HARO is Back in 2025 – And We're So Ready for It

Remember HARO? The OG of link-building goldmines? Well—guess what—it’s officially making a comeback on April 22, 2025, and honestly, we couldn’t be happier.

When Cision shut it down last December, it felt like losing an old friend. We'd built serious brand buzz and landed amazing backlinks for our clients through HARO over the years. But now, thanks to Featured.com, HARO is being revived—and from everything we’ve seen so far, it looks like they’re doing it right this time.

Here’s why we’re so excited—and why you should be too.

Why We’ve Always Loved HARO (And Why You Should Care)

At Ace It SEO, we’ve used HARO to help our clients get real exposure—the kind you don’t get from shady directories or spammy links.

A few wins we’re especially proud of:

• A small Morley restaurant landed a feature in a regional food blog, which led to more bookings and a solid bump in local rankings.
• An online furniture shop got mentioned in a home design piece, driving clicks and brand visibility that stuck around for months.

All from responding to a simple HARO query.

For us, HARO was hands-down the best link-building tool out there—and not just for SEO. It builds credibility, introduces your brand to new audiences, and opens doors you didn’t even know existed.

What Happened to HARO?

If you’re new to the game: HARO (Help a Reporter Out) used to connect journalists with expert sources. Reporters would post a question or topic they were working on, and if you had something valuable to say, you could pitch a quick response. If they liked it, boom—you’re featured.

It was free, fast, and crazy effective.

Then Cision rolled it into something called Connectively, added a paywall, and… well, it lost the magic. The platform got clunky, spammy, and just didn’t feel worth the effort anymore. A lot of us quietly stopped using it.

But Featured.com has stepped in to bring back the heart of HARO—and from what we’re hearing, they’re prioritising ease of use, transparency, and keeping it free for sources.

What This Comeback Means for Businesses

If you’re a small business owner, marketer, or founder trying to grow your brand, this is big.

Done right, HARO can:

• Deliver high-authority backlinks that boost your rankings.
• Get your name featured in real media outlets, not just blog comments or guest posts no one reads.
• Build up your E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) in Google’s eyes.

And honestly? It’s just exciting. A free tool where quality still matters? We’ll take it.

Our Plan for 2025

We’re jumping back in the moment it goes live.

We’ve already seen what HARO can do, and we’re planning to bring our clients back into the fold—this time, with even sharper processes and quicker pitch turnarounds.

And if you're a client reading this: expect some fresh backlinks coming your way soon.

How to Prep for HARO’s Return

Want to make the most of it? Here’s how to get ready:

1. Sign up at Help a Reporter Out
2. Wait for a first email to drop in on April 22

Alternatively, you can use the Featured.com platform, which has acquired the HARO:

1. Sign up at Featured.com (it’s free for now).
2. Check queries daily – they disappear quickly.
3. Keep pitches short and valuable – don’t waffle.
4. Include a clear, linkable bio – something like: “Jane Doe, founder of ABC Home, helping people design cozy spaces since 2016.”
5. Track results – use Google Analytics, SEMrush, whatever your flavour is.

If you’re not sure how to start or want help writing your pitches, reach out. We’ve got a few templates up our sleeve.

In Summary

HARO’s comeback is more than a nice surprise—it’s a real opportunity. For visibility. For brand credibility. For proper, white-hat SEO that actually moves the needle.

We’ve seen it work. We believe in it. And we have high hopes that Featured.com is bringing back the HARO we loved—maybe even better.

Get ready to pitch. We’ll be right there with you.