{"id":24329,"date":"2018-06-18T14:11:01","date_gmt":"2018-06-18T22:11:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/?p=24329"},"modified":"2023-08-17T21:16:22","modified_gmt":"2023-08-18T02:16:22","slug":"the-trust-formula","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/the-trust-formula\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Get High-Quality Backlinks With the TRUST Formula [Case&nbsp;Study]"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"intro-txt\"> Back in 2016, <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/link-building\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/visual-link-building\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">I wrote about<\/a>&nbsp;how maps were the visual format you should be using for link building in\u2026&nbsp;2016.<\/div>\n<p>And I showed how simple maps like&nbsp;this\u2026<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"857\" height=\"510\" class=\"wp-image-21572\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Google-search-mapx1.jpg\" alt=\"Google search mapx1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Google-search-mapx1.jpg 857w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Google-search-mapx1-768x457.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Google-search-mapx1-680x405.jpg 680w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 857px) 100vw, 857px\"><\/p>\n<p>\u2026 were picking up INSANE results like&nbsp;this:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"717\" height=\"273\" class=\"wp-image-21574\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/link-growth3.png\" alt=\"link growth3\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/link-growth3.png 717w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/link-growth3-680x259.png 680w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 717px) 100vw, 717px\"><\/p>\n<p>But, two years down the line, are maps still bringing the backlink bacon&nbsp;home?<\/p>\n<p>In a&nbsp;word:<\/p>\n<p>Yup.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"767\" height=\"665\" class=\"wp-image-21558\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/this-map-shows.png\" alt=\"this map shows\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/this-map-shows.png 767w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/this-map-shows-490x425.png 490w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 100vw, 767px\"><\/p>\n<p>At the end of my previous post, I also promised a case&nbsp;study.<\/p>\n<p>(sorry it\u2019s a little late)<\/p>\n<p>So today, I\u2019m going to walk you step-by-step through:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Combining data and simple visuals<\/li>\n<li>Picking up high-quality backlinks.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Backlinks from major publications like:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>USA Today (<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\/overview\/v2\/subdomains\/live?target=usatoday.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">DR92<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>News.com.au (<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\/overview\/v2\/subdomains\/live?target=News.com.au\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">DR90<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>Yahoo Sports (<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\/overview\/v2\/subdomains\/live?target=sports.yahoo.com%2F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">DR89<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>City AM (<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\/overview\/v2\/subdomains\/live?target=www.cityam.com%2F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">DR84<\/a>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Ready? Let\u2019s&nbsp;go!<\/p>\n<h2>Links &amp;&nbsp;Trust<\/h2>\n<p>When I conduct a <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/fast-link-building\/\">link building campaign<\/a> I have two goals in&nbsp;mind:<\/p>\n<h3>1. Boosting the site\u2019s \u201clink juice\u201d\/authority<\/h3>\n<p>You\u2019re reading an article about link building on <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ahrefs blog<\/a>. You don\u2019t need me to tell you that you need links to rank in Google.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s a clear correlation between the number of links pointing to a site and its ability to rank for a broad spread of keywords.<\/p>\n<p>Tim recently made a pretty chart <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/search-traffic-study\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">for this study<\/a>, showing just&nbsp;that\u2026<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"600\" class=\"wp-image-21567\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/referring-domains-vs-organic-search-traffic-ahrefs-content-explorer.png\" alt=\"referring domains vs organic search traffic ahrefs content explorer\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/referring-domains-vs-organic-search-traffic-ahrefs-content-explorer.png 900w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/referring-domains-vs-organic-search-traffic-ahrefs-content-explorer-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/referring-domains-vs-organic-search-traffic-ahrefs-content-explorer-638x425.png 638w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\"><\/p>\n<p>Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/domain-rating\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Domain Rating (DR)<\/a>&nbsp;is a good indicator of the strength of a site\u2019s overall link profile.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_21549\" style=\"width: 1395px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21549\" class=\"wp-image-21549\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/ahrefs-domain-rating.png\" alt=\"ahrefs domain rating\" width=\"1385\" height=\"797\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/ahrefs-domain-rating.png 1385w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/ahrefs-domain-rating-768x442.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/ahrefs-domain-rating-680x391.png 680w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1385px) 100vw, 1385px\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-21549\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Domain Rating (DR) for ahrefs.com, in Ahrefs <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Site Explorer<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<h3>2. Building trust with Google<\/h3>\n<p>Google\u2019s algorithm is a complex beast.<\/p>\n<p>Are there 200 ranking factors? 300? Honestly, these days there are probably thousands. And with <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/RankBrain\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">RankBrain<\/a>, the factors influencing search results can even vary from query to&nbsp;query.<\/p>\n<p>But one thing\u2019s for&nbsp;sure:<\/p>\n<p>If you want to get more search traffic, you need to gain Google\u2019s trust.<\/p>\n<p>Links are a big part of&nbsp;that.<\/p>\n<h3>Wait\u2026 What\u2019s The Difference?<\/h3>\n<p>The easiest way to explain this is to use two of Ahrefs\u2019 key metrics: DR and&nbsp;UR.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"367\" height=\"211\" class=\"wp-image-21552\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/ur-dr.png\" alt=\"ur dr\"><\/p>\n<p>In case you don\u2019t&nbsp;know:<\/p>\n<p>DR: stands for \u201cDomain Rating\u201d and is the overall authority\/strength of a website, taking into account its entire backlink profile.<\/p>\n<p>UR: stands for \u201cURL Rating\u201d and is the strength of an individual URL, factoring in its direct backlinks (and some authority from the&nbsp;site).<\/p>\n<p>So what does this&nbsp;mean?<\/p>\n<p>Technically, a link from a page with a higher UR could pass more immediate \u201clink juice\u201d, even if it\u2019s on a site with a lower&nbsp;DR.