--- title: Ask-a-Reporter Tools for Link Building | RGM® url: https://realgrowthmatters.com/learn/seo/ask-a-reporter-tools-link-building/ updated: 2026-06-10 source_html: https://realgrowthmatters.com/learn/seo/ask-a-reporter-tools-link-building/ --- # 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 - See [digital PR link building](/learn/seo/digital-pr-link-building/) - See [link building deep dive](/learn/seo/link-building-deep-dive/) - See [.edu/.gov/.org links](/learn/seo/edu-gov-org-link-building/) ## Sources 1. [1]Qwoted, Featured, Source of Sources platform documentation; journalist source database analyses ### Related guides - [Digital PR link building](/learn/seo/digital-pr-link-building/) - [Link building deep dive](/learn/seo/link-building-deep-dive/) - [.edu/.gov/.org link building](/learn/seo/edu-gov-org-link-building/)