What Are Expert Quote Links in Digital PR Link Building?
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What Does “What Are Expert Quote Links in Digital PR Link Building?” Talk About?
This episode of The James Dooley Podcast dives into the world of expert quote links as a core tactic within digital PR link building. James Dooley is joined by Chris Pantelli of Linkify to explain what expert quote links are, how they work, and why journalists actively seek out credible expert commentary to strengthen the articles they publish. The discussion covers how these inbound journalist requests, when handled well, result in high-quality backlinks from tier-one publications such as Forbes, The New York Times, The Sun, and The Express, all of which carry high domain authority and generate significant organic traffic.
The episode also explores the platforms and tools used to access journalist requests, including Connectively, Quoted, Press Plugs, and the strategic use of social media hashtags like PRrequest and JournoRequest on X. Chris Pantelli explains how his agency aggregates these requests through Airtable and assigns them to relevant clients to maximise coverage. Beyond the SEO mechanics, the conversation highlights the longer-term brand-building potential of expert quote link building, including how consistent, high-quality commentary can evolve into full branded digital PR campaigns and ongoing journalist relationships that generate far more than a single backlink.
“With the recent Google leaks, a couple of metrics clearly being used talked about the power of links from fresh pages on tier one publications. That's exactly what we do.”
— Chris Pantelli
Who Are the Guests on “What Are Expert Quote Links in Digital PR Link Building?”?
Chris Pantelli is the founder of Linkify.io, an agency widely recognised as a market leader in expert quote link building and digital PR. With deep expertise in connecting brands with journalist requests across multiple platforms, Chris has built a reputation for turning reactive PR commentary into long-term journalist relationships and branded digital PR campaigns. His methodical, agency-level approach to managing platforms like Connectively, Quoted, and Press Plugs, combined with his use of social listening on X, sets him apart as a practitioner who understands both the SEO and brand-building dimensions of digital PR.
James Dooley is the host of The James Dooley Podcast and a well-known figure in the SEO and digital marketing space. He brings a practitioner's perspective to the conversation, asking sharp, specific questions about tools, strategy, and ROI that make the episode accessible to both beginners and experienced SEO professionals. James uses the episode to bridge the gap between technical link building concepts and the broader commercial value of digital PR.
What Are the Key Takeaways From “What Are Expert Quote Links in Digital PR Link Building?”?
Here are the key points discussed in this episode:
- Expert quote links are backlinks earned by providing credible commentary to journalists who are actively sourcing expert opinions to validate their articles, particularly in niches like finance and health.
- Links from fresh pages on high-authority, tier-one publications such as Forbes and The Express carry significant SEO value, a point reinforced by metrics referenced in the recent Google leaks.
- Using a combination of platforms including Connectively, Quoted, Press Plugs, and hashtags like PRrequest and JournoRequest on X gives agencies access to journalist requests that may not appear on any single platform.
- Consistently providing strong, relevant commentary to journalists builds trust and credibility, which can evolve into proactive branded digital PR campaigns where the expert or company is featured prominently.
- Expert quote link building delivers value beyond SEO, including brand visibility, referral traffic through Google News and Google Discover, and long-term media relationships that compound over time.
“If you provide a good quote, they publish it on somewhere like the Express, include your comments, and their bosses say the article did really well, that reflects well on them. The better the expertise and the more online visibility the expert has, the more trust the journalist has.”
— Chris Pantelli
Is “What Are Expert Quote Links in Digital PR Link Building?” Worth Listening To?
This episode is worth listening to because it demystifies a link building tactic that many SEOs have heard of but few understand at a strategic level. Chris Pantelli goes beyond surface-level explanations to discuss how his agency actually processes journalist requests at scale using Airtable, why platform diversification matters, and how the Google leaks validate the SEO power of fresh-page links from tier-one publications. The conversation is grounded in real-world practice rather than theory, making it immediately actionable for anyone managing a brand's digital PR or SEO strategy.
What makes this episode especially valuable is the discussion of how expert quote link building evolves into something larger. Chris explains in practical terms how a single well-received quote can open the door to ongoing journalist relationships and full branded campaigns in major publications. For SEO professionals, agency owners, or brand marketers trying to justify investment in digital PR, this episode provides both the strategic framework and the specific tools needed to get started or scale up an existing programme.
Who Should Listen to “What Are Expert Quote Links in Digital PR Link Building?”?
This episode is ideal for:
- SEO professionals looking to add digital PR link building to their client strategies
- Marketing managers and brand owners who want to understand how to earn authoritative backlinks through media coverage
- Digital PR agency owners or freelancers seeking to expand their toolkit beyond traditional outreach
- Business owners in expert-led niches such as finance, health, or lifestyle who want to build credibility and visibility through media mentions
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What Are Listeners Saying About This Episode?
“Really practical breakdown of expert quote links. I had no idea about using hashtags like PRrequest on X to find journalist requests directly. Already tried it and got a response from a journalist the same week. Brilliant episode.”