<\/p>\n<p>This seems a little confusing, so here are two examples:<\/p>\n<p>First, we have a link from a DR91 site. We can see the linking page has a UR of&nbsp;31.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1067\" height=\"440\" class=\"wp-image-21553\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/high-dr1.png\" alt=\"high dr1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/high-dr1.png 1067w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/high-dr1-768x317.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/high-dr1-680x280.png 680w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1067px) 100vw, 1067px\"><\/p>\n<p>And next, we have a link from a lower DR site (63). But this time we\u2019ve got a higher UR of&nbsp;42.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1060\" height=\"300\" class=\"wp-image-21541\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/high-ur1.png\" alt=\"high ur1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/high-ur1.png 1060w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/high-ur1-768x217.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/high-ur1-680x192.png 680w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1060px) 100vw, 1060px\"><\/p>\n<p>So which link is&nbsp;best?<\/p>\n<p>Well, these are both great links. But ignoring things like relevance for now, and going solely on metrics\u2026<\/p>\n<p>For \u201clink juice\u201d: the high UR&nbsp;link<\/p>\n<p>For \u201ctrust\u201d: the high DR&nbsp;link<\/p>\n<p>The high UR link should give us a quicker ranking boost. It has more immediate power to&nbsp;pass.<\/p>\n<p>But the high DR link is likely to increase our site\u2019s authority over&nbsp;time.<\/p>\n<p>If high authority sites are willing to reference and link to our site, we\u2019re demonstrating to Google that we are a resource they can&nbsp;trust.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommendation\"><div class=\"recommendation-title\">Why we know trust is important<\/div><div class=\"recommendation-content\">\n<p>One of the best ways to get an insight into the workings of Google\u2019s algorithm is to look at their patents.<\/p>\n<p>We included <a href=\"http:\/\/www.seobythesea.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">SEO By The Sea<\/a>&nbsp;in <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-blogs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">our recent rundown of the best SEO blogs<\/a>. And that\u2019s because no-one on planet Earth is better at figuring out what Google\u2019s patents mean for SEO than Bill Slawski.<\/p>\n<p>Back in April, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.seobythesea.com\/2018\/04\/pagerank-updated\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bill revealed<\/a>&nbsp;that Google had filed a continuation on a patent initially granted in 2006. The 2006 patent was an update to their original <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/google-pagerank\/\">PageRank algorithm<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In this new model, Google proposed defining a set of \u201cseed pages\u201d for various topics.<\/p>\n<p>The power of a link could then be calculated by defining how far removed the linking page is from one of these seed pages. A bit like <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Six_Degrees_of_Kevin_Bacon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon<\/a>&nbsp;for backlinks.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"769\" height=\"872\" class=\"wp-image-21571\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/A-link-graph-structure-of-web-pages.jpg\" alt=\"A link graph structure of web pages\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/A-link-graph-structure-of-web-pages.jpg 769w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/A-link-graph-structure-of-web-pages-768x871.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/A-link-graph-structure-of-web-pages-375x425.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 769px) 100vw, 769px\"><\/p>\n<p>That diagram is a little complex. And you should read Bill\u2019s post for a full explanation. But in a nutshell:<\/p>\n<p>The fewer steps there are from a \u201cseed page\u201d to your page, the better. You want a low Bacon number.<\/p>\n<p>Now we don\u2019t know exactly what these seed pages are. But we can be sure they are going to be on trusted, established websites.<\/p>\n<p>Bottom line:<\/p>\n<p>Trust matters to Google. And links from authority sites is how you get&nbsp;it.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Got it? Great. So how do we get those authoritative, high DR backlinks?<\/p>\n<h2>The 5-Step Formula For High-Quality, Trust-Building Backlinks<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/link-building\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/link-building\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Link building<\/a>&nbsp;is tough.<\/p>\n<p>But we can make it easier by following battle-tested processes.<\/p>\n<p>The formula below is one I\u2019ve used again and again to pick up high-quality backlinks from authority sites:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>T<\/strong>rending topic<\/li>\n<li><strong>R<\/strong>esearch and analysis<\/li>\n<li><strong>U<\/strong>nique (unusual, or unexpected)<strong>&nbsp;<\/strong>takeaway<\/li>\n<li><strong>S<\/strong>imple visual<\/li>\n<li><strong>T<\/strong>actical promotion<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Yup, I call it the TRUST formula\u2026 and it does exactly what it says on the&nbsp;tin!<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s how it&nbsp;works.<\/p>\n<h3>Step 1: Find a Trending Topic Related to Your&nbsp;Niche<\/h3>\n<p>If you\u2019ve ever sent out cold <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/outreach\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">outreach<\/a>&nbsp;emails, you\u2019ll know it can be a soul-destroying process.<\/p>\n<p>100 emails, 5 responses, 1 link (if you\u2019re lucky)\u2026 ugh.<\/p>\n<p>Pitching to journalists is particularly difficult. You can bet their inboxes will be flooded each day with marketers desperate for attention.<\/p>\n<p>So how can we make it easier and improve our hit&nbsp;rate?<\/p>\n<p>Simple: by pitching fresh insights on topics they are already writing about.<\/p>\n<p>Finding those trending topics? Easy.<\/p>\n<p>Just type your main keyword\/topic into Google news\u2026<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1242\" height=\"767\" class=\"wp-image-21556\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/golf-google-news.png\" alt=\"golf google news\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/golf-google-news.png 1242w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/golf-google-news-768x474.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/golf-google-news-680x420.png 680w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1242px) 100vw, 1242px\"><\/p>\n<p>Or&nbsp;even better? Use&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/content-explorer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ahrefs Content Explorer<\/a>. That way you\u2019ll get stats on the number of links and shares for the most popular content.<\/p>\n<p>I like to set the date range to the past 7 days to make sure I\u2019m getting recent results. I\u2019ve also set the language to English, because, well, my Spanish sucks\u2026<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1581\" height=\"720\" class=\"wp-image-21578\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/content-explorer.png\" alt=\"content explorer\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/content-explorer.png 1581w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/content-explorer-768x350.