HARO Statistics for 2025: [Success Rates & Trends]

The top HARO stats for 2025 are that 30% of PR professionals say HARO is one of their primary tools for media outreach, Over 60% of marketers use HARO as a key strategy for link building, and The average HARO backlink has a domain rating (DR) of 50+.

Understanding HARO statistics can help businesses and professionals optimize their media outreach strategies and measure the platform’s effectiveness. 

This article explores 140+ best HARO stats for 2025 and beyond.

1. HARO Platform Usage Statistics

1. HARO has over 1 million registered sources and 75,000 journalists using the platform (Source: Cision).
2. The platform sends out three emails per day with an average of 50 to 100 queries per email (Source: HARO).
3. Around 35% of HARO queries come from major news publications like Forbes, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal (Source: Cision).
4. HARO is used by journalists across multiple industries, with business and technology being the most active categories (Source: Cision).
5. More than 30% of PR professionals say HARO is one of their primary tools for media outreach (Source: PR Daily).
6. HARO queries are most frequent on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, making them the best days to send responses (Source: HARO).
7. Over 50% of HARO users are small business owners, freelancers, or startup founders (Source: PR Newswire).
8. Around 60% of HARO sources use the platform for SEO-driven backlink building (Source: Moz).
9. Nearly 80% of HARO journalists report using the platform at least once a week (Source: Cision).
10. HARO queries cover over 100 different topic categories, from business to lifestyle and healthcare (Source: HARO).
11. About 90% of HARO journalists work for digital publications rather than print media (Source: Cision).
12. The average journalist receives 100-300 responses per query, depending on the topic (Source: HARO).
13. HARO reports that about 60% of its sources are U.S.-based, while 40% are international (Source: Cision).
14. Approximately 20% of HARO users have been using the platform for over five years (Source: PR Newswire).
15. HARO competitors, such as Qwoted and Terkel, have seen a 30% increase in usage, though HARO remains the largest platform (Source: Moz).

2. HARO Success Rate Statistics

1. The average success rate for a HARO response is between 10-20%, depending on the pitch quality (Source: Moz).
2. Journalists typically respond to less than 5% of the pitches they receive via HARO (Source: Cision).
3. PR professionals with a well-crafted subject line see up to a 30% increase in response rates (Source: PR Daily).
4. Around 70% of successful HARO pitches include expert credentials in the response (Source: HARO).
5. About 50% of successful pitches contain original data or research (Source: Moz).
6. Responses under 200 words have a 25% higher chance of getting picked (Source: Cision).
7. Journalists prefer responses that are structured with bullet points or short paragraphs (Source: HARO).
8. Including a high-quality headshot increases response acceptance rates by 15% (Source: PR Newswire).
9. HARO sources who respond within the first hour of receiving the query have a 50% higher chance of being chosen (Source: Cision).
10. About 40% of successful HARO responses contain a link to an authoritative website or study (Source: Moz).
11. Journalists are 20% more likely to use a HARO pitch from a verified business email than a personal email (Source: HARO).
12. Pitches with a personalized greeting increase response chances by 10% (Source: PR Daily).
13. About 25% of successful HARO sources have been featured in major publications more than once (Source: Cision).
14. Journalists reject about 80% of pitches due to lack of relevance or promotional content (Source: HARO).
15. Using a press-ready quote increases pitch acceptance rates by 12% (Source: Moz).

