Source of Sources (SOS): How Law Firms Can Earn Free Media Coverage, Backlinks, and Authority in 2026
The complete guide to using media query platforms for law firm PR, SEO, and AI search visibility
Last Updated: December 11, 2025 | Reading Time: 14 minutes
📑 Table of Contents (Click to Expand)
Every day, journalists at publications like The New York Times, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and hundreds of legal industry outlets are actively searching for attorneys to quote in their stories. Source of Sources (SOS) connects you directly to these opportunities—for free.
If you’re a law firm looking to build authority, earn high-quality backlinks, and increase visibility in both traditional search and AI search platforms like ChatGPT and Google Gemini, media query platforms represent one of the most underutilized opportunities in legal marketing today.
With the average journalist response rate to PR pitches at just 3.43% and only 8% of pitches resulting in coverage, you need every advantage. Media query platforms flip the equation—instead of cold-pitching journalists who may not need your expertise, you respond to journalists who are actively seeking legal experts.
📊 Key Statistics:
- Backlinks account for roughly 13% of Google’s overall ranking factors
- PR-based backlinks show higher domain authority scores than traditional link-building methods
- 67% of CMOs say PR directly influences revenue growth over a three-year period
- Law firms see an average 526% ROI from SEO efforts within three years
What Is Source of Sources (SOS)?
Source of Sources is a free platform created by Peter Shankman, the original founder of HARO (Help a Reporter Out). When HARO was shut down by Cision in December 2024, Shankman launched SOS to fill the gap—and brought his nearly two decades of experience connecting journalists with expert sources.
The concept is straightforward: Journalists submit queries describing the expert sources they need for their stories. SOS distributes these queries via email up to three times daily. If a query matches your legal expertise, you respond directly to the journalist with your insights.
How It Differs From Traditional PR Outreach
Traditional PR requires law firms to identify relevant journalists, craft cold pitches, and hope your timing aligns with their editorial calendar. Most pitches go unanswered. With media query platforms like SOS, you respond only when a journalist explicitly needs your expertise—dramatically increasing your success rate.
✅ Publications Using SOS Include:
The New York Times, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, USA Today, Entrepreneur, Fast Company, and thousands of legal industry publications, podcasts, and blogs.
The Shankman Philosophy: Quality Over Quantity
Shankman has been explicit about maintaining platform integrity. As he puts it: “ONLY REPLY IF YOU ACTUALLY HAVE SOMETHING PRODUCTIVE TO ADD. If you pitch a reporter off topic even once, and it gets back to me, you’re gone. No exceptions, no appeals.”
This strict enforcement benefits attorneys who take the platform seriously. Unlike some PR platforms flooded with irrelevant pitches, SOS maintains quality standards that journalists appreciate—making your thoughtful response more likely to get noticed.
Why Media Coverage Matters for Law Firms in 2025
Getting quoted in publications isn’t just about ego or brand awareness. In 2025, media coverage directly impacts your firm’s visibility in search engines, AI platforms, and the trust signals that influence prospective clients’ decisions.
1. High-Authority Backlinks That Boost Rankings
When Forbes, Reuters, or the ABA Journal links to your firm’s website in an article, that backlink signals to Google that your site is trustworthy and authoritative. Research shows that PR-based backlinks have higher domain authority scores than traditional link-building methods like guest posting or directory submissions.
A Backlinko study of nearly 12 million search results found that pages in the #1 position had 3.8x more backlinks than pages ranked #2-10. For law firms in competitive practice areas like personal injury or criminal defense, quality backlinks can be the differentiator between page one and obscurity.
2. E-E-A-T Signals for Google and AI Platforms
Google’s ranking systems prioritize Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T). When you’re quoted as an expert in major publications, you’re building exactly these signals. More importantly, AI platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity also rely on these authority signals when deciding which sources to cite in their responses.
⚠️ The AI Search Connection:
A recent Ahrefs study found that 76.10% of pages cited in Google’s AI Overviews also rank in Google’s top 10 results. Semrush data shows a direct correlation between higher Authority Scores and increased brand mentions within AI-generated responses. Building authority through media coverage improves your visibility in both traditional and AI search.
3. Referral Traffic From Qualified Audiences
Media coverage doesn’t just help with SEO—it drives direct traffic from people actively reading about legal topics. Companies using digital PR strategies see better conversion rates from referral traffic because readers arriving from a Forbes article or legal industry publication are already engaged with the subject matter.