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/content-explorer-680x310.png 680w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1581px) 100vw, 1581px\"><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m sure a mixture of golf and Donald Trump could make for some interesting content!<\/p>\n<p>So which topic did I choose?<\/p>\n<p>Well, if you\u2019re a golf fan (or maybe even if you\u2019re not), you\u2019ll know that Tiger Woods is finally back hitting balls again. And you guessed it, the press can\u2019t get enough of&nbsp;Tiger\u2026<\/p>\n<p>So this one was a no-brainer.<\/p>\n<p>On to step&nbsp;2.<\/p>\n<h3>Step 2: Find Some Interesting Data Related to Your&nbsp;Topic<\/h3>\n<p>There are a ton of places to get free data on the web. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.columnfivemedia.com\/100-best-free-data-sources-infographic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Here\u2019s a list of over 100<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The trick is to take that data, analyze it, and find a unique insight.<\/p>\n<p>In this case, I worked backwards.<\/p>\n<p>I wanted to create a map. And I wanted that map to show a Tiger-related stat for each State in the&nbsp;USA.<\/p>\n<p>So after a bit of brainstorming\u2026<\/p>\n<p>I figured I would try and work out how much Tiger had earned in each State throughout his career.<\/p>\n<p>The good news? There\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_tournament_performances_by_Tiger_Woods\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a Wikipedia page<\/a>&nbsp;that lists all Tiger\u2019s tournament performances, along with his earnings.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"860\" height=\"744\" class=\"wp-image-21566\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/tiger-earnings-1.png\" alt=\"tiger earnings 1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/tiger-earnings-1.png 860w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/tiger-earnings-1-768x664.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/tiger-earnings-1-491x425.png 491w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 860px) 100vw, 860px\"><\/p>\n<p>It took a bit of&nbsp;work\u2026<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"963\" height=\"752\" class=\"wp-image-21535\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/tiger-woods-spreadsheet.png\" alt=\"tiger woods spreadsheet\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/tiger-woods-spreadsheet.png 963w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/tiger-woods-spreadsheet-768x600.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/tiger-woods-spreadsheet-544x425.png 544w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 963px) 100vw, 963px\"><\/p>\n<p>But, with some research, fiddling around in Google sheets, and several large coffees\u2026 I was able to figure out exactly how much Tiger had earned in each&nbsp;State.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"391\" height=\"583\" class=\"wp-image-21576\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/tiger-woods-earnings-per-state.png\" alt=\"tiger woods earnings per state\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/tiger-woods-earnings-per-state.png 391w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/tiger-woods-earnings-per-state-285x425.png 285w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 391px) 100vw, 391px\"><\/p>\n<p>Crazy money!<\/p>\n<h3>Step 3: Write the Headline<\/h3>\n<p>Done your research? Found some interesting data?&nbsp;Great!<\/p>\n<p>But you\u2019re not quite done with your research yet.<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s next?<\/p>\n<p>A simple takeaway, or a <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-write-a-headline\/\">headline<\/a>, for your&nbsp;pitch.<\/p>\n<p>In this example, we already have \u201cHere\u2019s How Much Tiger Woods Has Earned In Each US&nbsp;State.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s\u2026 ok. But it\u2019s pretty much just an overview of the whole&nbsp;piece.<\/p>\n<p>What we really want is a super simple, one line takeaway. Which means that when it comes time to pitch we can&nbsp;say:<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cWe worked out {X}.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Did you know that {Y}?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>In my experience, having that second takeaway really increases pick&nbsp;up.<\/p>\n<p>And in this case, it turned out that Tiger Woods had earned money in 25 of the 50 US States.<\/p>\n<p>So, we&nbsp;get\u2026<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cWe worked out how much Tiger Woods has earned in each US&nbsp;State.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Did you know that he has earned money in exactly half of&nbsp;them?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Perfect.<\/p>\n<h3>Step 4: Creating Your Visual<\/h3>\n<p>Now we have a trending topic, interesting data, and a cool takeaway. It\u2019s time to turn it into a simple visual.<\/p>\n<p>And yup, that visual is going to be a&nbsp;map.<\/p>\n<p>So how do we go about creating it?<\/p>\n<p>Here are three ways to do&nbsp;it.<\/p>\n<h4>Option 1: Use an Image&nbsp;Tool<\/h4>\n<p>There are a number of tools available online for creating infographics, maps, and visuals.<\/p>\n<p>My favorite? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visme.co\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Visme<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1023\" height=\"724\" class=\"wp-image-21563\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/visme-login.png\" alt=\"visme login\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/visme-login.png 1023w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/visme-login-768x544.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/visme-login-601x425.png 601w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1023px) 100vw, 1023px\"><\/p>\n<p><em>For a full guide on creating a map with Visme, you can <\/em><em><a href=\"http:\/\/blog.visme.co\/create-interactive-map\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">check out this post<\/a><\/em><em>. But for now, here\u2019s a quick overview of how it&nbsp;works.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>First, sign up for a free account, then create a new presentation, select infographic, and use the \u201cBlank\u201d template.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"871\" height=\"720\" class=\"wp-image-21551\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/visme-create.png\" alt=\"visme create\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/visme-create.png 871w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/visme-create-768x635.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/visme-create-514x425.png 514w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 871px) 100vw, 871px\"><\/p>\n<p>Under the data tab, there\u2019s an option to insert a&nbsp;map.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"915\" height=\"593\" class=\"wp-image-21554\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/visme-map.png\" alt=\"visme map\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/visme-map.png 915w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/visme-map-768x498.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/visme-map-656x425.png 656w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 915px) 100vw, 915px\"><\/p>\n<p>Use the search box to find a map for the country you\u2019re looking to cover, then click \u201cEdit This&nbsp;Map\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"995\" height=\"664\" class=\"wp-image-21579\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/map-edit.png\" alt=\"map edit\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/map-edit.png 995w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/map-edit-768x513.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/map-edit-637x425.png 637w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 995px) 100vw, 995px\"><\/p>\n<p>You can then add the data you require.