How we review HARO link building agencies
A seven-step method applied identically to every agency, ending in a weighted score out of 10 that you can take apart and argue with.
Discovery and screening
We search for agencies that sell journalist-request link building under any name: HARO, Connectively, Qwoted, Featured, SOS, “expert quote links” or digital PR. Anyone whose product is really press-release syndication, a private blog network or paid placements dressed as editorial does not make the shortlist.
- Journalist-request service confirmed on the live site
- Syndication, PBN and paid-placement resellers removed
- Look-alike brands separated from each other
Company and legal check
We look the brand up at Companies House or the equivalent registry, confirm the address exists and whether it is a virtual office, check who the directors are and match the legal entity named in the terms to a company that is actually trading.
- Registry status and incorporation date
- Real premises or virtual office
- Entity in the terms matches a live company
Pricing and terms
Per-link cost, package sizes, minimum order, what is billed (do-follow only?), DR and traffic floors, refund and replacement rules, cancellation fees and contract length. Where prices differ between pages, we record every version.
- Effective price per delivered link
- Refund, replacement and cancellation clauses
- Consistency across the site
Process and platform coverage
Which request platforms are monitored, who writes the pitches, whether you approve them, how fast the agency responds to queries, what gets linked (homepage or deep pages) and how long until the first placement.
- Platforms monitored beyond HARO
- Pitch authorship and approval
- Realistic turnaround statements
Placement evidence
We open the example placements and case studies, confirm the quote and link are live, and look at the linking site’s authority and traffic. Anonymous case studies, logo walls of publications and screenshots without URLs count for little.
- Live example URLs checked
- Named clients versus anonymous charts
- Affiliated clients flagged
Reputation and trust signals
Trustpilot, Clutch, G2, Google and Reddit are searched for every brand. On-site testimonials are weighted low, and claims such as “200 Trustpilot reviews” are checked against the actual profile.
- Third-party review platforms
- Press coverage versus paid releases
- Template leftovers and placeholder content
Scoring and re-checks
Each criterion gets a score out of 10, weighted into a final score. Every agency is re-checked at least quarterly, and whenever an agency sends us evidence we update the review and the date.
- Pricing and terms 25%
- Process and platforms 20%
- Placement evidence 25%
- Transparency and reputation 20%
- Support and reporting 10%
The scoring rubric
Five criteria, one weighted total. The same weights apply to every agency.
Effective cost per link, minimums, refund and replacement policy, consistency of published prices
Platforms monitored, pitch authorship and approval, response speed, link placement rules
Live example URLs, named clients, quality and relevance of linking sites
Registry footprint, real address, third-party reviews, honesty of marketing claims
Reports, dashboards, replacement handling, contract flexibility
Still have questions?
Tell us which agencies you are weighing up and we will point you to the evidence, usually within two working days.