4. Trust and Credibility With Prospective Clients
According to research, 96% of people seeking legal advice use a search engine, and 74% visit a law firm’s website before making contact. When prospects see that you’ve been quoted in reputable publications, it immediately establishes credibility. This is why successful law firms prominently display “As Seen In” sections featuring their media mentions.
How Source of Sources Works for Attorneys
Getting started with SOS is straightforward, but success requires understanding the platform’s mechanics and journalist expectations.
Step 1: Sign Up and Select Your Categories
Visit sourceofsources.com and subscribe with your name and email. You can select topic categories that align with your practice areas—typically “Business and Finance” for corporate attorneys, “Lifestyle” for family law practitioners, “Technology” for IP attorneys, and “General” for most legal queries.
Step 2: Monitor Your Inbox for Relevant Queries
SOS sends up to three emails daily containing journalist queries. Each query includes the journalist’s name, publication, email address, deadline, and a description of what expertise they’re seeking. Scan these carefully—not every legal-sounding query needs an attorney response, and responding to off-topic queries will get you banned.
📧 Example Query Format:
SUMMARY: Business Owners: AI Lessons Learned and Wins
CATEGORY: Technology
NAME: Natalia Brattan
MEDIA OUTLET: Quality Progress (ASQ)
DEADLINE: 2025-07-25 at 05:00 PM EST
QUERY: I’m seeking insights from business owners who use AI and can answer: What are your biggest mistakes and lessons learned? What are your most significant wins? Please share in 150-250 words.
Step 3: Respond Quickly and Directly
Speed matters. According to Shankman: “The people who do the following when using SOS almost always have successful pitches. Be ready to go. Having a pitch written for the perfect match is definitely better than writing on the fly. Speed wins.”
When you find a relevant query, respond directly to the journalist’s email with your insights. Include your full name, title, law firm name, and contact information. Journalists are working on deadlines—the first expert to provide a quality response often wins.
Types of Queries Attorneys Can Answer
Legal expertise is valuable across many topics beyond strictly legal publications:
- Business/Finance: Contract disputes, business formation, employment law, regulatory compliance, mergers and acquisitions
- Lifestyle: Divorce, custody, estate planning, elder law, real estate transactions
- Technology: AI regulations, data privacy, intellectual property, cybersecurity law
- General: Civil rights, personal injury, criminal defense, immigration
- Healthcare: Medical malpractice, healthcare regulations, HIPAA compliance
How to Respond to Media Queries Effectively
Not all responses are created equal. Following these best practices will dramatically increase your chances of being selected and quoted.
Lead With Your Strongest Insight
Journalists scan dozens or hundreds of responses. Your opening sentence should immediately demonstrate that you understand their question and have something valuable to contribute. Don’t waste their time with pleasantries or lengthy introductions about your firm’s history.
❌ Weak Opening:
“Thank you for this opportunity. My name is John Smith and I’ve been practicing family law for 15 years in Los Angeles. I’d be happy to answer your question…”
✅ Strong Opening:
“The biggest mistake I see business owners make with AI contracts is assuming the vendor’s standard terms adequately address data ownership. In three cases this year alone, clients discovered their proprietary data was being used to train competitor models…”
Provide Specific Examples and Data
Journalists need quotable material. Abstract observations like “contracts are important” won’t get used. Specific examples, statistics, and anecdotes are what make quotes compelling. When possible, reference actual cases (without violating confidentiality), industry research, or trends you’ve observed in your practice.
This approach also aligns with how you should structure content for Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)—AI platforms prioritize citation-worthy content with specific data points over generic statements.
Match the Requested Length and Format
If a journalist asks for 150-250 words, don’t send 800 words. If they want a bulleted list, don’t write in paragraphs. Respecting their format shows you read the query carefully and understand their needs.
Include Complete Contact Information
Every response should include your full name, professional title, firm name, phone number, email, and website URL. Journalists may need to follow up for clarification or additional quotes. Make it easy for them to reach you and link to your site.
Never Use AI to Write Your Responses
Shankman is explicit: “DON’T use AI. We can always tell, and it’ll always be terrible.” AI-generated responses sound generic, lack the specificity journalists need, and will likely get you banned from the platform. Your unique expertise and voice are exactly what journalists are seeking.
