Start with sites that already rank for your topics
Before you write a single email, build a list of publishers that show up for keywords adjacent to your offer. Relevance beats raw DR when your goal is qualified referral traffic.
Use prospect filters for category, country, and traffic band. Skip domains with thin content or obvious link schemes — they waste budget and create risk.
Write pitches that sound like a human read the site
Reference a recent article. Suggest one angle, not five. Keep the ask clear: guest post, expert quote, or data contribution.
Short sentences help. Busy editors skim. If your first line could apply to any blog, rewrite it.
Track outcomes, not just sends
Measure reply rate, placement rate, and indexed URLs. Tie each placement to a landing page or campaign so you can defend spend next quarter.
