Link prospecting: how to build a list worth pitching
Prospecting is the qualifying stage of link building. Done well it removes most of the work later, because you only write to people who have a reason to reply.
What is link prospecting?
Link prospecting is finding specific pages that could reasonably link to yours, then qualifying each one on relevance, quality and reachability before anyone writes an email.
The unit of prospecting is a page, not a domain. A publication may be a perfect fit overall and still have no page where your link would make sense.
Step one: define what you are actually pitching
Write down the destination page, who it helps, and the one sentence an editor would use to describe it. If that sentence is vague, the prospect list will be vague too. This is the same profile LinkRobin builds automatically when it analyses your site.
Step two: find candidate pages
- Topic plus page type: roundups, resource lists, guides and glossaries within your subject.
- Pages that already mention your brand, product or founders without linking.
- Pages that cite a source which no longer resolves.
- Publications that accept contributions and cover your subject regularly.
- Sites that link out to peers in your space, found through competitor backlink data.
Step three: qualify each candidate
Score relevance first, because nothing else rescues a page that has no topical connection. Then look at whether the site publishes for readers, whether the page is maintained, and whether a specific person is reachable. Record the reason for each judgement so the decision can be reviewed later.
Disqualifiers
- The site sells placements, or advertises guaranteed links.
- Outbound links dominate the content.
- The page has not been updated in years and has no visible owner.
- No named contact anywhere, only a generic form.
- The topic overlap only exists if you squint.
Frequently asked questions
How many prospects do you need?
Fewer than most lists contain. A short list of pages that genuinely relate to your topic converts better than a large list of loosely related domains, and it protects the reputation of the inbox you send from.
What is a search footprint?
A repeatable search pattern that surfaces one kind of page, such as a resource list or a roundup, within a topic. Footprints are a way to find candidate pages quickly; every candidate still needs a human quality judgement.
Should you prospect from a competitor's backlinks?
It is a reasonable starting point, because it shows which sites in your space link out at all. It is not a target list: many of those links will be paid, syndicated, or otherwise not worth replicating.