{"id":2385,"date":"2023-11-16T02:46:59","date_gmt":"2023-11-16T02:46:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/shotgun-or-sniper-choose-your-seo-outreach-tactic\/"},"modified":"2023-11-16T02:46:59","modified_gmt":"2023-11-16T02:46:59","slug":"shotgun-or-sniper-choose-your-seo-outreach-tactic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/shotgun-or-sniper-choose-your-seo-outreach-tactic\/","title":{"rendered":"Shotgun or Sniper? Choose Your SEO Outreach Tactic"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p>SEO outreach is the practice of contacting website owners and asking them for links back to your website. But what\u2019s the best approach to\u00a0take?<\/p>\n<p>Links are a <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/google-ranking-factors\/\">major Google ranking factor<\/a>. Even if they weren\u2019t, a link from a popular website back to yours would send visitors to your site\u2014and make your company and brand look\u00a0good.<\/p>\n<p>But high-quality backlinks don\u2019t build themselves\u2014you need to be proactive to get them. That\u2019s where SEO outreach comes\u00a0in.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to get high-quality links using SEO outreach<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Waking up and discovering you\u2019ve landed a link from the New York Times or other high authority sites just isn\u2019t going to happen unless you:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Create something valuable<\/li>\n<li>Find a suitable audience to reach out\u00a0to<\/li>\n<li>Tell publishers about it (using a compelling pitch)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Create something valuable\u00a0<\/h3>\n<p>If you offer something of value to the prospect when you\u2019re pitching to them, you may save your email from being instantly slam-dunked into the trash\u00a0can.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It needs to be something their audience will love\u2014you\u2019ll then stand the highest chance of being credited with a backlink to your\u00a0site.<\/p>\n<p>Here are 9 ideas for creating something publishers want to publish on their website.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\">\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>What it\u00a0is\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Pitch<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>New industry research<\/td>\n<td>Provide your prospect with updated research around a topic they\u2019ve already written about already<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>New statistics<\/td>\n<td>Provide new statistics that are relevant to your industry that prospects would be interested in<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>New survey results<\/td>\n<td>Provide the results of a survey you have created on a topic they\u2019re interested in or have written about already<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Expert quotations<\/td>\n<td>Be the source of expertise for a topic by providing quotes on a topic your prospect\u2019s written about<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Updated content\u00a0<\/td>\n<td>Provide your prospect with some updated content on a topic they may be interested in<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>New course<\/td>\n<td>Share your course with a prospect whose audience would find it interesting<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>New guides or learning resources<\/td>\n<td>Share your learning resources with a prospect whose audience would find it useful<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>New videos<\/td>\n<td>Share a video that your prospect\u2019s audience would find interesting<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Something that\u2019s entertaining<\/td>\n<td>Share something entertaining that your prospect\u2019s audience would find entertaining<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n<p>This is not a complete list, but with a bit of creativity, you could use this as a basis to identify something of value within your industry that you can use to pitch to publishers.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Find a suitable audience<\/h3>\n<p>Identifying a suitable audience for your topic is easy with the help of a tool like Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/content-explorer\">Content Explorer<\/a>. Let\u2019s say I wanted to pitch a new series of <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-statistics\/\">SEO statistics<\/a> to someone who has written about the topic already.<\/p>\n<p>To do this, start by entering the broad topic\u2014I\u2019ve entered \u201cSEO statistics.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"1988\" height=\"990\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image3-4.png\" alt=\"Using Content Explorer to find link prospects, via Ahrefs' Content Explorer\" class=\"wp-image-169060\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image3-4.png 1988w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image3-4-680x339.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image3-4-768x382.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image3-4-1536x765.png 1536w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image3-4-400x200.png 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1988px) 100vw, 1988px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>Once you\u2019ve found a suitable blog, add it to your spreadsheet. Here\u2019s an example of a <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/spreadsheets\/d\/1qtsTAiQkM6ereMdQkHXhCBE9mPipjxxGZqUclx9CEpI\/copy\">link prospect template<\/a> I made that you can use to track your SEO outreach efforts.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommendation\">\n<p>Tip<\/p>\n<p>You can also use Ahrefs Alerts to monitor your topic, so if someone mentions it, you get a notification.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1022\" height=\"1476\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image5-4.png\" alt=\"&quot;SEO statistics&quot; alert screenshot, via Ahrefs' alerts&#10;\" class=\"wp-image-169062\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image5-4.png 1022w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image5-4-294x425.png 294w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image5-4-768x1109.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1022px) 100vw, 1022px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1022\" height=\"1476\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image5-4.png\" alt=\"&quot;SEO statistics&quot; alert screenshot, via Ahrefs' alerts&#10;\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-169062\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image5-4.png 1022w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image5-4-294x425.png 294w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image5-4-768x1109.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1022px) 100vw, 1022px\"\/><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tell publishers about it (using a compelling pitch)<\/h3>\n<p>Once you\u2019ve identified something of value and found a suitable audience, you need to provide a compelling pitch to publishers\u2014with the end result of you getting a link on their\u00a0site.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Firing off emails into the ether and praying that a link prospect reads them is no one\u2019s idea of\u00a0fun.