Organic traffic is a must for any website. But while we all want organic traffic, it’s not always easy directing more users to your website. How do you attract organic visitors while improving your presence in search engines?

A strong backlink strategy will help you do both. While there’s no replacement for creating great content, sometimes you need to get the word out about your fantastic content. Backlinks get the word out, encouraging users to visit your website while improving your search posture over time.

Blogger outreach is the best way to earn more links to your high-quality content. There’s no guarantee that every blogger will link to your site, but in the long term, blogger outreach will help you:

• Direct more traffic to your website from bloggers’ sites.
• Build relationships with high-profile bloggers.
• Build authority with readers and search engines.

If you aren’t working with bloggers already, now’s the perfect time to start. Follow these 3 steps to do blogger outreach for SEO.

1 - Find bloggers in your niche

You don’t want to partner with every blogger on the internet. You need to find bloggers who are influential in your niche. If you don’t target bloggers in your industry, they’ll immediately delete your emails, so this is an important step. For example, if you sell sneakers, you might partner with fitness influencers or sports bloggers.

Create a spreadsheet to track your blogger contacts. You can find bloggers:

• In blog directories: Bloglovin’ is a popular blog directory, but you should also look for directories unique to your niche. For example, if you’re in the personal finance space, you would refer to Rockstar Finance.
• In blog comments: Large, popular blogs will have a very active comments section. Since bloggers read each other’s content, you have a good chance of connecting with even more bloggers in the comment section.
• By analyzing your competitors: Tools like Semrush and Spyfu make it easy to see which bloggers your competitors are working with.

From there, narrow down your list. Which bloggers have the most engagement? Who has a track record of working with brands or businesses? Do they have an active social media presence?

Choose 5 - 15 bloggers to start with. Not everyone will respond to your outreach, so it’s best to target bloggers as a group instead of one at a time.

2 - Build relationships first

Don’t contact the people on your list just yet. Bloggers get a lot of backlink requests and tend to ignore requests for backlinks. That’s why you need to create a relationship with each blogger before you go in with a hard ask. Plus, creating a relationship makes it possible to engage with bloggers for the long-term, earning even more backlinks over time.

You can build a relationship with bloggers by:

• Reading their content and familiarizing yourself with their story. That means signing up for their email list and reading their blog.
• Commenting. Join the comments section and use your brand name as your username. Make sure your comment actually adds value and isn’t an obvious play to get links.
• Linking to them first: When you give something first, bloggers are usually more than happy to return the favor. Create a roundup post of your favorite bloggers in your industry. Let each blogger know you’ve linked to them and ask them to share the piece with their audience.

Remember, SEO isn’t an overnight strategy. You’ll need to put in the work every day to see results from blogger outreach.

3 - Make the ask

Email each blogger 4-6 weeks after you started building a relationship with them. Since these folks get a lot of emails, keep the message brief and to the point. Follow this formula to write an effective blogger outreach email:

• Write a relevant subject line.
• Keep your tone casual and friendly.
• Use their name.
• Mention how you know the blogger, refer to your past interactions, or share something you like about their content.
• Ask for them to feature your content on their site with a clear call to action.

In practice, your email should read like this:

Subject line: Backlink request

Hey there Stacy,

I’m Joe with Acme Shirts. I’ve been following your blog for a few weeks and had the chance to check out your content. I particularly loved digging into the comments on your post about shirt sizing; who knew it could get so political?

I’m reaching out because I saw your most recent blog touches on men’s shirt sizing. I just wrote a really in-depth guide on this that would add a lot of value to your readers. Will you add this link to your blog?

Chat soon,

Joe

The bottom line

Blogger outreach requires patience and consistency to see results. Done right, this is a tactic that exposes more readers to your content while boosting your presence in the search engines. It’s a true win-win for your business! Follow these 3 tips to connect with influential bloggers who can help you turn your brand into the next big thing.

Start with a baseline before you try a new SEO tactic like blogger outreach. Get your personalized SEO checklist now.