{"id":162060,"date":"2023-07-04T00:01:21","date_gmt":"2023-07-04T05:01:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/?p=162060"},"modified":"2023-07-04T00:01:25","modified_gmt":"2023-07-04T05:01:25","slug":"relationship-link-building","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/relationship-link-building\/","title":{"rendered":"Relationship-Based Link Building: How to Earn Trust &amp; High-Quality Links"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"intro-txt\">Have you ever received an email like this from a stranger?<\/div>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Hey {First Name},<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just came across your post about {x}.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Great stuff!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I just published a resource that will provide a ton of value to your readers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>{Some Random URL}<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Might be a good fit for your&nbsp;post?&nbsp;\ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Best regards,<br>Spammy McSpammerson, Founder of SpamCo<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>These \u201cclassic\u201d outreach emails might have worked 10 years ago, but your chances of getting a link with them now are practically zero.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The rules of the game have changed. If you want to build high-quality links in 2023, you need to build relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"intro-tok\" id=\"intro_tok\" style=\"display:none;\"><div class=\"intro-title\">Contents<\/div><a href=\"#\" class=\"expand-dots\"><span><\/span><span><\/span><span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Why relationships matter\" data-section=\"why-relationships-matter\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why do relationships matter in link building?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Relationships impact how people make decisions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, ask to borrow $100 from a random person on the street and they\u2019ll surely say no. Ask a friend who knows and trusts you, however, and they\u2019ll be more likely to say&nbsp;yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s the same with link building. You can\u2019t just \u201ccold email\u201d editors asking for a backlink unless they know you well or you offer to provide something valuable to them in return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are a few more ways relationships can help in link building:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Stand out in prospects\u2019 inboxes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The inboxes of your prospects are full of spam and cold emails. And there is an apparent prioritization when it comes to answering business emails.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First, they answer their colleagues and business partners. Then they answer less urgent emails from the people they know. Only after that do they decide whether to respond to the cold emails left in the inbox. People are normally picky about who to respond to, considering they receive tons of emails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s why you need to build relationships first to stand out from the crowd. The better your relationships, the higher your chances of having an outreach email read and answered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Bring repeated business<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Prospecting is a time-consuming procedure.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you build links transactionally and send many automated emails, you\u2019ll need to find new prospects for your outreach repeatedly. Also, finding relevant prospects for every new outreach batch is getting harder and harder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the other hand, relationships can help you bring repeated business. Instead of constantly looking for new prospects and running new outreach campaigns, you can simply develop relationships with existing prospects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can build more links with the most reliable link partners by regularly mentioning each other in guest posts, helping each other with links from partners\u2019 websites, and much&nbsp;more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Get better links<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In my experience, the best links are always built via relationships. Sure, you can get low-DR links by cold emailing without a warmup. But getting links from the highest authority websites is only possible through personal connections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, at Aura, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aura.com\/learn\/what-to-do-if-your-identity-is-stolen\">this blog post<\/a> on what to do if your identity is stolen has been one of the most difficult link targets for us for a long time. We had to acquire almost 200 links before it ranked on page #1. Links we acquired through relationships helped us move the needle the&nbsp;most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, we got most of our DR 90+ links through relationships: our partners, people we know well, and personalized outreach:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1042\" height=\"888\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image4-10.png\" alt=\"DR 90+ links built through relationships\" class=\"wp-image-162069\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image4-10.png 1042w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image4-10-499x425.png 499w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image4-10-768x654.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1042px) 100vw, 1042px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Getting these kinds of links with a generic mass outreach wouldn\u2019t be possible.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That said, you should only make this effort for high-quality prospects. It wouldn\u2019t be worth jumping through these hoops for a link from a DR 5 website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"How to build relationships\" data-section=\"how-to-build-relationships\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to build relationships before sending a cold&nbsp;email<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>These three tips will help you to build relationships (and high-quality backlinks):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Find people to build relationships with<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Get on their&nbsp;radar<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pay it forward&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Find people to build relationships with<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the quickest and most effective ways to find targets for link building\/relationship-building is to reverse engineer your competitors with Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Site Explorer<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s how:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Enter your domain<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Go to the <strong>Link Intersect <\/strong>report<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enter a competitor\u2019s domain<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click \u201cShow link opportunities\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1740\" height=\"982\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image9-12.png\" alt=\"Reverse engineer your competitors with Ahrefs' Site Explorer\n\" class=\"wp-image-162070\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image9-12.png 1740w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image9-12-680x384.