a month<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- DR of 50+<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Build Valuable Relationships and Open Networking Opportunities<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Drive Referral Traffic<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Grow Trust and Authority <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n