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Here are three approaches you can use for your outreach efforts:<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Shotgun (a.k.a. the \u201cspray and pray\u201d outreach method)<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>As the name suggests, the shotgun approach isn\u2019t the most subtle of strategies.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The idea of the shotgun approach is to send an outreach email with zero personalization to many link prospects. It also doesn\u2019t require extra tools\u2014just an email account is good enough to start\u00a0with.<\/p>\n<p>For example, with shotgun, even the name of the person you are emailing won\u2019t be mentioned.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to pitch (and example template)<\/h4>\n<p>The outreach email using the shotgun approach will look something like\u00a0this:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1480\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/1-shotgun-approach.png\" alt=\"Shotgun outreach approach illustration\" class=\"wp-image-169091\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/1-shotgun-approach.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/1-shotgun-approach-459x425.png 459w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/1-shotgun-approach-768x710.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/1-shotgun-approach-1536x1421.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1480\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/1-shotgun-approach.png\" alt=\"Shotgun outreach approach illustration\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-169091\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/1-shotgun-approach.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/1-shotgun-approach-459x425.png 459w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/1-shotgun-approach-768x710.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/1-shotgun-approach-1536x1421.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>Let\u2019s face it: it\u2019s not the most engaging outreach template.<\/p>\n<p>But for what it lacks in personalization, it makes up for in speed of creation. This type of template is useful for beginners to SEO outreach or if you want to get the message out quickly.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pros<\/h4>\n<p>It\u2019s fast to send the emails. And it doesn\u2019t require much expertise to get started.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cons<\/h4>\n<p>It can appear spammy and could be ignored by recipients. For that reason, it could impact your brand\u2019s reputation if you use this method repeatedly with poor audience targeting.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Sniper (a more personalized outreach method)<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The sniper approach takes the opposite approach to shotgun. Rather than spraying the internet with hundreds of emails with minimal personalization, the sniper approach is 100% manual and highly targeted.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to pitch (and example template)<\/h4>\n<p>With the sniper approach, your outreach email might look like\u00a0this.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1951\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/2-sniper-approach-1.png\" alt=\"Sniper outreach approach illustration\" class=\"wp-image-169092\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.8211764705882353;width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/2-sniper-approach-1.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/2-sniper-approach-1-349x425.png 349w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/2-sniper-approach-1-768x936.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/2-sniper-approach-1-1260x1536.png 1260w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1951\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/2-sniper-approach-1.png\" alt=\"Sniper outreach approach illustration\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-169092\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.8211764705882353;width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/2-sniper-approach-1.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/2-sniper-approach-1-349x425.png 349w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/2-sniper-approach-1-768x936.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/2-sniper-approach-1-1260x1536.png 1260w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>As you can see, each email is 100% customized to the person you are targeting.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>So, with this approach, you\u2019ll need to have a good understanding of your link prospects before you email them. I find the best way to do this is to put yourself in <em>their<\/em> shoes.<\/p>\n<p>To do this, ask yourself these three questions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Why should they open your email?\u00a0<\/strong>How can you capture their interest from the subject line?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Why should they be interested in the content of your email?\u00a0<\/strong>What\u2019s the\u00a0hook?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Why should they link to your website?\u00a0<\/strong>Make your pitch compelling enough for them to be willing to share the content and reference it with a\u00a0link.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Once you\u2019ve covered the basics, use the checklist below to make sure your outreach emails tick all the\u00a0boxes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. Personalize it <\/strong>\u2013 Address the recipient by their name and mention something specific about them or their website in your\u00a0email.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Use an engaging subject line<\/strong> \u2013<strong> <\/strong>Create a subject line that grabs attention and relates to your email\u2019s content.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Be human<\/strong>\u2013 Write for other people, and be honest about what you want and why you are emailing.<\/p>\n<p><strong>4. Clearly state the purpose of the email<\/strong> \u2013 Explain why you\u2019re reaching out and the benefits for the recipient.<\/p>\n<p><strong>5. Use a professional tone<\/strong> \u2013 Maintain professionalism and respect throughout.<\/p>\n<p><strong>6. Add a clear call to action (CTA<\/strong>) \u2013 State what you want the recipient to do\u00a0next.<\/p>\n<p><strong>7. Show gratitude<\/strong> \u2013 Express appreciation for their time and consideration.<\/p>\n<p><strong>8. Proofread it<\/strong> \u2013 Check for grammar and spelling errors (before you send\u00a0it!).<\/p>\n<p><strong>9. Make sure it\u2019s compliant<\/strong> \u2013 Ensure your email complies with privacy and email marketing regulations in the country.<\/p>\n<p>If you take this approach with your SEO outreach, then you\u2019ll have the best chance of getting links from your prospects using this approach.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pros\u00a0<\/h4>\n<p>In a direct comparison, the sniper approach usually has a higher success rate than the shotgun approach due to its personalized approach.