3. HARO SEO Impact Statistics

1. HARO is responsible for generating thousands of high-authority backlinks each month (Source: Ahrefs).
2. Over 60% of marketers use HARO as a key strategy for link building (Source: Moz).
3. Links obtained through HARO have an average Domain Authority (DA) of 50 or higher (Source: Ahrefs).
4. About 45% of HARO backlinks come from news sites with DA above 70 (Source: Moz).
5. HARO-generated links increase organic search rankings by an average of 15% (Source: Ahrefs).
6. Websites that consistently use HARO for link building see a 20% growth in organic traffic over six months (Source: SEMrush).
7. HARO backlinks are considered “earned links,” which Google favors over paid links (Source: Google).
8. The average HARO placement provides an SEO value equivalent to $500–$1,000 in paid link-building campaigns (Source: Ahrefs).
9. HARO success rates in SEO-focused industries like finance and health are 20% higher than other industries (Source: Moz).
10. HARO placements help boost E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) for Google rankings (Source: Google).
11. Around 70% of SEO professionals incorporate HARO into their backlink strategy (Source: SEMrush).
12. HARO links are typically dofollow, providing direct SEO value (Source: Ahrefs).
13. The average referring domain rating for a HARO link is 60+ (Source: Moz).
14. HARO backlinks are more resistant to Google algorithm updates than traditional link-building methods (Source: Google).
15. Businesses using HARO regularly see a 30% increase in domain authority over time (Source: Ahrefs).

4. HARO Industry Adoption Statistics

1. Over 70% of digital PR professionals actively use HARO for media outreach (Source: PR Daily).
2. The technology sector is the most active on HARO, accounting for 25% of all queries (Source: Cision).
3. About 60% of healthcare and wellness professionals use HARO for industry exposure (Source: PR Newswire).
4. Finance and business professionals make up 30% of all HARO contributors (Source: Cision).
5. Over 50% of small business owners use HARO to gain brand recognition (Source: PR Daily).
6. Nonprofits and educational institutions represent about 15% of HARO queries (Source: HARO).
7. The legal industry has seen a 40% increase in HARO adoption in recent years (Source: PR Newswire).
8. Marketing agencies use HARO to build thought leadership, with 65% incorporating it into their strategies (Source: Moz).
9. HARO is widely used in e-commerce, with 45% of online business owners leveraging it for PR (Source: SEMrush).
10. Around 80% of journalists in the lifestyle and entertainment industry rely on HARO for expert sources (Source: Cision).
11. Real estate professionals use HARO for credibility building, with a 35% adoption rate (Source: PR Daily).
12. The travel and hospitality industry contributes to about 10% of HARO queries (Source: HARO).
13. Legal and financial experts see the highest success rates on HARO, at around 30% (Source: Moz).
14. SaaS companies report a 25% higher HARO response rate compared to other industries (Source: Ahrefs).
15. Over 50% of B2B companies include HARO in their PR and SEO strategies (Source: SEMrush).

5. HARO Journalist Behavior Statistics

1. About 90% of journalists prefer responses that provide direct, expert insight (Source: HARO).
2. Journalists reject 40% of pitches due to excessive self-promotion (Source: Cision).
3. Only 10% of HARO journalists explicitly require a backlink in their stories (Source: Moz).
4. Journalists spend an average of 5–10 seconds scanning each pitch before deciding whether to read further (Source: PR Newswire).
5. About 55% of journalists prioritize responses that contain relevant data or statistics (Source: HARO).
6. Journalists are 3x more likely to choose a response with a clearly stated professional title and credentials (Source: Cision).
7. HARO journalists often receive over 300 responses per query in competitive industries (Source: HARO).
8. About 75% of journalists prefer sources who have been previously published in media outlets (Source: PR Daily).
9. Journalists reject 20% of pitches due to lack of relevance to their query (Source: HARO).
10. About 35% of HARO journalists include their full name and publication in their queries (Source: Cision).
11. Journalists in niche industries, like cryptocurrency and AI, see fewer but higher-quality responses (Source: Moz).
12. Only 15% of journalists respond directly to sources they choose to feature (Source: HARO).
13. Journalists using HARO for breaking news are 50% more likely to select a source within the first two hours (Source: PR Newswire).
14. About 60% of journalists prefer pitches formatted with bullet points for readability (Source: HARO).
15. Journalists working in finance and healthcare are the most selective in their HARO responses (Source: Cision).

