Email template

Replying to a link exchange request

You pitched an article (or someone pitched you) and the reply is "I'll add you if you link to us" or "we only do link exchanges". Below: the template, a filled-in example, why it works, common mistakes and the follow-up to send if there's no reply.

The template

Subject: Re: {original subject}

Hi {first name},

Thanks for getting back to me. We don't do reciprocal links, since Google treats link swaps as a link scheme and it could hurt both sites.

That said, I'd still love for {product} to be considered for {article title} on its merits. If it's not a fit without an exchange, I completely understand.

If your readers would find {a genuinely relevant page of ours} useful, I'm happy to share {their post} with our {newsletter / audience} either way, no strings attached.

Thanks,
{your first name}

Filled-in example

The situation: Margin pitched a best-of list. The editor replied: "Happy to include you if you add a link to our site from your blog." The product is Margin, a fictional notes app for researchers.

Subject: Re: Your note-taking apps for researchers list

Hi Lena,

Thanks for getting back to me. We don't do reciprocal links, since Google treats link swaps as a link scheme and it could hurt both sites.

That said, I'd still love for Margin to be considered for the list on its merits. If it's not a fit without an exchange, I completely understand.

I'll share your note-taking list in our researcher newsletter next month either way, since our readers ask about exactly this.

Thanks,
Ana

If there's no reply: the follow-up

Send once, four to seven days later, in the same thread. Add one new reason; don't repeat the pitch.

Subject: Re: {original subject}

Hi {first name},

Just closing the loop: if you update {article title} later this year, I'm happy to send fresh details about {product}.

Thanks again,
{your first name}

Why it works

Explain the reason in one sentence. It's not a judgment of them; it protects both sites.
Leave the door open. Some editors ask for swaps by default and will add you anyway.
Sharing their post with your audience is fine as a gesture. A link in return for a link is the part to avoid.

Mistakes to avoid

Agreeing to a "three-way" exchange (your other site links to theirs). It's still a swap.
Lecturing the editor about Google's guidelines. One sentence is enough.
Going silent. A short, polite decline keeps you on their radar for the next update.

Check it before you send

Paste your filled-in version into the outreach email checker and test the subject with the subject line tester.

Getting the most from this template

A template saves time on structure, not on research. Every placeholder should become a detail only this editor would recognise: their name, the post, the section and why your product helps their readers. Send it from a properly authenticated outreach domain, one email per prospect, and stop after one or two follow-ups.

Link swaps come up constantly in outreach replies. The reasoning behind declining is the same as for paid links, covered in the paid-link decline template and the white-hat checklist. After you reply, go back to the best-of list pitch for the next editor on your list; most will consider you on merit.

Doing this for dozens of posts a week is where most outreach stalls. BacklinkGenie finds the posts, writes a pitch like the example above for each one, and sends it from a mailbox it manages for you once you approve. See how it works.

Questions people ask

Are link exchanges bad for SEO?

Excessive link exchanges, "link to me and I'll link to you" arrangements made for ranking, are named in Google's spam policies as link schemes. Two related sites naturally linking to each other now and then is fine. Systematic swaps, three-way swaps and exchange networks are the risk.

What if the editor insists on a link exchange?

Thank them, decline, and move on to the next prospect on your list. There are far more editors who add products on merit than ones who require a swap, and every swap you avoid is one less pattern for Google to spot.

Can I offer something else instead?

Yes, as long as it isn't a link or payment for the link. Sharing their post, offering a free account to test your product or a quote for a future article are normal ways to build a relationship.

Turning down a paid-link request template

For replies that ask for a fee, a "sponsored post" or a link insertion price.

Getting added to a best-of list template

For "best X" and "top tools for Y" posts that rank products like yours but don't include you yet.

The one follow-up template

For pitches with no reply after four to seven days. Send it once, in the same thread.

Link outreach email checker

Paste your filled-in version and see what an editor or spam filter will object to.

Outreach subject line tester

Check the subject for length, mobile cut-off and spam triggers.

All outreach email templates

Every template on one page: 19 situations from listicles to paid-link replies.

See where your next links could come from.

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