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In my opinion, the sniper approach is the best strategy for companies with a strong link profile and who want a steady trickle of high-quality links from high-quality publishers.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cons<\/h4>\n<p>The sniper method is almost impossible to scale due to the nature of the personalization and research involved. It also requires expert negotiation skills to secure a link from a prospect and usually requires follow-up emails to ensure you get the link. For this reason, it can be highly time-consuming.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Scoped shotgun (a hybrid approach)<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The scoped shotgun approach combines the best bits of the shotgun and the sniper into one single method\u2014it\u2019s a hybrid approach\u2014mainly using automated personalization through dynamic variables.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sidenote\">\n<p>Sidenote.<\/p>\n<p> Dynamic variables for the purpose of outreach are words where the value is determined when the email is sent. Dynamic variables are usually indicated with braces or brackets before and after the word. To send emails with dynamic variables at scale, you\u2019ll need an outreach tool like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.buzzstream.com\/\">Buzzstream<\/a>.<\/div>\n<p>It\u2019s my preferred method for outreach as it\u2019s much easier to scale than the sniper approach. It also typically has a higher success rate than the shotgun approach, as you can typically send highly personalized emails.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to pitch (and example template)<\/h4>\n<p>The hybrid approach makes much more use of dynamic variables to achieve a decent level of personalization. The aim is not to make the email feel spammy.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s an example of how you could incorporate dynamic variables into an email that was pitching something of value you had worked on and were ready to\u00a0share.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1545\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/3-scoped-shotgun-approach.png\" alt=\"Scoped shotgun outreach approach illustration\" class=\"wp-image-169093\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/3-scoped-shotgun-approach.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/3-scoped-shotgun-approach-440x425.png 440w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/3-scoped-shotgun-approach-768x742.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/3-scoped-shotgun-approach-1536x1483.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1545\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/3-scoped-shotgun-approach.png\" alt=\"Scoped shotgun outreach approach illustration\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-169093\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/3-scoped-shotgun-approach.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/3-scoped-shotgun-approach-440x425.png 440w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/3-scoped-shotgun-approach-768x742.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/3-scoped-shotgun-approach-1536x1483.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>Once you\u2019ve got this basic template, you can apply it to any of the different items of value that we discussed earlier.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Here are a few examples you could use for the <strong>value_topic<\/strong> variable.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>New industry research<\/strong>: \u201c[We\u2019ve just] created a brand new resource of industry research that benchmarks 1000+ websites site\u00a0speed\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong>New statistics<\/strong>: \u201c[We\u2019ve just] curated 79 SEO statistics that sum up the current state of\u00a0SEO\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong>New survey results<\/strong>: \u201c[We\u2019ve just] completed our annual salary survey for the SEO industry in the U.S.\u201d\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Expert quotations<\/strong>: [We\u2019ve just] compiled some of the most controversial expert opinions on the future of\u00a0SEO\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u2026you get the\u00a0idea.<\/p>\n<p>There are many more dynamic variables that you can include in your outreach pitch. But I would recommend starting simple and building up.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommendation\">\n<p>Tip<\/p>\n<p>More variables in your pitch doesn\u2019t necessarily make it more personalized\u2014you might be overcomplicating your pitch if you add more than is strictly necessary. When you start out with the hybrid approach, it\u2019s usually best to start simple and refine your template as you\u00a0go.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pros<\/h4>\n<p>The hybrid approach is more scalable than the sniper approach but has a similar level of personalization through dynamic variables. This makes it one of the best outreach methods for link acquisition.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cons<\/h4>\n<p>It can be time-consuming to set up a campaign using the scoped shotgun hybrid approach as you need to personalize your template to a particular audience segment\u2014but when it\u2019s up and running, it\u2019 can be\u2019s extremely efficient.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final thoughts<\/h2>\n<p>Let\u2019s not beat around the bush: SEO outreach is about getting links.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But to get links, you need to offer something of value in return. Otherwise, you\u2019re just wasting your time. Also, if your pitch is just \u201clink plz,\u201d don\u2019t be surprised if you get radio silence in return.<\/p>\n<p>For this reason, the best approach for SEO outreach is the \u201cscoped shotgun\u201d hybrid approach. In a world of non-stop emails, a little personalization can make the difference between someone responding to your email rather than dragging it straight to the trash\u00a0can.<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s your experience of SEO outreach? Got more questions? Ping me <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/chris_at_b449\">on X (formerly Twitter.)<\/a> \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-outreach\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SEO outreach is the practice of contacting website owners and asking them for links back to your website. But what\u2019s the best approach to\u00a0take? Links are a major Google ranking factor. Even if they weren\u2019t, a link from a popular website back to yours would send visitors to your site\u2014and make your company and brand [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2386,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2385","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-seo"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2385","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2385"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2385\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2386"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2385"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2385"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2385"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}