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Win the source ecosystem · Lesson 08

Run a source-gap campaign

Identify recurring cited domains, choose the exact pages that matter, and offer evidence instead of generic guest posts.

29 minWorked exampleField assignment
0%course
What you will leave with

A prioritized 10-page source target list with a specific contribution angle for every page.

Do not build a list of “high-authority sites.” Build a list of exact pages already influencing your tracked answers. The unit of work is the cited URL, its author and the evidence it is missing.

Worked source-gap table

Source pageAppearsYour statusBest move
G2 category page9 answersAbsentComplete profile + reviews
Reddit comparison thread7 answersMentioned onceAnswer transparently
Industry benchmark article5 answersAbsentOffer original dataset
Competitor’s own guide3 answersExcludedCreate better source

Pick the move that fits the page

Contribution decision tree

Community thread?Answer the question fully, disclose affiliation, link only when it genuinely adds evidence.
Editorial article?Offer a missing fact, chart, expert quote or correction the author can verify.
Review platform?Improve category data and invite legitimate customers; never manufacture reviews.
Competitor-controlled?Do not beg for inclusion. Build a stronger independent source and promote that.

Outreach that gives the author something usable

Subject: Data for your AI attribution section

Hi Maya — your article says AI referrals are difficult to connect to sales.
We reviewed 214 support cases and found 42% of lost attribution happened
at cross-domain checkout. The method and table are here: [URL].

If useful, I can send the CSV or a 1200×630 chart. No need to link if the
sample is not a fit for your article.
Do not send

“I loved your article. Can I contribute a guest post or get a backlink?”

Send

One missing fact, why it improves their exact section, and a verifiable asset they can use.

If outreach gets no response

After one useful follow-up, stop. Publish the asset, distribute it to people discussing the same question, answer relevant community threads, and target the next recurring source. The strategy is source coverage, not persuading one person forever.

Do the work

Field assignment

Scenario

Your brand is absent, and Reddit, G2 and two industry publications appear in 65% of the answers.

  1. Record every cited domain and exact URL across the baseline.

  2. Rank pages by frequency, relevance and realistic access.

  3. Create a contribution tailored to the missing evidence on each page.

Definition of done

A prioritized 10-page source target list with a specific contribution angle for every page.