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image9-12-768x433.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image9-12-1536x867.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1740px) 100vw, 1740px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This will show you the websites that link to your competitor, but not&nbsp;you.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1346\" height=\"1018\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image3-15.png\" alt=\"Link Intersect report results, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\n\" class=\"wp-image-162071\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image3-15.png 1346w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image3-15-562x425.png 562w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image3-15-768x581.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1346px) 100vw, 1346px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>From here, manually review the list for the best, most relevant domains.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, if you represent a martech SaaS, you can aim to target only DR 50\u201390 domains that are operating in a marketing niche.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you\u2019ve got a shortlist of relevant domains, you can plug them into Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/batch-analysis\">Batch Analysis tool<\/a> to bulk-check their traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1022\" height=\"652\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image5-14.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs' Batch Analysis result\n\" class=\"wp-image-162073\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image5-14.png 1022w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image5-14-666x425.png 666w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image5-14-260x166.png 260w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image5-14-768x490.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1022px) 100vw, 1022px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If they don\u2019t have much, I\u2019d generally recommend ruling them&nbsp;out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After this, you just need to identify decision-makers in these companies. Depending on the size of the company, different people can be in charge of link building:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Small companies <\/strong>\u2013<strong> <\/strong>CEO, CMO, any marketing or content-related position.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mid-size companies <\/strong>\u2013 People who take on marketing-related positions, with a focus on SEO and organic growth (e.g., Growth Marketing Manager, SEO Manager, Editor, etc.).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Big companies and enterprises <\/strong>\u2013 Focus on SEO-related positions (e.g., Head of SEO, SEO Manager, Link Builder, Outreach Specialist, etc.).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Your best bet is to build relationships with people who are directly involved in SEO on a day-to-day basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Get on their&nbsp;radar<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The outreach process requires a certain level of creativity, not to mention patience. I recommend you start building connections with editors on LinkedIn or Twitter instead of bombarding them with outreach emails immediately.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Learn more about their interests, what kind of content they publish, and their experience. After this research, you can engage with their content regularly to get on their&nbsp;radar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The comments you leave must be meaningful and genuine, i.e., not just a \u201cGreat post!\u201d comment but something that brings value to the discussion. Make an effort and try to forget about your ulterior motive of&nbsp;links.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, by leaving these meaningful comments, <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/episode\/4Khe1VSNUyuO0QvdcYb1in\">Alexandra Tachalova<\/a> was invited to Aaron Anderson\u2019s podcast as a guest speaker (and got a link and a few nice mentions as a&nbsp;bonus!):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1108\" height=\"1104\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image7-13.jpg\" alt=\"Interaction between Alexandra Tachalova and Aaron Anderson in LinkedIn comments\n\" class=\"wp-image-162075\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image7-13.jpg 1108w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image7-13-427x425.jpg 427w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image7-13-768x765.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image7-13-120x120.jpg 120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1108px) 100vw, 1108px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Pay it forward<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the easiest ways to connect with someone and start building relationships is to do something for them without expecting anything in return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, you&nbsp;can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Include their business in your roundup article.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mention their case study in your upcoming guest&nbsp;post.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Interview their founder for your&nbsp;blog.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Share their social media posts with your audience.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Help them with a comment and upvote on ProductHunt, etc.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/stevenlmacdonald\/\">Steven Macdonald<\/a> recently shared a fantastic tactic on how he builds links by giving first. And by giving, he means giving a backlink\u2014for free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He uses Ahrefs to find the best opportunities for this. Here\u2019s how:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go to <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Site Explorer<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enter the site you want a link&nbsp;from<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Go to the <strong>Organic keywords<\/strong> report<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Filter for keywords in positions #4\u201310<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1075\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image2-11.jpg\" alt=\"Organic keywords report to identify outreach opportunities, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\n\" class=\"wp-image-162077\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image2-11.jpg 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image2-11-680x366.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image2-11-768x413.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image2-11-1536x826.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>What you\u2019re seeing here are keywords that your link prospect ranks for on the first page of Google, but not in the top three. While not all of these will be keywords they\u2019re actively trying to rank for, you can usually find ones they are targeting by eyeballing the&nbsp;list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, HubSpot clearly wants to rank for \u201cinstagram stories,\u201d as it used this keyword as its post\u2019s URL&nbsp;slug:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1836\" height=\"126\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image6-14.png\" alt=\"Identify a keyword by checking a URL slug\n\" class=\"wp-image-162078\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image6-14.png 1836w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image6-14-680x47.