Ask-a-Reporter Tools for Link Building — Qwoted, Featured, Source of Sources, Help a B2B Writer, Reddit Source Wanted

Ask-a-reporter tools connect subject-matter experts to journalists looking for sources. The classic — HARO (Help a Reporter Out) — was acquired and renamed Connectively in 2024, then sunset. The replacements: Qwoted, Featured (formerly Help a B2B Writer), Source of Sources (SOS, founded by HARO's original founder Peter Shankman), JustReachOut, ResponseSource (UK), and platform-native Reddit/X 'source wanted' posts. Played correctly, these earn high-authority editorial links from .edu, .gov, major publications.

Ask-a-reporter platforms are the most under-utilized link-building channel for serious operators. The opportunity: journalists at major publications (NYT, WSJ, Forbes, Bloomberg, CNBC, plus thousands of niche publications) post source requests, and qualified responders get cited. Citations mean editorial links — the highest-trust signal in Google's link graph. The discipline: respond fast, respond well, and only respond when you genuinely qualify.

The platforms in 2026

  • Qwoted — the leading replacement post-HARO sunset; B2B and consumer; quality control through reputation system
  • Featured (formerly Help a B2B Writer) — B2B-focused with quality control on respondents
  • Source of Sources (SOS) — founded by Peter Shankman after he sold HARO; reincarnation of original HARO model
  • JustReachOut — Dmitry Dragilev's tool; combines source requests with outreach
  • ResponseSource — UK-focused, long-tenured
  • Help a B2B Writer (HelpAB2BWriter.com) — separate from Featured; specific B2B focus
  • Terkel (now Featured) — focused on expert quotes for articles
  • Reddit r/journalismrequests, r/sourcerequest — platform-native source requests
  • Twitter / X #JournoRequest #PRRequest — hashtag-based source requests
  • Quoted.online — newer platform; growing list
  • SourceBottle (Australia/UK) — regional

Response playbook — the difference between getting cited and getting ignored

  • Speed matters — top 3 responses get most attention; reply within 30 minutes of the query
  • Read the brief carefully — answer the exact question, not the question you wanted
  • Lead with credibility — title, company, specific expertise demonstrated in 1–2 sentences
  • Provide a quotable answer — 80–150 words that can be lifted into the article as-is
  • Include a specific data point or example — generalities get ignored; specifics get quoted
  • Avoid pitch language — don't mention your product unless directly relevant; don't include sales links
  • Provide contact information — phone, email, social handle for journalist follow-up
  • Bio link for journalist convenience — but don't require them to click to verify your expertise

Topics where ask-a-reporter wins

  • Industry expertise — founder/exec talking about their category
  • Customer research data — proprietary data the journalist can cite
  • Trend commentary — first-person observation on emerging shifts
  • Hot takes — contrarian positions backed by evidence
  • Tactical how-to — practitioner advice on specific tactics
  • Personal stories — founder-led narratives about company evolution
  • Predictions — backed by specific signal interpretation

RGM Experts Say

The pattern that compounds: assign a senior person to monitor 2–3 ask-a-reporter platforms daily, respond to 5–10 relevant queries per week, and track citations. A consistent 18-month program earns 50–200 editorial mentions, many on high-authority publications. The CPL on these links is dramatically lower than guest-post link-building; the trust signal is dramatically higher.

Beyond ask-a-reporter — adjacent tactics

  • HARO-style outreach to specific publications — directly pitching journalists with story angles
  • Source profile on Muck Rack — journalist database used by reporters when assembling sources
  • Press release distribution — Cision PR Newswire, Business Wire; lower trust signal but volume
  • Podcast guesting — earned mentions on podcasts often link in show notes
  • Industry conference speaking — earned mentions in conference write-ups
  • Academic and trade publication writing — bylined articles in your category's serious publications
  • Wikipedia editing (with disclosure) — adding citations to Wikipedia articles can drive trust signals if done properly with COI disclosure

Measurement

  • Mentions count — Google Alerts, Cision, Mention, Brand24 monitoring
  • Domain authority of citing publications — Moz DA, Ahrefs DR, Semrush AS
  • Backlink quality — dofollow vs nofollow, anchor text, contextual placement
  • Referral traffic — Google Analytics referral report
  • Search ranking impact — track keyword ranking changes following high-authority citations
  • Brand search lift — Google Trends for brand-name searches

Related guides

Sources

  1. [1]Qwoted, Featured, Source of Sources platform documentation; journalist source database analyses