6. HARO Competitor Comparison Statistics

1. HARO holds about 65% of the market share among journalist-source matching platforms (Source: Moz).
2. Qwoted has grown by 30% annually but still has less than 20% of HARO’s user base (Source: Ahrefs).
3. Terkel, a newer competitor, has seen a 50% increase in adoption among small businesses (Source: SEMrush).
4. SourceBottle is popular in Australia but accounts for less than 5% of global journalist requests (Source: Cision).
5. Around 70% of PR professionals still consider HARO the most effective platform for media placements (Source: PR Daily).
6. JournoRequests, a Twitter-based alternative, is used by 25% of journalists alongside HARO (Source: Moz).
7. ProfNet, a premium alternative owned by Cision, has a smaller but more selective user base (Source: Cision).
8. HARO remains the most cost-effective PR tool, as its basic tier is free (Source: PR Newswire).
9. About 40% of SEO professionals prefer HARO over other outreach methods due to its domain authority potential (Source: Ahrefs).
10. Qwoted claims to have a 20% higher journalist engagement rate than HARO (Source: Qwoted).
11. HARO has more international users than ProfNet, which is mainly U.S.-focused (Source: Cision).
12. HARO sources report a 15% higher success rate in landing media placements compared to Qwoted (Source: PR Daily).
13. Nearly 80% of top-tier journalists still use HARO over newer competitors (Source: Moz).
14. SourceBottle and JournoRequests are used more frequently in lifestyle industries (Source: Cision).
15. HARO’s premium plans, which allow early query access, improve success rates by 20% (Source: HARO).

7. HARO Link-Building Effectiveness Statistics

1. Around 70% of marketers say HARO is one of their top link-building tools (Source: SEMrush).
2. The average HARO backlink has a domain rating (DR) of 50+ (Source: Ahrefs).
3. HARO-generated links can improve a site’s search engine ranking within 30 days (Source: Moz).
4. Websites using HARO regularly see a 15% increase in organic traffic (Source: Ahrefs).
5. About 50% of HARO backlinks come from sites with DA 70 or higher (Source: Moz).
6. HARO placements provide 3x more SEO value than guest posts (Source: SEMrush).
7. A single HARO placement can drive over 1,000 referral visitors to a website (Source: Ahrefs).
8. HARO links are more likely to be indexed by Google compared to traditional outreach links (Source: Moz).
9. The average HARO backlink contributes to a 5% increase in keyword rankings (Source: SEMrush).
10. HARO mentions increase brand authority and trustworthiness online (Source: Google).
11. Websites using HARO see a 20% higher domain authority improvement than those relying on paid backlinks (Source: Ahrefs).
12. HARO links are often placed in highly visible news sections, increasing traffic potential (Source: Moz).
13. Google’s algorithm favors HARO links because they come from reputable editorial sources (Source: Google).
14. HARO backlinks contribute to long-term SEO benefits, unlike short-term paid placements (Source: SEMrush).
15. HARO is one of the few ethical link-building methods endorsed by Google’s guidelines (Source: Google).

8. HARO Response Optimization Statistics

1. Responses sent within the first hour of receiving a HARO query have a 50% higher chance of success (Source: Cision).
2. About 75% of journalists prefer responses that are under 200 words (Source: HARO).
3. Pitches with bullet points are 30% more likely to be selected by journalists (Source: PR Daily).
4. Subject lines with the journalist’s name increase open rates by 20% (Source: Moz).
5. HARO sources who include relevant credentials in their responses see a 40% higher success rate (Source: PR Newswire).
6. Adding a high-resolution headshot to a pitch increases response acceptance by 15% (Source: HARO).
7. Journalists prefer responses that include direct quotes, increasing selection chances by 12% (Source: Cision).
8. Sources who provide unique data or insights have a 25% higher success rate (Source: Moz).
9. Pitches with overly promotional content are rejected 80% of the time (Source: HARO).
10. Using a press-ready response structure improves journalist selection rates by 10% (Source: PR Daily).
11. Including a professional email signature increases credibility and response chances by 18% (Source: HARO).
12. Journalists are 15% more likely to select pitches that cite authoritative sources (Source: Cision).
13. The best times to submit HARO responses are between 9:00 AM and 12:00 PM EST (Source: Moz).
14. Emails with subject lines between 6-10 words have the highest open rates (Source: PR Newswire).
15. Journalists favor pitches that address their query directly in the first two sentences (Source: HARO).

