The Complete Guide to Using HARO, Featured, and Help a B2B Writer to Build White Hat Backlinks

Written By John Raisor

In the world of content marketing, few tactics rival the long term value of earned backlinks. Unlike paid placements or shady link schemes, earned links provide earned authority. They tell search engines, AI, and your audience that others trust your expertise enough to cite your website, and credit you for it.

But earning backlinks the right way takes more than cold outreach and link swaps. Backlinks are valuable, and we must provide value in exchange. Reciprocal. Three of the most powerful platforms for this are HARO (Help a Reporter Out), Featured (formerly Terkel), and Help a B2B Writer. Each connects experts and businesses with journalists and content creators seeking real world insights, which creates opportunities for white hat backlink building at scale. But busy business owners often do not have the time to monitor their inbox, and craft quality responses to journalist’s queries. So they hire HARO writers to represent their business.

The Importance of White Hat Backlinks

A white hat backlink is a link gained through ethical SEO practices. No link farms, No private link networks, or link trading. Google’s algorithm prioritizes these natural editorial links because they reflect genuine trust and relevance.

When you are cited as an expert in an article, interview, or report, that is an earned backlink. You did not pay for it; you earned it through knowledge, credibility, and helpful contributions. These links:

  • Improve your site’s domain authority (aka domain rating)

  • Drive referral traffic from trusted media

  • Build brand credibility among prospects

  • Reinforce topical authority in your industry

For B2B companies, these links are especially powerful. A mention in a respected publication or a relevant niche blog can influence buyers in long, research driven sales cycles.

HARO: The Original Backlink Powerhouse

HARO (Help a Reporter Out) has long been the go to resource for brands looking to connect with journalists. The platform allows writers and reporters to post requests for expert insights. In turn, professionals can respond with quotes and data, and earn a backlink when their responses are used.

How HARO Works

  • Sign up as a source on helpareporter.com

  • You will receive three emails per day, five days per week, where journalists request quotes across categories like business, finance, technology, and marketing

  • Each request includes the publication, the topic and query, specific qualifications required, and the deadline for submission

  • If you fit the request, you send a concise expert response

  • If the journalist selects your response, they often reward you with an earned backlink

Tips for Earning HARO Backlinks

  • Respond quickly because journalists receive hundreds of pitches and often choose the first few solid replies

  • Be direct by providing your credentials in one line and jumping straight into your answer

  • Offer quotable insights in one or two punchy sentences that could easily appear in a published article

  • Include your name, title, website, linkedin, a short bio, and a link to a headshot so journalists can credit you with a backlink in the author section or quote attribution

Over time, this approach earns backlinks from publications like Forbes, Inc, Business Insider, and other massive outlets that carry a lot of authority. The key is consistency. Submit one or two pitches per week to build a steady flow of earned backlinks from reputable domains.

Featured: Modernizing the HARO Model

While HARO is a classic, Featured (formerly Terkel) modernizes the experience. It provides a more user friendly interface, transparent publication list, and structured submissions all focused on helping brands share insights at scale.

Why Featured Works Well

Featured connects subject matter experts with outlets and company blogs looking for authoritative commentary. Instead of scanning long email lists, users browse available topics, submit answers, and track publication status, all within the platform.

Common categories include:

  • Business and marketing strategy

  • SaaS and B2B technology

  • Leadership and entrepreneurship

  • HR, remote work, and operations

Steps for Success on Featured

  • Create an expert profile that highlights your credentials, company, and expertise

  • Browse active questions and choose those relevant to your niche

  • Write concise high value answers (~150 words)

  • Check your dashboard for published results and backlinks

Featured also integrates well into an SEO content plan. You can repurpose your published answers into blog posts, email snippets, and social media content. This creates a virtuous cycle: share your insights, get quoted, earn backlinks, share again, gain even more authority.

Help a B2B Writer: Niche Specific Backlink Opportunities

Help a B2B Writer fills a crucial gap between general media and industry specific content. The platform connects B2B writers and marketers seeking expert sources for SaaS, tech, and enterprise focused pieces.

While HARO and Featured cover many industries, Help a B2B Writer specializes in the B2B ecosystem, making it perfect for companies selling software, services, and enterprise solutions to other businesses.

How to Leverage Help a B2B Writer

  • Subscribe to the email list at helpab2bwriter.com

  • You will receive curated requests from B2B content creators

  • Each query specifies the topic and angle, audience type, deadline, and preferred submission format

  • Respond with practical, data backed advice

Since these writers typically publish for business blogs, you will often get links from company domains with high topical authority. These are valuable for white hat backlink building within your industry niche.

Tips for Help a B2B Writer Success

  • Be specific. Share actionable examples, anecdotes, and data points, rather than general statements

  • Use your brand voice because this platform is B2B focused, and insight matters more than brevity

  • Track your mentions using tools like Google Alerts and Ahrefs to monitor where your quotes appear

Building a Sustainable White Hat Backlink Strategy

Each of these platforms can help you earn backlinks individually, but combined they form a scalable backlink building ecosystem. Here is how to integrate them:

  • Create a source profile that can be reused including your bio, credentials, company link, linkedin, and headshot

  • Dedicate weekly time to answering relevant queries from all three platforms

  • Track publication frequency and backlinks earned using a tool such as Google Alerts

  • Repurpose published quotes into your own content for additional exposure

HARO Writer Pro Tip: Build Relationships

When journalists or writers use your quotes, thank them. A quick follow up on LinkedIn or email can lead to repeat opportunities. Relationship building turns one time citations into ongoing collaborations, and that is the essence of earned media.

Measuring the ROI of Earned Backlinks

Unlike paid advertising, white hat backlinks deliver compounding returns. You can measure their impact through:

  • Domain Authority

  • Referral traffic from published articles

  • Ranking improvements for core keywords

  • Brand mentions and visibility in key industry outlets

Tools like Ahrefs, Moz, and Semrush help quantify backlink value over time. We often find that just a few high quality earned backlinks outperform dozens of low quality links from directories or exchanges.

Final Thoughts: From Expert to Authority

Earning backlinks is not just about SEO, it is about becoming a recognized authority in your niche. Platforms such as HARO, Featured, and Help a B2B Writer reward credibility, not manipulation.

When we share genuine expertise consistently, we build a foundation of trust and authority that extends far beyond link metrics. Whether you are a HARO writer responding to queries or a B2B marketer contributing to blogs, the result is the same: authentic earned backlinks that drive visibility, domain authority, and influence.

In an era where algorithms change constantly, ethical white hat backlink building remains one of the most reliable ways to grow a lasting brand.

Backlinks FAQ

Why do we have to earn backlinks?

To make sure that they are ethical.

What is an earned backlink? What is an editorial backlink? What is a white hat backlink?

“Earned backlink”, “white hat backlink”, and “editorial backlink” are all used interchangeably. They all mean the same thing, an ethical backlink.

How do I earn backlinks?

By providing your expertise to journalists using the platforms listed below. Or, by hiring a HARO Writer to do it for you.

John Raisor
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