From prospect list to placed backlink in three steps.
The full ColdSEO outreach workflow — explained.
Quick Answer: Cold outreach in ColdSEO has three phases: (1) build a prospect list using the finder or CSV import, (2) create a multi-step sequence with optional AI personalization, (3) launch and monitor — replies and placed backlinks update the campaign dashboard automatically.
Step 1 — How do I find prospects?
Open the Prospect Finder, type a keyword, set DA min and traffic min filters, and click search. ColdSEO returns matching domains with cached metrics. Pick the ones you want and click "Find emails" to retrieve verified contact addresses. You can also import a CSV with column mapping if you already have a list.
Step 2 — How do I build a campaign?
Use the four-step wizard:
- Setup — name, goal (backlink, guest post, resource page, citation), target URL for link tracking, prospect list.
- Sequence — up to seven steps, each with subject, body, delay days, and an AI personalization toggle.
- Sending — choose inboxes, daily cap, send window, send days, throttle range.
- Review — see the projected schedule and any safety warnings (cold inbox, invalid emails, missing DKIM).
Step 3 — How do I track results?
The campaign dashboard shows six KPIs at a glance: sent, opens, replies, bounces, placed links, and reply rate. A funnel visual highlights drop-offs between steps. The unified inbox routes every reply with auto-categorization. Click any prospect to see the full thread.
What templates ship with ColdSEO?
- Guest Post Pitch — for offering a contributed article.
- Broken Link Outreach — replace dead links with your asset.
- Resource Page Pitch — get added to curated lists.
- Skyscraper Technique — pitch your better version of an existing piece.
- Unlinked Mentions — turn brand mentions into backlinks.
- Podcast Pitch — book guest appearances.
- Expert Roundup — invite expert contributions.
- HARO Follow-Up — re-engage HARO contacts after pitches.
Workflow questions
How long does it take to set up my first campaign?
About five minutes if you already have a sending inbox connected. Find or import prospects, pick a sequence template, schedule sends, and launch.
Do I need to write the email copy myself?
You can — or use one of eight pre-built sequence templates (guest post, broken link, resource page, skyscraper, unlinked mentions, podcast pitch, expert roundup, HARO follow-up). Edit them to fit your voice.
How are sends scheduled?
You set a sending window (e.g. 8am–5pm), days of the week, daily cap, and a random throttle between sends. ColdSEO queues every email respecting all four constraints across your selected inboxes.
What happens when a prospect replies?
The reply detector pauses any further follow-ups for that prospect, threads the reply into your unified inbox, and auto-categorizes it. You can mark and exclude in bulk.
How does ColdSEO know if a backlink was placed?
Set a target URL on the campaign. ColdSEO crawls each replied prospect's domain periodically and looks for an anchor tag pointing to your target. Placed links appear as a counter on the campaign dashboard.