9. HARO Paid vs. Free Plan Statistics

1. HARO’s paid plans start at $19/month and offer early access to queries (Source: HARO).
2. Premium HARO users have a 20% higher response success rate than free users (Source: Cision).
3. Free HARO users receive queries at the same time as thousands of others, increasing competition (Source: Moz).
4. Paid plans allow users to set up keyword alerts, improving response efficiency by 30% (Source: HARO).
5. About 40% of HARO’s most successful contributors use a paid plan (Source: PR Daily).
6. HARO’s Advanced and Premium plans provide up to three profile links, increasing visibility (Source: HARO).
7. Paid subscribers can filter queries, reducing response time by 25% (Source: Cision).
8. Journalists are more likely to select sources from HARO’s Verified Expert program, available to paid users (Source: HARO).
9. HARO’s Basic plan remains the most popular, with 80% of users using it (Source: PR Newswire).
10. Premium users receive exclusive pitching tips, increasing pitch success by 15% (Source: HARO).
11. Free HARO users compete with an average of 200+ other responses per query (Source: Cision).
12. Paid users report a higher rate of backlinks from HARO placements (Source: Moz).
13. The highest HARO success rates come from users on the Advanced plan ($49/month) (Source: HARO).
14. HARO’s free plan is still an effective strategy, with a 10-15% average success rate (Source: Moz).
15. Premium HARO users have a higher likelihood of getting featured in major publications (Source: PR Daily).

10. HARO Challenges and Limitations Statistics

1. About 60% of HARO users say the biggest challenge is the high competition for journalist attention (Source: Cision).
2. HARO queries often receive over 300 responses, reducing individual chances of selection (Source: HARO).
3. Around 35% of pitches are ignored because they don’t directly answer the journalist’s question (Source: PR Daily).
4. Journalists reject 40% of pitches due to excessive self-promotion (Source: Cision).
5. Many HARO users find it time-consuming, with 50% saying they spend over five hours weekly on responses (Source: Moz).
6. HARO’s email-based system can be overwhelming, with 3–5 emails per day containing dozens of queries (Source: HARO).
7. Some industries, such as fashion and art, have lower query volumes, making it harder to find relevant opportunities (Source: PR Newswire).
8. About 25% of users say they struggle with response formatting and best practices (Source: HARO).
9. Freelancers and small businesses often find it difficult to compete with well-known industry experts (Source: Cision).
10. HARO success is not guaranteed, with many users facing a long learning curve before landing their first placement (Source: PR Daily).
11. About 15% of journalists do not inform sources when their response has been used (Source: HARO).
12. Some journalists request sources to pay for placements, which goes against HARO’s guidelines (Source: Moz).
13. HARO responses require quick turnaround times, making it difficult for busy professionals to participate effectively (Source: Cision).
14. HARO competitors like Qwoted and Terkel are growing, creating more options but also dividing the market (Source: Moz).
15. Despite its challenges, HARO remains one of the most widely used platforms for securing media mentions (Source: PR Newswire).

Conclusion

HARO continues to be a powerful tool for media outreach, PR, and SEO, with over a million users engaging in daily queries. The platform provides significant value by connecting experts with journalists, but success requires strategy, speed, and well-crafted responses. Key statistics highlight the importance of quick replies, strong credentials, and structured pitches for increasing the likelihood of selection.

FAQs

What is HARO and how does it work?

HARO (Help a Reporter Out) is a platform that connects journalists with expert sources. Journalists post queries, and sources submit responses with insights or quotes. If selected, their responses are included in articles, often with backlinks.

How can I improve my HARO success rate?

To improve your success rate, respond quickly, keep responses under 200 words, include expert credentials, provide unique insights, and avoid self-promotion. Using bullet points and direct answers also increases selection chances.

Does HARO help with SEO?

Yes, HARO is a valuable SEO tool because it provides high-authority backlinks from reputable news sites. These links help improve domain authority, search rankings, and organic traffic.

Is HARO free to use?

HARO offers a free plan, but paid plans provide benefits like early query access, keyword alerts, and better filtering options, increasing success rates.

How long does it take to get featured using HARO?

It varies. Some users land features within weeks, while others take months to secure their first placement. Success depends on response quality, relevance, and journalist selection.