“The bit about fresh pages on tier-one publications and the Google leaks was eye-opening. Chris clearly knows this space inside out and the explanation of how Linkify manages multiple platforms through Airtable gave me a framework I could actually implement.”
“I came for the SEO angle and stayed for the brand-building discussion. The way Chris explained how a single quote in The Express can grow into a full branded campaign changed how I think about digital PR entirely. Short episode but packed with useful insight.”
James Dooley: Hi, so I'm joined with Chris Pantelli from Linkify. Today's video is about what expert quote links are in digital PR.
Chris Pantelli: Hey James, thanks for having me. Expert quote links are inbound requests from journalists looking to source experts they can quote in their articles. As SEOs we call it expert quote link building because when we provide commentary, we want to be quoted and we want them to link back to us. That's the expert quote link.
James Dooley: Some people used to call it Haro links, some call it expert commentary, some call it quote links. Why is it that journalists want these expert commentary snippets in their articles?
Chris Pantelli: Basically it enhances the validity of the article. They’re not looking for anything groundbreaking. They already know the answers to the questions. You’ll see this a lot with finance queries. If a journalist is writing about how to improve your credit score, they know the answers. They want an expert to agree or explain why it’s a good method. That enhances credibility because a finance expert, maybe an accountant, has quoted their view and the journalist includes it.
James Dooley: This expert commentary in digital PR. Do you think it's good for branding and exposure, and does it also have SEO value for your website?
Chris Pantelli: 100 percent. With the recent Google leaks, a couple of metrics clearly being used talked about the power of links from fresh pages on tier one publications. That’s exactly what we do. Tier one publications are huge authority sites like Forbes, New York Times, Express, The Sun. High DR, huge organic traffic. And then fresh pages. A new article being produced. Often they get huge traffic which drives click throughs if the journalist has included the link.
James Dooley: The great thing about these articles is they get into Google News and sometimes Google Discover. One of the best types of links you can get is on a high authority site that’s relevant and has traffic. That’s exactly what expert quote links are. Very quickly, anyone who hasn't seen the video, the link in the description talks about the new era of digital PR with Haro being moved over and upgraded to Connectively. Chris, are you using Connectively? Is that the only tool? Some agencies use Quoted, Press Plugs, Helper B2B Writer. There are hashtags too. How are you managing? I see you as the market leader in Haro, now Connectively, and expert quote links. What tools are you using? Just one or a collection?
Chris Pantelli: Thanks for the kind words James. We use not all but most of the ones you mentioned. There’s a lot of overlap. If you're doing this individually, I’d focus on one. They're all pay to play now. Quoted has a free account but beyond the free pitches, same as Connectively, you need to pay. As an agency, the value is in the gaps between the overlap. If a beautiful publication only sources commentary on one specific platform like Press Plugs, we want to be on that platform. We bring everything into Airtable, process the queries and assign them to relevant clients. I recommend using as many as you can and also using X. Journalists often post expert requests on X. They’ll use hashtags like PRrequest or JournoRequest. They often include their direct email in the post. If you provide good commentary, you start a relationship with that journalist, and many write for multiple publications.
James Dooley: For anyone doing digital PR, I recommend checking the link in the description where Chris and I talk about reactive PR campaigns versus expert quote links. I also want to touch on how you managed to go from expert quote links to getting branded articles in digital PR. The journalist liked your commentary and wanted more content. How that expert quote link led to a relationship with that reporter which then got you branded digital PR campaigns. People need to understand there’s more than SEO value. It builds relationships that lead to bigger branded campaigns.
Chris Pantelli: First and foremost, the journalist wants to please their bosses. If you provide a good quote, they publish it on somewhere like the Express, include your comments, and their bosses say the article did really well, that reflects well on them. The better the expertise and the more online visibility the expert has, the more trust the journalist has. Visibility on LinkedIn and socials helps credibility. Journalists often work for multiple publications and need constant content. If you take the proactive PR route, you can go directly to them with ideas. If a journalist works on a lifestyle or health and fitness desk, you can send campaigns relevant to that niche. If your campaign is interesting, they run with it and the article features the expert or company prominently. You’ll have seen this in The Sun, The Express, US publications. Articles from the expert’s perspective featuring the brand. That brand building is super valuable.
James Dooley: Great answer. Anyone watching, are you doing expert quote link building as part of your digital PR? Check out the last link in the description. I interview Chris Pantelli from Linkify. See whether you think expert quote link building is worth doing in-house or outsourcing to Linkify and Chris Pantelli. Chris, it’s been a pleasure. If anyone needs to get hold of you, where’s the best place?
Chris Pantelli: Thanks James, it's been awesome. Linkify.io, Twitter, LinkedIn. Any of those.
James Dooley: It's been a pleasure. Hopefully everyone enjoyed learning more about expert commentary, Haro links, or expert quote links as part of digital PR.
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James Dooley is a UK entrepreneur.