Backlink outreach emails that give editors a reason to reply
Site owners delete "I loved your article, please link to mine" emails all day. Good link outreach is about a specific page, a specific gap and a resource that helps their readers. This prompt has your todo.is agent read each target page, find where your resource fits, and draft a short personal email for each.
The prompt
- Write backlink outreach emails for my resource [YOUR RESOURCE URL], which is [WHAT IT IS]. Target pages: [TARGET PAGE URLS]. For each target page, read it and find the exact section where my resource would help readers, such as an outdated stat, a broken link or a missing step. Find the author or editor name on the page if it is shown. Write one email per page: subject under 7 words, under 110 words, opens with the specific section, explains in one line why my resource helps their readers, and makes a polite ask. No flattery, no "I loved your article", no link exchange offers. Add one follow-up for day 7. Sign as [YOUR NAME AND ROLE]. Put everything in an Excel sheet and save the first emails as Gmail drafts if Google is connected. Do not send anything.
What to change
- [YOUR RESOURCE URL]: The page you want links to, e.g. a guide, tool, study or template.
- [WHAT IT IS]: In one line, e.g. "a free mortgage calculator with amortization tables".
- [TARGET PAGE URLS]: Pages that could link to you, one per line. Ask your agent to find them first if you need.
- [YOUR NAME AND ROLE]: e.g. "Priya Shah, editor at Homewise".
Example result
- Target: "First-Time Home Buyer Guide" on a personal finance blog
- Author: Mark Ellis. Section found: "How much house can I afford?" links to a calculator that now returns a 404 error.
- Subject: Broken calculator link in your guide
- Hi Mark,
- In your first-time buyer guide, the "How much house can I afford?" section links to a mortgage calculator that now shows a 404 page.
- We built a free one that also shows the full amortization table and how extra payments change the total: homewise.com/mortgage-calculator
- If it helps your readers, it could be a quick swap for the broken link. Either way, thought you would want to know.
- Priya Shah
- Editor, Homewise
- Follow-up (day 7)
- Subject: Re: Broken calculator link in your guide
- Hi Mark, just a short nudge in case this got buried. The broken link is in the "How much house can I afford?" section. Happy to send anything that helps.
- Target: "Refinancing Explained" on a finance news site
- Section found: the article says to use "an online calculator" without linking one.
- Subject: A calculator for your refinancing piece
- Hi Dana, your refinancing explainer suggests readers "use an online calculator" in step 3 but does not point to one. Ours lets readers compare their current loan against a new rate side by side: homewise.com/mortgage-calculator. Might save your readers a search.
- Why these get replies
- • Each email names an exact section of their page.
- • The value is for their readers, not for you.
- • Short enough to read in 20 seconds, with an easy yes.
- • Reporting a broken link is useful even if they say no.
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and add your resource, target pages and signature.
- Paste it into todo.is or send it to your agent on Slack or WhatsApp.
- Your agent reads every target page and writes one specific email and follow-up per page.
- Review the Gmail drafts, edit anything, and send them yourself.
Tips for a better result
- Only pitch pages where your resource genuinely fits. A few relevant pitches beat a hundred random ones.
- Broken links and outdated stats are the easiest openings because you are fixing a problem for the editor.
- Do not offer money or link swaps for links. It goes against Google's spam policies.
- Ask your agent first to "find 20 pages that mention [topic] and link to an old or broken resource" to build your list.
backlink outreach email: FAQ
- What is a good response rate for link outreach? It varies a lot by niche and list quality. Personal, relevant emails to a small list usually perform much better than templated mass emails.
- How many follow-ups should I send? One follow-up about a week later is usually enough. More than two can feel pushy.
- Is buying backlinks allowed? Paying for links that pass ranking value goes against Google's spam policies. Paid or sponsored links should be marked with rel="sponsored" or "nofollow".
- Does todo.is send the emails for me? Your agent saves them as Gmail drafts when Google is connected. It only sends an email after you approve it.
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