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"998\" height=\"665\" class=\"wp-image-21534\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/map-data.png\" alt=\"map data\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/map-data.png 998w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/map-data-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/map-data-638x425.png 638w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 998px) 100vw, 998px\"><\/p>\n<p>If you want to display a heat map, click on \u201cMap Setting\u201d, then turn on \u201cArea Value Map\u201d. I\u2019ve also switched on \u201cShow Legend\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"997\" height=\"666\" class=\"wp-image-21545\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/heat-map.png\" alt=\"heat map\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/heat-map.png 997w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/heat-map-768x513.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/heat-map-636x425.png 636w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 997px) 100vw, 997px\"><\/p>\n<p>Play around with the settings until you get the map looking the way you want, then hit \u201cInsert\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"536\" height=\"339\" class=\"wp-image-21562\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/tiger-earnings.png\" alt=\"tiger earnings\"><\/p>\n<p>When you\u2019re done, you can either embed the map (to take advantage of interactive hover), or download it as a flat&nbsp;image.<\/p>\n<p>Pretty simple, and does the&nbsp;trick.<\/p>\n<h4>Option 2: Create a Custom Map<\/h4>\n<p>If you\u2019re good&nbsp;with Photoshop\/Illustrator (or know a designer who is), then creating a custom map is a great option. That way you can get the map looking exactly how you&nbsp;want.<\/p>\n<p>And that\u2019s what I&nbsp;did.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s the finished map, then I\u2019ll show you how I made&nbsp;it.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1000\" class=\"wp-image-21536\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/is-tiger-smiling2.png\" alt=\"is tiger smiling2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/is-tiger-smiling2.png 1000w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/is-tiger-smiling2-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/is-tiger-smiling2-425x425.png 425w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\"><\/p>\n<p>My Photoshop skills are ok, but I didn\u2019t want to draw my own map. So I grabbed this blank one from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.freepik.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">freepik.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"954\" height=\"777\" class=\"wp-image-21547\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/freepik-map.png\" alt=\"freepik map\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/freepik-map.png 954w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/freepik-map-768x626.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/freepik-map-522x425.png 522w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 954px) 100vw, 954px\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"sidenote\"><div class=\"sidenote-title\">Sidenote.<\/div>&nbsp;I have a premium account with freepik, which allows me to use the map without attribution. You can download the same map with a free account, but you\u2019ll need to credit freepik per their instructions.<\/div>\n<p>Then it was just a case of putting it all together in Photoshop\u2026<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"703\" height=\"673\" class=\"wp-image-21577\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/tiger-smile.gif\" alt=\"tiger smile\"><\/p>\n<p>And launching it on the site with a (brief) write-up.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"726\" height=\"793\" class=\"wp-image-21538\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/tiger-live.png\" alt=\"tiger live\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/tiger-live.png 726w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/tiger-live-389x425.png 389w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 726px) 100vw, 726px\"><\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/noobnorm.com\/tiger-woods-earnings-per-state\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Here\u2019s the link to the finished piece if you want to take a look<\/a><\/em><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n<h4>Option 3: Advanced Maps With CSS\/jQuery\/SVG<\/h4>\n<p>There\u2019s a third way to create maps, which involves using CSS, jQuery and an SVG&nbsp;map.<\/p>\n<p>An example is <a href=\"https:\/\/brainlaw.com\/youth-tackle-football\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this interactive map of Youth Tackle Football legislation<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1062\" height=\"654\" class=\"wp-image-21559\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/tackle-football-map.png\" alt=\"tackle football map\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/tackle-football-map.png 1062w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/tackle-football-map-768x473.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/tackle-football-map-680x419.png 680w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1062px) 100vw, 1062px\"><\/p>\n<p>You can get some really nice results with this method. And as a bonus, your map will be fully responsive.<\/p>\n<p>But <a href=\"https:\/\/websitebeaver.com\/how-to-make-an-interactive-and-responsive-svg-map-of-us-states-capitals\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">it\u2019s a bit technical<\/a>, so I would only recommend it if you\u2019re comfortable with a bit of coding.<\/p>\n<h3>Step 5: Tactical Promotion<\/h3>\n<p>Now for the critical part. No point in creating cool content if no-one ever gets to see it&nbsp;right?<\/p>\n<p>So what\u2019s the&nbsp;plan?<\/p>\n<p>First up, I would recommend getting a bit of social traction before you begin email outreach.<\/p>\n<p>You might want&nbsp;to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Submit your content to a relevant subreddit<\/li>\n<li>Run some FB&nbsp;ads<\/li>\n<li>Submit to StumbleUpon<\/li>\n<li>Share in your other social channels (Pinterest, Twitter etc)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you\u2019re really lucky, your graphic will go bananas, get tens of thousands of views, and pick up links under its own&nbsp;steam.<\/p>\n<p>But most of the&nbsp;time\u2026<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019re going to need to hustle hard to get those high-quality backlinks.<\/p>\n<p>(don\u2019t worry, by \u201chustle\u201d I don\u2019t mean sending&nbsp;THOUSANDS of outreach emails)<\/p>\n<p>The good&nbsp;news?<\/p>\n<p>Building our prospect list is going to be a piece of cake. We\u2019re looking for journalists and bloggers who have been writing about our topic recently.<\/p>\n<p>Our first port of call? Google news.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1191\" height=\"759\" class=\"wp-image-21555\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/tiger-woods-google-news.png\" alt=\"tiger woods google news\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/tiger-woods-google-news.png 1191w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/tiger-woods-google-news-260x166.png 260w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/tiger-woods-google-news-768x489.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/tiger-woods-google-news-667x425.png 667w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1191px) 100vw, 1191px\"><\/p>\n<p>And next up, we\u2019ll run a Google search with the date range set to the past&nbsp;week.