10/30/2026 · By The Comppound Gecko
HARO Alternatives for SaaS Link Building: Journalist Request Platforms
The main HARO alternatives are Qwoted, Featured, Source of Sources and Connectively, along with regional services such as ResponseSource. HARO itself also still exists, after a confusing few years. For a SaaS company, the platform matters less than how you use it: answer only the requests you're truly qualified for, with something specific that a writer can quote as is.
These services connect journalists and writers looking for sources with experts willing to comment. A placement can bring a link, a mention and real credibility, particularly for a founder. They also attract a lot of low-quality pitches, so a short, expert answer stands out.
What happened to HARO
If you stopped paying attention a while ago, here's the short version. HARO (Help a Reporter Out) was owned by Cision, which rebranded it as Connectively in 2024 and then announced that it would shut down in December of that year. In April 2025, Cision sold HARO to Featured.com, which brought it back as an email service. Featured has since said it's reviving the Connectively brand too.
So older "HARO is dead" articles are out of date, and those describing these services can quickly become so as well. Before you sign up for anything, check the service's own site for its current terms, pricing and rules.
The main options
Rather than a ranking that'll soon be outdated, here's how they tend to differ. Confirm the details yourself, as plans and features change.
| Platform | How it works | Worth trying if |
|---|---|---|
| HARO | Requests by email | You want a familiar, simple starting point |
| Featured | Answer expert questions that may be published on partner sites | You want a large volume of questions |
| Connectively | Journalist request platform, relaunched by Featured | You want to compare it with HARO under the same owner |
| Qwoted | A marketplace for journalists and experts, with profiles and matching | You value a more structured process and profile |
| Source of Sources | A newsletter of requests, run by HARO's founder | You want a simple email without a platform |
| ResponseSource | UK-focused journalist enquiry service | You're looking for UK coverage |
You should also watch the informal channels. Journalists post requests on LinkedIn and X, often using tags such as #journorequest. They cost nothing, and they're a good way to find writers who cover your space. Build a relationship there, and you may not need a platform for the next story.
How to tell whether this is a good fit
Say you run a 20-person SaaS for managing payroll compliance. Your founder spent ten years in payroll, so they can offer real opinions on contractor classification and multi-state rules. That's a strong position. A journalist writing about payroll errors would like to hear from them.
It's a weaker fit if your company has no one with expertise to share, or if you only want links. Writers can tell, and they often want a real person with a real title and real experience. Don't have an agency invent a persona or write as an expert who doesn't exist. Beyond being dishonest, this can blow up if it's noticed, and journalists have become increasingly wary of made-up experts and AI-written responses.
How to answer a request well
Most responses fail for simple reasons. Here's what works.
Answer only what fits. A filter on your expertise matters more than volume. If you're a payroll expert and the request is about general leadership advice, skip it. A dozen good answers beat a hundred generic ones.
Be quick. Journalists often take the first few useful responses, and the deadlines can be short. Set up an alert for your topics, and have someone able to respond the same day.
Answer the question in your first line. Don't begin with who you are. Start with the quote itself, then add your credentials.
Give specifics that only you could. That means a real example, an unusual opinion or something you've seen in your work, as opposed to general advice anyone could write. Compare the two:
Weak: "Contractor misclassification is a serious issue, and companies should take care to follow the rules."
Stronger: "The mistake I see most is companies treating a contractor as an employee in practice, such as setting their hours, while paying them on a 1099. It's usually the day-to-day manager, not HR, who creates the risk without knowing."
Only state what's true. If you share a number, it needs to be real, with a source you can name. Don't inflate your results to get quoted. If a writer checks it and it fails, you've lost more than that one article.
Make it easy to use. Include your name, title, company and a link, along with a headshot URL if requested. Use plain text, keep to a few short paragraphs, and follow the request's instructions exactly.
Don't pitch your product. Your company's name appears with your title, and that's enough.
AI tools can help you find relevant requests and tidy up a draft. Sending purely AI-generated answers is a poor idea, though. Writers see many of them, some platforms and journalists screen for them, and an answer with no first-hand knowledge isn't worth quoting anyway. Some requests explicitly prohibit them, so read each one.
What to expect from the links
Be realistic about the results. You'll send many responses for each placement, and some won't include a link, may be nofollow or may not tell you when they go live. That's all normal. Set up a brand mention alert so that you notice the coverage, and politely ask for a link where it's missing.
Judge each placement by the publication, too. A quote in a trade publication your buyers read is valuable, even without a followed link, whereas a link on a site that exists mainly to publish expert roundups may be worth very little. Be careful of responses that offer payment for inclusion, as those fall under Google's link spam policy unless the link is properly qualified.
For the payroll SaaS, a good first target is a handful of placements in HR and finance publications over a few months. Beyond the links, these give sales something to show prospects, and they add credibility to your founder's bio. See E-E-A-T for SaaS content.
Why this matters for AI answers
An expert quote in a publication is exactly the kind of text AI systems may read. If a respected outlet quotes your founder as a payroll compliance expert from your company, that helps to associate your brand with the topic, with or without a link. Test it with your monthly prompt set and note which publications get cited. Those are the ones to target. Brand mentions and LLM visibility has more on the idea.
Make it a small routine
- Sign up for one or two services. Add others only when you've exhausted those.
- Filter by topic, so you see only a few relevant requests per day.
- Prepare proof points in advance. Keep a document of your founder's stories, opinions and any verified data. It lets you respond quickly while staying accurate.
- Assign responsibility. One person screens. The expert approves anything that goes out under their name.
- Track it. Note the query, date, publication, outcome and link.
Review after three months, and drop whatever isn't producing anything. Look at the other routes for earning links, since this is only one channel. Podcasts in particular can be a good fit for the same expertise. See podcast guesting for SaaS founders.
If you want a wider plan for earning coverage alongside your content, see how we approach SEO for B2B SaaS.
Frequently Asked Questions
Reports indicate that it is. Cision sold it to Featured.com in 2025, which relaunched it as an email service. Check HARO's own site for the current terms, as these services have changed several times.
It depends on your market and how you like to work. Qwoted, Featured, Source of Sources and Connectively are common choices, and ResponseSource is useful in the UK. Trying one or two will tell you more than any ranking.
They can, especially when they come from relevant publications. Some are nofollow, or come without links at all, but coverage can still build credibility and help AI systems associate you with your topic.
Use it to filter requests and tidy your drafts, not to invent the expertise. Writers want first-hand knowledge, and many requests prohibit AI-generated responses.
Still have questions? Talk to our team.
The Comppound Gecko
SEO and AI search for B2B SaaS
Comppound plans, produces and publishes search content for B2B SaaS companies. Every article is researched and drafted with AI, then reviewed by a member of the team for accuracy, clarity and usefulness before it is published.
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