HowTheyGotUsersHowTheyGotUsers

Be the Quoted Expert (Journalist Sourcing for Authority Links)

Be the Quoted Expert (Journalist Sourcing for Authority Links) is a seo & organic tactic for getting your first users: Subscribe to reporter-request services (HARO and its successors) and supply expert quotes to journalists in exchange for a citation and link from a high-authority news or trade publication.

It's a strong fit for B2B SaaS and Dev tools / technical teams, and works especially well for B2B SaaS, dev tools, any founder with domain expertise. As a seo & organic play, plan for low effort and expect results to build gradually over time, all grounded in 1 linked primary source.

SEO & organicLow effortSlow

Why does seo & organic work for this?

A single link from a trusted publication carries far more authority weight than dozens of low-quality links, and it costs you only the time to write a paragraph.

The exact steps (4)

The full step-by-step this founder ran, what they posted, where, and in what order, plus the watch-outs, is part of the library.

Unlock the steps · $29 oncePlus all 3,000+ tactics and the new ones we add weekly.

Sources

Works for
Any / universalB2B SaaSDev tools / technical

Frequently asked

What kind of products does the "Be the Quoted Expert (Journalist Sourcing for Authority Links)" tactic work for?
It is a good fit for B2B SaaS and Dev tools / technical — pick it when your product looks like one of those, since the play is shaped around how those users find new tools.
How is the "Be the Quoted Expert (Journalist Sourcing for Authority Links)" tactic verified?
It is drawn from 1 primary source — a real founder write-up or interview, not generic advice. It is linked in the Sources section above so you can read the original account yourself.
How much effort is it and how fast are results?
It is low effort, and results tend to be slow.
Where can I see the exact step-by-step?
The full step-by-step a founder ran, documented via SEO for Indie Hackers: What Actually Moved the Needle, is in the paid library.

Related tactics

SEO & organicMedium effort· Slow

Run SEO on Easy Mode in Another Language

Competition for keywords in non-English markets is a fraction of what it is in English, so ranking there feels like the early-internet era. Localizing a proven concept into another language or geography is a low-competition acquisition shortcut.

Read the steps →
SEO & organicMedium effort· Slow

Bulk-Submit to 200+ Free Product Directories

The founder systematically submitted his product to 200+ free directories and documented each one, treating the whole thing as an ongoing distribution experiment rather than a one-off chore.

Read the steps →
SEO & organicLow effort· Medium

Position as 'The Open-Source Alternative to [Incumbent]'

They framed the product squarely as the open-source alternative to Shopify, borrowing the incumbent's search demand and instantly communicating what it does.

Read the steps →
SEO & organicMedium effort· Slow

Wire the Hub-and-Spoke Skeleton First

Set up the internal-linking and canonical structure before you publish your variation pages, so crawlers can reach and trust every page from day one.

Read the steps →
SEO & organicMedium effort· Slow

Optimize for AI Answer Engines with Clean Structured Data

Generative engine optimization (GEO): structure your product and content data so AI assistants like ChatGPT and Claude cite and recommend you in their answers.

Read the steps →
SEO & organicMedium effort· Slow

Mine the Long Tail Nobody Bothered With

Instead of fighting incumbents on broad head terms, target the hyper-specific, high-intent queries that big sites never wrote dedicated pages for.

Read the steps →

Get all 3,000+ tactics in one place

Filter by your product and channel, follow the exact steps, and get the new tactics we add every week. One payment, yours for good.

Unlock for $29 onceBrowse by channel