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1199\" height=\"583\" class=\"wp-image-21557\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/tiger-woods-google-searh.png\" alt=\"tiger woods google searh\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/tiger-woods-google-searh.png 1199w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/tiger-woods-google-searh-768x373.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/tiger-woods-google-searh-680x331.png 680w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1199px) 100vw, 1199px\"><\/p>\n<p>I have Google set to show 100 results per page. So looks like we have 200+ articles written about Tiger in the past 7 days.&nbsp;Nice&nbsp;\ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"659\" height=\"677\" class=\"wp-image-21544\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/google-results.png\" alt=\"google results\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/google-results.png 659w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/google-results-414x425.png 414w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 659px) 100vw, 659px\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"recommendation\"><div class=\"recommendation-title\">Pro tip: Set Up An Ahrefs Alert For \u201cReal Time\u201d Backlink Opportunities<\/div><div class=\"recommendation-content\">\n<p>When a topic is trending you\u2019ll want to keep up with opportunities as new articles are posted on the&nbsp;web.<\/p>\n<p>The easiest way to do&nbsp;that?<\/p>\n<p>Set up an Ahrefs alert.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll then get a daily email with new articles containing your target keyword that Ahrefs has found while crawling the&nbsp;net.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"916\" height=\"617\" class=\"wp-image-21560\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/ahrefs-alert-email.png\" alt=\"ahrefs alert email\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/ahrefs-alert-email.png 916w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/ahrefs-alert-email-768x517.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/ahrefs-alert-email-631x425.png 631w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 916px) 100vw, 916px\"><\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s how to do&nbsp;it.<\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/alerts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Alerts<\/a><\/em><em>&nbsp;&gt; Mentions &gt; \u201c+ New&nbsp;Alert\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Enter your keyword in the \u201cSearch query\u201d box, then hit \u201cAdd\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"738\" height=\"651\" class=\"wp-image-21575\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/ahrefs-new-alert.png\" alt=\"ahrefs new alert\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/ahrefs-new-alert.png 738w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/ahrefs-new-alert-482x425.png 482w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 738px) 100vw, 738px\"><\/p>\n<p>And that\u2019s it.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll now get outreach opportunities delivered daily to your&nbsp;inbox.<\/p>\n<p>Cool huh?<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Fill up a spreadsheet with:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>the URL of each&nbsp;page<\/li>\n<li>the name of the journalist\/blogger who wrote the article<\/li>\n<li>their direct email address.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>How do you get their email address?<\/p>\n<p>There are a few ways. Ahrefs\u2019 Nick Churick put together <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/find-email-address\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a solid guide here on some of the best tactics<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Personally, I\u2019ve found that if it\u2019s not immediately obvious (i.e., shown in the article or their bio page), <a href=\"https:\/\/hunter.io\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">hunter.io<\/a>&nbsp;has the highest hit&nbsp;rate.<\/p>\n<p>Grab the name of the person you want to reach, the domain, then use their \u201cFinder\u201d tool.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"841\" height=\"482\" class=\"wp-image-21539\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/hunter-example.png\" alt=\"hunter example\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/hunter-example.png 841w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/hunter-example-768x440.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/hunter-example-680x390.png 680w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 841px) 100vw, 841px\"><\/p>\n<p>Sweet! The green tick means Hunter is fairly certain this email is accurate.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommendation\"><div class=\"recommendation-title\">Pro tip<\/div><div class=\"recommendation-content\">\n<p>Only send an email to a generic email address\/contact form as a last resort.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll get MUCH more joy contacting writers directly.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Now it\u2019s time to&nbsp;pitch.<\/p>\n<p>And I\u2019m going to contradict a lot of the advice you\u2019ll read about outreach here.<\/p>\n<p>Why? Because journalists are busy people. They don\u2019t have time for \u201cI did this, want to see&nbsp;it?\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t try to be Derren Brown. Just get to the&nbsp;point.<\/p>\n<p>If your content\/takeaway interests them they\u2019ll pick it up. If it doesn\u2019t? Then no matter how clever your email is, you won\u2019t get a&nbsp;reply.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what I&nbsp;sent:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"652\" height=\"574\" class=\"wp-image-21565\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/email-pitch.png\" alt=\"email pitch\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/email-pitch.png 652w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/email-pitch-483x425.png 483w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 652px) 100vw, 652px\"><\/p>\n<p>In case you want to use something similar, let me quickly break it&nbsp;down.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Use their first&nbsp;name.<\/li>\n<li>Be nice.<\/li>\n<li>Briefly, mention that you were reading their related piece.<\/li>\n<li>Tell them what you\u2019ve got.<\/li>\n<li>Attach your graphic to the email. Link to the full&nbsp;piece.<\/li>\n<li>No need to ask for a link, share or whatever. If they like it, they\u2019ll know what to&nbsp;do.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>NOTE.<\/strong>&nbsp;the exception to point 6 is if they reply saying something like \u201cthis is cool!\u201d but haven\u2019t done anything with it after a couple of days. At that point, you might as well go for it and straight out ask for a link. Sometimes it&nbsp;works.<\/p>\n<h4>It\u2019s OK to Follow Up\u2026&nbsp;Once<\/h4>\n<p>If you don\u2019t get a response to your first email, try following up in a couple of days. You can then reference other publications that have picked it&nbsp;up.<\/p>\n<p>So you could&nbsp;say:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cJust wondering if you managed to check out {X}? We\u2019ve had some great feedback, and it\u2019s already been picked up by {Y,&nbsp;Z}.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>I wouldn\u2019t bother sending more than one follow-up email though.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t be that guy that sends automated follow-up emails every day, until finally the sun expands into a red giant during the throes of death and vaporizes the Earth. It\u2019s just annoying. And there won\u2019t be anyone left alive to enjoy your content anyway. Apart from maybe the superintelligent silicon-based life form which evolved from RankBrain, wiped out humanity, and took over the universe.