HARO Link Building Review (2026)

Overview

HARO Link Building (harolinkbuilding.com) launched in 2022 and operates from Unit 1, 5 Murray Street, Paisley, the premises of Skills Training Group. The website presents Rameez Ghayas Usmani, who also runs Outreaching.io, as founder; Crunchbase and the entrepreneur’s own site credit Scottish businessman Mark McShane, whose company occupies the address. The site never explains the split, and the only legal entity named in its terms, Cupid PR Limited, was dissolved in July 2025, so ask who will invoice you.

Every page carries a disclaimer that the agency is not affiliated with HARO or helpareporter.com, which is more candour than most competitors manage.

What they sell

• Expert quote links (HARO-style): the core product, from $220 per link, DR 50–90, two to three links a month.
• Guest posts: from $175 per link in DR 35+, 45+ and 60+ tiers, three to four weeks.
• Niche edits: from $159 per link on sites with 1,000+ monthly Ahrefs traffic.
• PR editorial release: from $199 per campaign, a minimum of 350 mostly no-follow syndication links.

The last three are bought links in all but name. They are priced honestly, but if you came for earned editorial links, stick to the first product.

Pricing and terms

You pay in advance and only for do-follow links. Refunds are offered “only if we are unable to secure placements”, although the terms describe a proportional refund minus a 4% fee if you cancel mid-campaign; the two statements are not reconciled. Links that disappear within six months are not charged. There is no long-term contract, no published bundle pricing and no retainer figure.

At $220 a link with no minimum package, this is the simplest pricing in our group, and the six-month no-charge rule is a fair answer to the biggest risk in HARO work, links that vanish after publication.

Process and platforms

Each pitch is handled by a marketer who selects the query and supplies the key points and a copywriter who drafts the answer; the marketer checks the business details before it goes out. The agency says it monitors six platforms, including HARO (Featured.com), Qwoted, Help a B2B Writer and ResponseSource, and claims a 12% pitch-to-publication rate. Onboarding needs a real spokesperson with a headshot, a short bio and a LinkedIn profile.

Two design choices will not suit everyone. Clients do not pre-approve pitches, because speed wins on request platforms, so quotes go out under your name without review. And links point to your homepage with a branded anchor only, which is the safest possible profile but rules out deep-page targeting.

Placement evidence

The example-links page shows six live article URLs on SelectHub, Breezy.hr, the HubSpot blog, Thinkific, Family Handyman and American Express, with the agency’s own DR figures (72–93). The three case studies, Skills Training Group (220% traffic increase), Boiler Cover UK (DR 0 to 47 in six months) and On Site First Aid Training (DR 0 to 46), all concern businesses connected to Mark McShane, so they show what the agency can do for itself rather than for an unrelated client. The logo wall mixes publications with affiliated companies.

Reputation and trust signals

No Trustpilot, Clutch, G2 or Google profile exists for the agency as of October 22, 2026, and no Reddit threads mention it. A LinkedIn listicle’s claim of “200+ Trustpilot reviews at 4.9” is false; the profile does not exist. On-site testimonials come from SEO consultants and from an affiliated company. The homepage says “300+ founders, startups and agencies”; the About page says “over 100 clients”.

On the plus side, the address is real, the owner is traceable at Companies House, the blog is active and on-topic through at least January 2026, and the FAQ is frank about HARO’s shutdown and relaunch. Minor hygiene issues remain: social icons that point to twitter.com/home, a blank phone field and a few typos.

Support and reporting

You receive a link and pitch report with each delivery; there is no dashboard. White-label reports are available for agencies. Contact is by email and a web form.

Verdict

HARO Link Building is the agency to choose when you want a flat per-link price, a documented pitching process and a company you can look up, and you are content with two or three links a month starting around month two. It is not for brands that insist on approving every quote, need links quickly, or want deep-page links with keyword anchors. Ask which legal entity is contracting with you, get the refund rule confirmed in writing, and request a recent placement outside the owner’s own businesses.