A well-organised prospecting spreadsheet is essential for managing link building at scale. This template helps you track prospects, contacts, outreach, and results.
Spreadsheet Structure
Main Tabs Overview
| Tab | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Prospects | All potential link sources |
| Outreach Log | Track emails and responses |
| Contacts | Contact database |
| Results | Completed links |
| Dashboard | Summary metrics |
Tab 1: Prospects
Column Structure
| Column | What to Track | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A: Prospect ID | Unique identifier | P001 |
| B: Domain | Website URL | example.com |
| C: Page URL | Specific page (if applicable) | example.com/resources |
| D: DA/DR | Authority metric | 45 |
| E: Traffic | Est. monthly visitors | 10,000 |
| F: Relevance | Score 1-5 | 4 |
| G: Link Type | Opportunity type | Guest Post |
| H: Priority | High/Medium/Low | High |
| I: Status | Current status | Not Contacted |
| J: Contact | Contact name | John Smith |
| K: Email | Contact email | john@example.com |
| L: Notes | Additional context | Accepts guest posts on marketing |
| M: Date Added | When prospect was found | 2026-01-15 |
| N: Last Updated | Last status change | 2026-01-20 |
Status Options
Use consistent status labels:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Not Contacted | New prospect, no outreach yet |
| Contacted | Initial email sent |
| Follow-Up 1 | First follow-up sent |
| Follow-Up 2 | Second follow-up sent |
| Responded | Received response |
| In Progress | Active discussion/work |
| Won | Link secured |
| Lost | Declined or no response after follow-ups |
| On Hold | Paused for later |
Link Type Categories
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Guest Post | Content contribution opportunity |
| Resource Page | Resource list inclusion |
| Broken Link | Broken link replacement |
| Mention | Unlinked mention conversion |
| Editorial | Natural editorial opportunity |
| Partnership | Business partnership link |
| Directory | Directory listing |
| Other | Miscellaneous |
Tab 2: Outreach Log
Column Structure
| Column | What to Track | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A: Log ID | Unique identifier | O001 |
| B: Prospect ID | Links to prospect | P001 |
| C: Date | Email date | 2026-01-15 |
| D: Email Type | Initial/Follow-up 1/2/3 | Initial |
| E: Subject Line | Email subject used | Article idea: Content marketing |
| F: Template Used | Which template | Guest Post v2 |
| G: Response | Yes/No | Yes |
| H: Response Date | When they responded | 2026-01-18 |
| I: Response Type | Positive/Negative/Question | Positive |
| J: Next Action | What to do next | Send draft |
| K: Next Action Date | Deadline | 2026-01-25 |
| L: Notes | Details | Interested in Topic 2 |
Tab 3: Contacts
Column Structure
| Column | What to Track | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A: Contact ID | Unique identifier | C001 |
| B: Name | Full name | Sarah Johnson |
| C: Email | Email address | sarah@example.com |
| D: Role | Job title | Content Manager |
| E: Company | Organisation | Example Inc |
| F: Domain | Website | example.com |
| G: LinkedIn | Profile URL | linkedin.com/in/sarah |
| H: Twitter | Handle | @sarahj |
| I: Relationship | Cold/Warm/Established | Cold |
| J: Total Emails | Emails sent to this contact | 3 |
| K: Last Contact | Most recent email | 2026-01-20 |
| L: Notes | Personal notes | Previously worked at XYZ |
Tab 4: Results
Column Structure
| Column | What to Track | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A: Result ID | Unique identifier | R001 |
| B: Prospect ID | Links to prospect | P001 |
| C: Link URL | Where link is placed | example.com/post-title |
| D: Target URL | Your page that was linked | yoursite.com/page |
| E: Anchor Text | Link anchor text used | link building guide |
| F: Link Type | Dofollow/Nofollow | Dofollow |
| G: DA/DR | Source domain authority | 45 |
| H: Date Secured | When link went live | 2026-01-25 |
| I: Time to Win | Days from first contact | 10 |
| J: Emails Sent | Total outreach emails | 2 |
| K: Campaign | Campaign name | Q1 Guest Posts |
| L: Cost | Any costs involved | £0 |
| M: Notes | Additional info | Great relationship built |
Tab 5: Dashboard
Key Metrics to Display
Pipeline Metrics
- Total prospects
- By status (Not Contacted, Contacted, etc.)
- By priority
- By link type
Activity Metrics
- Emails sent (this week/month)
- Response rate
- Follow-ups due today/this week
Results Metrics
- Links secured (this month/quarter)
- Average time to win
- Conversion rate
- Links by type
Formula Examples
Response Rate:
=COUNTIF(OutreachLog[Response],"Yes")/COUNT(OutreachLog[Response])
Conversion Rate:
=COUNTIF(Prospects[Status],"Won")/COUNTA(Prospects[Prospect ID])
Average Time to Win:
=AVERAGE(Results[Time to Win])
How to Use This System
Daily Workflow
- Check Dashboard: Review key metrics
- Follow-up Review: See what follow-ups are due
- Send Follow-ups: Work through the queue
- Log Activity: Record all emails in Outreach Log
- Update Status: Change prospect status as needed
Weekly Workflow
- Add New Prospects: Research and add to prospect list
- Review Pipeline: Check prospects by status
- Analyse Results: Review what's working
- Plan Next Week: Set priorities
Monthly Workflow
- Performance Review: Deep dive into metrics
- List Cleaning: Remove dead prospects
- Template Review: Update what's not working
- Strategy Adjustment: Pivot based on data
Best Practices
Data Entry
- Be consistent: Use same status labels, date formats
- Update immediately: Log activity right after sending
- Be thorough: Complete all relevant fields
- Add context: Notes save time later
Organisation
- Use filters: Filter by status, priority, type
- Sort strategically: Prioritise high-value prospects
- Colour coding: Visual indicators for priority/status
- Regular cleanup: Archive old prospects
Collaboration
- Standardise: Same labels across team
- Comments: Use for internal communication
- Version control: Track changes if multiple editors
- Permissions: Control who edits what
Template Customisation
Add Columns For
- Industry: If targeting multiple verticals
- Campaign: If running multiple campaigns
- Assigned To: If team is involved
- Custom Scoring: If using weighted evaluation
Remove Columns If
- Too granular for your needs
- Not providing useful data
- Slowing down data entry
Adjust Status Labels
Match your workflow:
- Add stages if needed
- Simplify if too complex
- Align with team terminology
Tools That Can Help
Spreadsheet Options
- Google Sheets (collaborative, free)
- Microsoft Excel (powerful, familiar)
- Airtable (database features)
- Notion (flexible structure)
Dedicated Tools
- BuzzStream (outreach management)
- Pitchbox (all-in-one)
- Respona (automated prospecting)
- Hunter.io (email finding + campaigns)
Related Resources
Try the free tool
Build prospecting search queries with your own data. The tool explains its inputs and limitations and lets you export the result.