<\/p>\n<p>Anyway\u2026 getting back on point. Let\u2019s take a look at the results.<\/p>\n<h3>The Results of This Campaign<\/h3>\n<p>So how did I my map&nbsp;do?<\/p>\n<p>Well, I\u2019m glad to say it got some great placements. Here are some of the notable ones.<\/p>\n<p>The Big Lead (part of USA Today):&nbsp;DR 74<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"699\" height=\"682\" class=\"wp-image-21543\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/usatoday.png\" alt=\"usatoday\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/usatoday.png 699w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/usatoday-436x425.png 436w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 699px) 100vw, 699px\"><\/p>\n<p>The Score: DR75<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"692\" height=\"740\" class=\"wp-image-21546\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/thescore.png\" alt=\"thescore\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/thescore.png 692w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/thescore-397x425.png 397w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 692px) 100vw, 692px\"><\/p>\n<p>Golf Digest: DR&nbsp;81<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"695\" height=\"539\" class=\"wp-image-21564\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/golfdigest.png\" alt=\"golfdigest\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/golfdigest.png 695w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/golfdigest-548x425.png 548w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 695px) 100vw, 695px\"><\/p>\n<p>BroBible: DR74<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"676\" height=\"781\" class=\"wp-image-21548\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/brobible.png\" alt=\"brobible\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/brobible.png 676w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/brobible-368x425.png 368w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 676px) 100vw, 676px\"><\/p>\n<p>FHM: DR73<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"696\" height=\"779\" class=\"wp-image-21568\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/fhm.png\" alt=\"fhm\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/fhm.png 696w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/fhm-380x425.png 380w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\"><\/p>\n<p>Yahoo Sports: DR89<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1106\" height=\"769\" class=\"wp-image-21542\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/yahoo-sports.png\" alt=\"yahoo sports\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/yahoo-sports.png 1106w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/yahoo-sports-768x534.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/yahoo-sports-611x425.png 611w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1106px) 100vw, 1106px\"><\/p>\n<p>These are all super high-quality links, from mega trusted domains.<\/p>\n<p>Exactly the kind I look to target with this type of content.<\/p>\n<p>But here\u2019s how to get even more out of&nbsp;it\u2026<\/p>\n<h2>Bonus: Get Even More Quality Backlinks With the \u201c1-2 Punch\u201d Technique<\/h2>\n<p>Question: what\u2019s better than <strong>one<\/strong>&nbsp;piece of content picking up a load of high-quality backlinks?<\/p>\n<p>Answer: <strong>two<\/strong>&nbsp;pieces of content picking up a load of high-quality backlinks.<\/p>\n<p>And that\u2019s what the 1-2 Punch technique is all&nbsp;about.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve heard that to get great links to your site you should build relationships with potential linkers.<\/p>\n<p>Well, it\u2019s good advice.<\/p>\n<p>So now I\u2019ll reveal something cool\u2026<\/p>\n<p>This wasn\u2019t the first study I put together based around golf. It was the second.<\/p>\n<p>Because a few months prior to our Tiger Woods map, I published <a href=\"https:\/\/noobnorm.com\/golfers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this one<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"700\" class=\"wp-image-21537\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/earnings-per-shot2.png\" alt=\"earnings per shot2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/earnings-per-shot2.png 900w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/earnings-per-shot2-768x597.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/earnings-per-shot2-546x425.png 546w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\"><\/p>\n<p>Which also included stats for&nbsp;Tiger\u2026<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"646\" class=\"wp-image-21561\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/tiger-woods.png\" alt=\"tiger woods\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/tiger-woods.png 800w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/tiger-woods-768x620.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/tiger-woods-526x425.png 526w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"><\/p>\n<p>The visual wasn\u2019t a map that time. It was a chart. But again, the content and promotion followed the TRUST formula:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>T<\/strong>rending topic: Start of the new golf season + Tiger&nbsp;Woods.<\/li>\n<li><strong>R<\/strong>esearch and analysis: how much had each golfer earned per shot (analyzing PGA tour&nbsp;data).<\/li>\n<li><strong>U<\/strong>nique takeaway: Tiger Woods has earned more per shot than any other golfer.<\/li>\n<li><strong>S<\/strong>imple visual: Complex data in easily digestible charts.<\/li>\n<li><strong>T<\/strong>actical promotion: Journalists who were covering the new golf season\/Tiger Woods.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>And you\u2019ll recognize some of the linking sites\u2026<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"wp-image-21573\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/tiger-woods-link.jpg\" alt=\"tiger woods link\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/tiger-woods-link.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/tiger-woods-link-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/tiger-woods-link-638x425.jpg 638w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><\/p>\n<p>It also picked some other great links, including CityAM (DR83), and news.com.au (DR90).<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"576\" class=\"wp-image-21550\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/cityam-newscomau.jpg\" alt=\"cityam newscomau\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/cityam-newscomau.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/cityam-newscomau-768x369.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/cityam-newscomau-680x326.jpg 680w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><\/p>\n<p>Plus mentions in print publications like The Express, and The Daily Record.<\/p>\n<h3>Why the 1-2 Punch&nbsp;Works<\/h3>\n<p>You\u2019ve built up a relationship with relevant journalists\/editors.<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019ve already linked to your&nbsp;site.<\/p>\n<p>So it will be much easier to get them to take a look at your new, related content\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u2026 and grab a fresh batch of quality backlinks&nbsp;\ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n<h3>Why It\u2019s Powerful<\/h3>\n<p>We\u2019re trying to gain Google\u2019s trust.<\/p>\n<p>And pulling in a ton of high-quality links is going to help with&nbsp;that.<\/p>\n<p>But here\u2019s the problem:<\/p>\n<p>That piece could have been a one-off.<\/p>\n<p>Google might agree to come out on a date with us, but she\u2019s not going to introduce us to her parents just&nbsp;yet.<\/p>\n<p>What we need to do is show Google that we\u2019re <strong>consistently<\/strong>&nbsp;putting out content that authority sites want to link&nbsp;to.