What makes link building email outreach different?
Sales outreach optimises for a meeting. Link building outreach optimises for an editorial decision made by someone who owes you nothing and is not shopping. That changes the message — the ask has to be small, the value has to be theirs, and the follow-up has to add something rather than repeat the pitch.
How to write an outreach email that gets a reply
Lead with something specific about their site that proves you read it. Make exactly one ask. Keep it under 150 words. Skip the flattery, skip the "I hope this finds you well", and close with a question that is easy to answer yes to. If you cannot name what is in it for them in one sentence, the email is not ready.
How many follow-ups?
One, occasionally two. Three or more converts strangers into people who mark you as spam, and spam complaints cost more than the link was worth. Send the follow-up 3–5 days after the first email and give it a reason to exist.
Protecting the sending domain
Cold email outreach is only sustainable if the mailbox survives it. That means verified addresses, a bounce rate under about 5%, randomised sending gaps, and a hard daily cap. Volume is the last lever to pull, not the first.