Email template
An existing article mentions a topic, statistic or step that one of your pages explains in more depth, and a link would help the reader at that exact point. Below: the template, a filled-in example, why it works, common mistakes and the follow-up to send if there's no reply.
Subject: A source for your {article topic} article
Hi {first name},
I was reading {article title} and the part about {specific section} was useful.
We published {your page title}, which {what it adds that the article doesn't: data, a template, a walkthrough}. It might give readers a next step right after "{a short quote from the sentence where it fits}".
If you think it adds something, would you consider linking it there? No problem if not.
Thanks,
{your first name}
The situation: A popular article on organising research papers mentions "keep a checklist of every source you cite" but doesn't provide one. Margin has a free citation checklist. The product is Margin, a fictional notes app for researchers.
Subject: A source for your organising research papers article
Hi Priya, I was reading How to organise research papers and the section on tagging papers by method was useful. We published a free citation checklist for literature reviews: a one-page list of every detail you need per source, with a printable version. It might give readers a next step right after "keep a checklist of every source you cite". If you think it adds something, would you consider linking it there? No problem if not. Thanks, Ana
Send once, four to seven days later, in the same thread. Add one new reason; don't repeat the pitch.
Subject: Re: A source for your {article topic} article
Hi {first name},
Following up once. We've since added {something new on the page, such as a downloadable version or fresh data}, in case that makes it more useful at that point in the article.
Thanks either way,
{your first name}
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.
A link insertion is the lighter cousin of broken link building: you're adding a source, not replacing a dead one. If the article does have a dead link, the broken link email is the stronger opener. Editors who reply with a price get the paid-link decline, and our post on whether to buy backlinks explains why. Once a link goes live, confirm it with the nofollow checker.
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.
It's a link added to an article that's already published, rather than in a new piece. Done editorially, you point out a spot where your page genuinely helps and the editor decides. Sold as a service ("niche edits"), it's a paid link, which breaks Google's spam policies.
Search for the topic your page covers and look at the pages ranking on the first two pages. Read each one for a sentence that mentions your topic without linking to a good source. Those are your best prospects.
Decline politely and move on, or keep the relationship for future, unpaid opportunities. Our template for turning down a paid-link request has the wording.
Replacing a broken link template
For pages that link to something that now returns a 404, when you have a close replacement.
Pointing out outdated information template
For posts with an old statistic, a discontinued tool or a changed price that you can correct with a better source.
Turning down a paid-link request template
For replies that ask for a fee, a "sponsored post" or a link insertion price.
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.
Paste your URL. The agent finds lists, comparison pages, resource pages and guides where your product fits, checks each site and finds the editor to contact. Free, no card.