<\/p>\n<p>So if something works well, do it&nbsp;again\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u2026and deliver that 1-2 punch of trust building links.<\/p>\n<h3>Pro Tip: Try Using the&nbsp;FOMO<\/h3>\n<p>I know I said not to try to be Derren Brown.<\/p>\n<p>But\u2026<\/p>\n<p>When promoting a second piece of content, there is one little trick that can sometimes work.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s called the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fear_of_missing_out\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Fear Of Missing Out<\/a>\u201d (FOMO).<\/p>\n<p>If you didn\u2019t get a link from a target publication first time around, you could try using the fact their competitors picked up your content as&nbsp;bait.<\/p>\n<p>Something like\u2026<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cA few months back we published {X}. It went down really well and was picked up by sites like {competitor} and {competitor}.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Just wanted to give you a heads up that we\u2019ve just published a new study on {Y}\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>And if you REALLY want that link, you could even&nbsp;say:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cBe happy to give you an exclusive on this one if you wanted to cover&nbsp;it?\u201d.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>If you\u2019re lucky, your Jedi mind tricks will nab you that&nbsp;link!<\/p>\n<h2>The Impact of Trust Building, High-Quality Backlinks<\/h2>\n<p>Let\u2019s not beat about the&nbsp;bush.<\/p>\n<p>The reason we want those high-quality backlinks is to increase our Google traffic, right?<\/p>\n<p>So did it&nbsp;work?<\/p>\n<p>Yep.<\/p>\n<p>The overview report in <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ahrefs Site Explorer<\/a>&nbsp;shows a clear correlation between quality links coming in, and a jump in search visibility.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"907\" height=\"365\" class=\"wp-image-21569\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/referring-domains.png\" alt=\"referring domains\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/referring-domains.png 907w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/referring-domains-768x309.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/referring-domains-680x274.png 680w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 907px) 100vw, 907px\"><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"899\" height=\"343\" class=\"wp-image-21540\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/organic-traffic.png\" alt=\"organic traffic\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/organic-traffic.png 899w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/organic-traffic-768x293.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/organic-traffic-680x259.png 680w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 899px) 100vw, 899px\"><\/p>\n<p>And when the links from the first piece kicked in, the site went from effectively ZERO, to 350-400 organic visits a&nbsp;day.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"709\" height=\"193\" class=\"wp-image-21570\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/analytics.png\" alt=\"analytics\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/analytics.png 709w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/analytics-680x185.png 680w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 100vw, 709px\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>NOTE.<\/strong>&nbsp;If you\u2019re a believer in the <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/google-sandbox\/\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/google-sandbox-2-0-know\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Google \u201csandbox\u201d<\/a>, I should point out that this site launched in August 2017.<\/p>\n<p>The takeaway? These are links that really do move the needle.<\/p>\n<h2>Will This Link Building Tactic Still Work in a Year\u2019s Time?<\/h2>\n<p>Link building tactics come and&nbsp;go.<\/p>\n<p>And often, when something works\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u2026it gets spammed to death then doesn\u2019t work anymore. I\u2019m looking at you scholarship links.<\/p>\n<p>But the good news is, there\u2019s no way to fake&nbsp;this.<\/p>\n<p>This is white hat link building in its purest form.<\/p>\n<p>Jump on a trending topic. Create something cool. Get it in front of the right people.<\/p>\n<p>Trust me, that\u2019s going nowhere.<\/p>\n<h2>Over to&nbsp;You<\/h2>\n<p>Ready to use the TRUST formula to pull in high-quality backlinks for your&nbsp;site?<\/p>\n<p>Got an idea for a visual or a&nbsp;map?<\/p>\n<p>As always, any questions or comments, just leave them below. And for more link building advice, <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/link-building\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/link-building\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">check out our noob friendly guide to link building<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>And I showed how simple maps like&nbsp;this\u2026 \u2026 were picking up INSANE results like&nbsp;this: But, two years down the line, are maps still bringing the backlink bacon&nbsp;home? In a&nbsp;word: Yup. At the end of my previous post, I also promised<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":89,"featured_media":21584,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[76],"tags":[],"coauthors":[359],"class_list":["post-24329","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-link-building","odd"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Get High-Quality Backlinks With the TRUST Formula [Case Study]<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how David McSweeney used the TRUST formula to build high-quality links from USA Today, Yahoo Sports, FHM, and other top sites.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/the-trust-formula\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Get High-Quality Backlinks With the TRUST Formula [Case Study]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Here&#039;s the formula David used to build links from USA Today, FHM, Yahoo Sports, and other top sites.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/the-trust-formula\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SEO Blog by Ahrefs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Ahrefs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-06-18T22:11:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-08-18T02:16:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/fb-how-to-get-high-quality-backlinks.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"951\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"495\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"David McSweeney\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Here&#039;s the formula David used to build links from USA Today, FHM, Yahoo Sports, and other top sites.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@top5seo\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ahrefs\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/the-trust-formula\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/the-trust-formula\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"David McSweeney\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/297340a3e48a6179a6ef083b67fdc0dd\"},\"headline\":\"How to Get High-Quality Backlinks With the TRUST Formula [Case&nbsp;Study]\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-06-18T22:11:01+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-08-18T02:16:22+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/the-trust-formula\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":3549,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/the-trust-formula\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2018\\\/06\\\/fb-how-to-get-high-quality-backlinks.