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)