Define what a good opportunity means
Write one sentence explaining the customer, problem, and destination page. For example: "Independent consultants need a simple way to book paid calls; this page explains our booking workflow."
Now you can assess an article against something concrete. Without that sentence, every site with an impressive metric starts looking like a prospect.
Search for editorial fit
Look for product comparisons, practical guides, resource pages, and accurate brand mentions that lack a useful link. You can also inspect sources cited for a specific buyer question in AI search.
Open the article before adding it to the list. Check its audience, included products, update context, and contact route. An old year in the title is a reason to investigate, not proof the writer accepts updates.
Keep a qualification note
For each candidate, save:
- The exact article and relevant section.
- Why the intended reader would benefit from your inclusion.
- The fact, example, or product access you can offer.
- Any reason to skip it, such as a mismatched audience or an unsupported placement requirement.
Our preference is to keep this note in plain language. If you need several sentences of SEO jargon to justify the fit, reconsider the prospect.
Separate finding from contacting
A large research export is not a ready-to-send campaign. Remove duplicates and previously contacted sites, then check the appropriate contact. Write a message based on the qualification note, not just the person's name.
A small list of defensible opportunities is enough to learn whether your product story resonates. Expand after you understand why the good conversations worked.