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Link Building\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/the-trust-formula\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/the-trust-formula\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/the-trust-formula\\\/\",\"name\":\"How to Get High-Quality Backlinks With the TRUST Formula [Case Study]\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/the-trust-formula\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/the-trust-formula\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2018\\\/06\\\/fb-how-to-get-high-quality-backlinks.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-06-18T22:11:01+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-08-18T02:16:22+00:00\",\"description\":\"Learn how David McSweeney used the TRUST formula to build high-quality links from USA Today, Yahoo Sports, FHM, and other top sites.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/the-trust-formula\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/the-trust-formula\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2018\\\/06\\\/fb-how-to-get-high-quality-backlinks.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2018\\\/06\\\/fb-how-to-get-high-quality-backlinks.png\",\"width\":951,\"height\":495},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"SEO Blog by Ahrefs\",\"description\":\"Link Building Strategies &amp; SEO Tips\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Ahrefs\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/06\\\/ahrefs-logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/06\\\/ahrefs-logo.png\",\"width\":2048,\"height\":768,\"caption\":\"Ahrefs\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/Ahrefs\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/ahrefs\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/ahrefs\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/c\\\/ahrefscom\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/297340a3e48a6179a6ef083b67fdc0dd\",\"name\":\"David McSweeney\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/12\\\/david-upwork.jpgabbe5b58d112cc3d3a25dce32a20a478\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/12\\\/david-upwork.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/12\\\/david-upwork.jpg\",\"caption\":\"David McSweeney\"},\"description\":\"David is the owner of Top5SEO and a white hat SEO evangelist. SEO case studies make him a lot happier than they should, and he has a tendency to overuse ellipses...\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/www.top5seo.co.uk\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/in\\\/david-mcsweeney-79840154\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/top5seo\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/david-mcsweeney\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Get High-Quality Backlinks With the TRUST Formula [Case Study]","description":"Learn how David McSweeney used the TRUST formula to build high-quality links from USA Today, Yahoo Sports, FHM, and other top sites.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/the-trust-formula\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Get High-Quality Backlinks With the TRUST Formula [Case Study]","og_description":"Here's the formula David used to build links from USA Today, FHM, Yahoo Sports, and other top sites.","og_url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/the-trust-formula\/","og_site_name":"SEO Blog by Ahrefs","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Ahrefs\/","article_published_time":"2018-06-18T22:11:01+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-08-18T02:16:22+00:00","og_image":[{"width":951,"height":495,"url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/fb-how-to-get-high-quality-backlinks.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"David McSweeney","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_description":"Here's the formula David used to build links from USA Today, FHM, Yahoo Sports, and other top sites.","twitter_creator":"@top5seo","twitter_site":"@ahrefs","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/the-trust-formula\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/the-trust-formula\/"},"author":{"name":"David McSweeney","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/297340a3e48a6179a6ef083b67fdc0dd"},"headline":"How to Get High-Quality Backlinks With the TRUST Formula [Case&nbsp;Study]","datePublished":"2018-06-18T22:11:01+00:00","dateModified":"2023-08-18T02:16:22+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/the-trust-formula\/"},"wordCount":3549,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/the-trust-formula\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/fb-how-to-get-high-quality-backlinks.png","articleSection":["Link Building"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/the-trust-formula\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/the-trust-formula\/","url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/the-trust-formula\/","name":"How to Get High-Quality Backlinks With the TRUST Formula [Case Study]","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/the-trust-formula\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/the-trust-formula\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/fb-how-to-get-high-quality-backlinks.png","datePublished":"2018-06-18T22:11:01+00:00","dateModified":"2023-08-18T02:16:22+00:00","description":"Learn how David McSweeney used the TRUST formula to build high-quality links from USA Today, Yahoo Sports, FHM, and other top sites.","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/the-trust-formula\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/the-trust-formula\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/fb-how-to-get-high-quality-backlinks.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/fb-how-to-get-high-quality-backlinks.png","width":951,"height":495},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/","name":"SEO Blog by Ahrefs","description":"Link Building Strategies &amp; SEO Tips","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Ahrefs","url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/ahrefs-logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/ahrefs-logo.png","width":2048,"height":768,"caption":"Ahrefs"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Ahrefs\/","https:\/\/x.com\/ahrefs","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/ahrefs\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/ahrefscom"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/297340a3e48a6179a6ef083b67fdc0dd","name":"David McSweeney","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/david-upwork.jpgabbe5b58d112cc3d3a25dce32a20a478","url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/david-upwork.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/david-upwork.jpg","caption":"David McSweeney"},"description":"David is the owner of Top5SEO and a white hat SEO evangelist. SEO case studies make him a lot happier than they should, and he has a tendency to overuse ellipses...","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.top5seo.co.uk","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/david-mcsweeney-79840154","https:\/\/x.com\/top5seo"],"url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/author\/david-mcsweeney\/"}]}},"as_json":null,"json_reviewers":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24329","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/89"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24329"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24329\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21584"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24329"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24329"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24329"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=24329"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}