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image6-14-768x53.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image6-14-1536x105.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1836px) 100vw, 1836px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>But as it only ranks in position #5, a relevant backlink to this page is probably something it\u2019d be super grateful for.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s how to find a relevant place to add the link on your website:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go to Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-audit\">Site Audit<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Select your website\u2019s project<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Go to the <strong>Page Explorer<\/strong> tool<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Filter for pages with the target keyword in the page&nbsp;text<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"725\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image8-12.png\" alt=\"Find a relevant place for your link with Page Explorer, via Ahrefs' Site Audit\n\" class=\"wp-image-162079\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image8-12.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image8-12-680x247.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image8-12-768x279.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image8-12-1536x557.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>You can then send just a quick email saying something like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Hey {Name},<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>{Your Name} from {Company} here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I really liked your recent article {Topic\/URL}, so I decided to link to it from my&nbsp;blog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just wanted to let you know and, also, to keep up the great&nbsp;job!&nbsp;\ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s it! You don\u2019t have to ask for anything in return in your first email. Just be kind and do something for them. It\u2019s a great way to initiate the conversation and potentially build many powerful links together in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Asking for a link\" data-section=\"asking-for-link\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to ask for a&nbsp;link<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Relationships take time to develop. It\u2019s an investment. When you feel you have a strong enough connection with your prospect, it\u2019s time to send an&nbsp;email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Do your research beforehand<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You probably already know some info about your prospects after engaging with them. Still, it won\u2019t hurt to check their social media and blog once again. And if you find anything valuable, mention it in your cold&nbsp;email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, you can congratulate them on a new project they launched, mention a result their company recently achieved, share your opinion on one of the topics they recently covered in a post on social media, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>No need to get too personal. You\u2019ll just sound creepy. Instead, write a quick icebreaker to show you did your homework.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Remind how you were connected<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Make your cold email warm by mentioning how you were connected with the prospect. If you did something for them before, remind them about that in your&nbsp;email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If you previously chatted with your prospect on LinkedIn, start your email with something like, \u201cHey, Irina from LinkedIn here!\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you had a conversation in blog comments, mention that in your&nbsp;email.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If someone previously introduced you to your prospect, mention your common connection.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Don\u2019t ask for too much with your first&nbsp;email<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Make your first email short and easy. Don\u2019t ask for a backlink right away, or to \u201cjump on a quick call,\u201d or more than 10 minutes of their&nbsp;time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead, start with a small ask or offer a win-win partnership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Stay human and avoid automation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The worst way to start building relationships is to automate the whole outreach process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The key priority is to stay human. Robots are so easy to detect these&nbsp;days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even when it comes to follow-ups, do your job and send a friendly reminder instead of making your potential partners a part of the cold outreach sequence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It doesn\u2019t matter what channel of communication you decide to choose. What matters is to be relevant, personal, and human with your pitches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/officialg\/\">Gaetano DiNardi<\/a> mentioned:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1204\" height=\"532\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image1-12.jpg\" alt=\"Gaetano DiNardi's tweet on the importance of outreach personalization\n\" class=\"wp-image-162081\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image1-12.jpg 1204w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image1-12-680x300.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image1-12-768x339.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1204px) 100vw, 1204px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Relationships are the key to building high-quality links in 2023. I truly believe that the days of automated mass outreach are&nbsp;over.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Got questions or comments? Ping me <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/irinamaltseva\/\">on LinkedIn<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/irinamaltseva\">Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hey {First Name}, Just came across your post about {x}. Great stuff! I just published a resource that will provide a ton of value to your readers. {Some Random URL} Might be a good fit for your&nbsp;post?&nbsp;\ud83d\ude42 Best regards,Spammy McSpammerson,<span class=\"ellipsis\">\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more\">Read more \u203a<\/div>\n<p><!-- end of .read-more --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":190,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[76],"tags":[],"coauthors":[451],"class_list":["post-162060","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-link-building","odd"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Relationship-Based Link Building: How to Earn Trust &amp; High-Quality Links<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Want high-quality links in 2023? 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