Many legal professionals may have heard of Help A Reporter Out (HARO) but do not fully understand its benefits for marketing. HARO allows attorneys to build their credibility, expand their outreach in the community, and add their thoughts to relevant legal topics. Many attorneys might think they do not have time to answer these questions, but the process is pretty straightforward. Combining HARO and your law firm‘s current marketing plan could yield plenty of benefits. Find out more about this option by scheduling a consultation with Law Quill.
What Is HARO?
HARO is short for “Help a Reporter Out.” This service is for those individuals who want to speak to industry leaders, like practicing attorneys. Once someone signs up for the service, they receive three daily emails. Freelance reporters and journalists make requests looking for someone to answer their questions for a piece in a magazine, newspaper, or online blog. Many queries list specific qualifications to ensure they receive an answer from the right professional.
There is no guarantee that legal queries will appear on the email for that day. However, patience is key with HARO. Once an individual understands the nuances of the services, it can be easy to respond to the latest queries as a representative of your law firm. Marketing takes many forms per the U.S. General Services Administration. Consider using HARO as part of your marketing plan to boost exposure for your law firm.
Understanding the Power of Backlinks
Before understanding how to use HARO, it is important to first understand the power of backlinks.
Backlinks are links that point from one website to another. They are also known as “inbound links” or “incoming links.” Backlinks are important for several reasons, but the most important is that they can have a significant impact on a website’s search engine rankings.
Search engines like Google use algorithms to determine the relevance and authority of websites. One of the factors that these algorithms consider is the number and quality of backlinks pointing to a website. The more high-quality backlinks a website has, the more likely it is to rank well in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Backlinks are essentially votes of confidence from other websites. When a website links to another website, it is essentially saying that it trusts and values the content on that website. This is why search engines consider backlinks to be an important indicator of a website’s relevance and authority.
However, not all backlinks are created equal. Some backlinks are more valuable than others. For example, a backlink from a well-respected and established website in your industry is more valuable than a backlink from a low-quality directory site. Additionally, backlinks that use relevant anchor text and are placed within the body of a page are more valuable than those that are placed in the footer or sidebar.
In summary, backlinks are an important factor in search engine rankings, and they can have a significant impact on a website’s visibility and traffic. However, it’s important to focus on building high-quality, relevant backlinks rather than simply acquiring as many backlinks as possible. A strong backlink profile can help your website establish authority and credibility in your industry, which can lead to more traffic, leads, and clients.
Good Backlinks Vs. Bad Backlinks
Good backlinks are those that come from high-quality, authoritative websites in your industry. These links are earned through the creation of high-quality content, outreach, and networking. Good backlinks are relevant to your website’s content and add value to the user experience.
Examples of good backlinks include links from:
- Reputable news websites
- Educational or government websites
- Influencers or experts in your industry
- High-authority websites in your industry
- Websites that are closely related to your niche or topic
On the other hand, bad backlinks are those that come from low-quality, spammy, or irrelevant websites. These links can harm your website’s search engine rankings and reputation.
Examples of bad backlinks include links from:
- Spammy directory sites
- Link farms or link exchange networks
- Low-quality guest post sites
- Websites with irrelevant content or topics
- Websites that engage in black-hat SEO tactics
It’s important to note that not all links from low-quality websites are bad. For example, a link from a low-authority website in your industry may still provide some value if it’s relevant and from a reputable source. However, in general, it’s best to focus on building a strong backlink profile with high-quality, relevant links rather than risking the potential harm of bad backlinks.
How Many Backlinks Should a Website Have?
There’s no set number of backlinks that a website should have. The number of backlinks a website needs depends on a variety of factors, including the website’s industry, competition, and the quality of its existing backlink profile.
In general, it’s better to focus on quality over quantity when it comes to backlinks. A few high-quality backlinks from reputable sources can be more valuable than many low-quality links from irrelevant websites.
Rather than focusing on a specific number of backlinks, it’s important to focus on building a strong, diverse backlink profile that includes a variety of relevant sources. This can include links from industry websites, social media platforms, guest blog posts, and more.
Additionally, it’s important to monitor your website’s backlink profile regularly to ensure that all links are relevant, high-quality, and free of spam or other harmful practices. If you notice any bad backlinks, you should take steps to remove them or disavow them using Google’s Disavow Tool.
Overall, building a strong backlink profile is a long-term process that requires consistent effort and attention. By focusing on quality over quantity and continually working to improve your backlink profile, you can help improve your website’s search engine rankings and drive more traffic to your site.
How Do Backlinks Help SEO?
Backlinks help SEO in several ways:
- Improve search engine rankings: Backlinks are one of the most important ranking factors in search engine algorithms. When a website has high-quality backlinks from authoritative sources, search engines consider it as a sign of the website’s authority, relevance, and trustworthiness. This, in turn, can improve the website’s search engine rankings and visibility.
- Increase website traffic: Backlinks from other websites can drive traffic to your website. When people click on a backlink to your website, they are directed to your site, which can increase your website’s traffic and potentially lead to new customers, leads, and sales.
- Boost brand authority and reputation: Backlinks from reputable sources can help establish your brand’s authority and reputation in your industry. When people see that your website is being linked to from other authoritative sources, they are more likely to view your brand as a credible and trustworthy source of information.
- Improve domain authority: Domain authority is a measure of the strength and trustworthiness of a website’s overall domain. Backlinks are a key factor in determining a website’s domain authority. When a website has high-quality backlinks from other authoritative sources, it can improve its domain authority and make it more likely to rank well in search engine results pages.
- Increase indexation and crawlability: When search engines crawl the web, they follow links to discover new pages and content. Backlinks can help search engines discover and index your website’s content more quickly and easily, which can improve your website’s crawlability and indexation.
In summary, backlinks are an important factor in SEO because they can improve search engine rankings, drive traffic to your website, boost brand authority and reputation, improve domain authority, and increase indexation and crawlability. By focusing on building a strong, diverse backlink profile, you can help improve your website’s search engine rankings and drive more traffic to your site.
HARO General Rules
Now that you understand the importance of backlinks, the next step is how to get them. While the basic concept of HARO is easy, there are some rules that everyone must follow. Subscribers receive daily emails, and they can respond from an anonymous email address. The responses cannot be spammy or off-topic from the query. You cannot include product or service pitches in the response. Plus, these answers are not to be used on the responder’s social media or other sites; they are the journalist’s property. All the answers must be complete. While you cannot include attachments, the responder can send a link with additional information.
Is HARO Beneficial for Lawyers?
Why take time to respond to questions from a reporter? Answering a question could lead to significant benefits. Find a fit for HARO and your law firm. If a reporter uses your response, they will backlink to your website, giving you credit for the quote. Backlinks are great for boosting your SEO. These responses allow your firm to build credibility with others. With a few quotes in an article, your practice can establish itself as a legal thought leader. Anyone, including potential clients, may view these answers. HARO may help expand your reach to grow your firm.
The legal community is large, but it can be tight knit in many regional areas. Answering a HARO request makes your firm more recognizable in the community. Plus, looking at these HARO requests enables you to see what others are thinking and talking about in the larger marketing scope, helping to improve your marketing. According to the American Marketing Association, multifaceted digital marketing plans can lead to significant commercial benefits for your business. Add HARO as another tool in your marketing strategy. Schedule a consultation with Law Quill to learn more about HARO.
Tips for Pitching To HARO
While it might be intimidating to pitch your responses, these tips can help make the process easier and more efficient for you. Keep in mind that HARO reporters receive hundreds of emails every day. Like any application, the reporter will choose those that stand out from the crowd.
Schedule Time To Respond and Be Quick
HARO sends emails three times throughout the day: 5.30 AM, 12:30 PM, and 5:30 PM (Eastern Standard Time). Since many other legal professionals are getting the same email, it is vital to be quick with a response. Try to send an email within the first half hour. After that, you will reduce your chances of a response from the journalist. Also, a few reporters set a hard deadline on responses, with some only a few hours after HARO sends out the emails.
HARO emails are not known for their short lengths. Often, these emails can contain over 70+ queries, meaning you might have to scroll to find a relevant request. Set aside 15 to 20 minutes per day to scan the email. To save a bit of time, use the search function to look for relevant words, such as “legal,” attorney,” or “law.” These emails are lengthy, and you need a system to scan for the most appropriate query.
Get To the Point
Reporters and journalists are busy, meaning they will not read a lengthy response. You must be upfront and direct with any email. Make sure to answer the question entirely. The most successful individuals keep their responses at 150 words or less. You should put a quotable reaction at the top of the response, making it the first point the reporter will see. After that, add a sentence or two about you and the law firm. Also, you want to send a response tailored to that specific query. Overly general or template responses will be ignored. You want to make yourself and the law firm a credible source. Requiring the reporter to contact you, link responses to articles, or request an interview is unprofessional. As the name implies, you are “helping out” a reporter. Make their job easier by following these basic response rules.
Use Memorable Quotes
Journalists refer to brief phrases or statements as “soundbites.” While a written article will not have sound, these phrases are used by journalists because they are so quotable, helping to put the most important information at the front and center of the article. If any query asks for a list of tips, always use three to five of them with a very brief explanation of each one.
Create a Media Kit
What is one reason to reply to HARO? You want to build a reputation in the legal community and with potential clients. Do not underestimate the importance of a media kit. These media kits work like a promotional package for your law firm. You can list your name, education level, awards, experiences, or anything that seems relevant. Media kits can come in the form of downloadable PDFs or clickable links.
Always include a professional headshot or photo. Some reporters may add small images to their pieces, and your photo could accompany your response. When you reach out to the journalist, always request a citation in the form of a backlink to your law firm’s website. You want to take every opportunity to gain some traffic to your practice’s pages.
Use a Pitch Template as an Outline
HARO is similar to pitching, meaning it is a numbers game. The more replies sent, the better chances of a response. Being quick is essential. Using a template can help you save a few minutes. You do not want to use the same answers for every query. Instead, the pitch template should include the basic elements needed for the response, such as a greeting, your biography, contact information, and social media/media kit information. In the middle of the template, you can customize that space to add your response to the reporter.
Keep these responses easier to read by using headlines, bulleted lists, and short paragraphs. Templated responses are never acceptable. They only guarantee that the reporter will not contact you. However, you can make a basic template to include all those basic details for the pitch.
Recycle Content
Keep in mind that journalists do not accept most HARO pitches. But you can reuse those responses for client tips, articles, blogs, short videos, and other types of content. HARO gives a brief glimpse into what others are discussing in the legal industry. Use this opportunity to address those concerns, even if it is just on your law firm’s website. You might not get a HARO response, but you can establish yourself as a leader and build authority within the local legal community.
How Law Quill Can Help
Can HARO and your law firm work together? You can gain exposure for your practice by answering a few easy questions.
However, if you are interested in developing a strong and comprehensive backlink strategy, then it’s time to consider hiring a digital marketing agency that understands the power of backlinks, and the law.
Law Quill is here to help and would welcome the opportunity to visit with you for free regarding your law firm website’s SEO strategy and backlinks. Schedule a free visit with us by scheduling a quick phone or zoom call at your convenience on our calendar today. You can also email us at support@lawquill.com.