📝 Response Checklist:
- Opens with a strong, quotable insight
- Includes specific examples, data, or anecdotes
- Matches requested length and format
- Contains complete contact information
- Written in your authentic voice (no AI)
- Submitted well before the deadline
- Directly addresses the specific question asked
Alternative Media Query Platforms for Law Firms
While Source of Sources is the most direct successor to the original HARO model, several other platforms can supplement your media outreach efforts. Using multiple platforms maximizes your chances of securing coverage.
HARO (Revived by Featured.com)
The original HARO was acquired and revived by Featured.com in April 2025. The new HARO includes AI scoring for pitches and a podcast category, but maintains the familiar format. It’s worth monitoring both SOS and the new HARO since they attract different journalists.
Qwoted
Qwoted offers a more modern interface with real-time alerts and sophisticated matching algorithms. The free plan limits you to two pitches per month, with paid plans starting at $99/month for unlimited pitches. It’s particularly strong for B2B and professional services content.
Featured.com
Featured connects subject matter experts with publishers for quotes, articles, and interviews. It partners with over 2,500 publishers including Fast Company and Entrepreneur. The platform reportedly has the fastest average turnaround time (18 days) among major alternatives.
Social Media Monitoring
Many journalists post source requests on social media using hashtags like #journorequest on X (Twitter) and BlueSky. Monitoring these hashtags can surface opportunities that don’t appear on formal platforms. Note: The European Federation of Journalists announced they would stop posting on X in January 2025, so BlueSky may become increasingly important.
Measuring Your PR Success
Over 60% of PR budgets are now linked to measurable business outcomes. To justify your time investment in media outreach, track these key performance indicators that connect PR efforts to SEO performance and client acquisition.
Media Coverage Metrics
Track the volume and quality of your placements:
- Number of published mentions: How many times were you actually quoted?
- Publication authority: Domain authority/rating of publications where you’re featured
- Potential reach: Combined readership of publications featuring your firm
- Share of voice: Your coverage compared to competitors in your practice area
SEO and Backlink Metrics
Monitor the direct SEO impact of your media coverage:
- Backlinks acquired: How many publications linked to your site?
- Domain authority growth: Track your Moz DA or Ahrefs DR over time
- Referral traffic: Visitors coming directly from media coverage
- Keyword rankings: Movement in target keywords after coverage publishes
Use your schema markup to ensure search engines and AI platforms properly attribute your expertise when they encounter your media mentions.
AI Visibility Metrics
As AI search visibility becomes increasingly important, monitor whether your firm appears in AI-generated responses. Tools like our free AI visibility audit can help assess your current standing across major AI platforms.
Business Outcome Metrics
Ultimately, PR should contribute to firm growth:
- Lead attribution: Do prospects mention seeing you in publications?
- Consultation requests: Spikes in inquiries following major coverage
- Conversion rates: Do prospects who found you through PR convert at higher rates?
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to see results from media query outreach?
Results vary based on consistency and the quality of your responses. Featured.com reports an average turnaround of 18 days from pitch to publication. Most attorneys who respond to 5-10 relevant queries per week begin seeing placements within 4-8 weeks. The SEO benefits (backlinks, domain authority) compound over time, with significant ranking improvements typically visible within 3-6 months of consistent effort.
What if a journalist quotes me but doesn’t link to my website?
Unlinked brand mentions still provide value. They build name recognition, establish E-E-A-T signals that Google and AI platforms recognize, and contribute to your “digital footprint” that AI systems use when determining authoritative sources. You can politely follow up asking if they’d be willing to add a link, but don’t be pushy—the relationship with the journalist matters more than any single backlink.
Are there ethical concerns for attorneys responding to media queries?
As with any attorney advertising or public communication, you must comply with your jurisdiction’s Rules of Professional Conduct. Generally, providing educational commentary on legal topics is permissible. Avoid making specific guarantees about case outcomes, never discuss confidential client matters, and ensure any claims about your experience or results are accurate and verifiable. When in doubt, consult your state bar’s ethics guidelines on lawyer advertising and media communications.
How many queries should I respond to per day or week?
Quality matters more than quantity. Most successful users respond to 3-5 highly relevant queries per week rather than shotgunning responses to everything remotely related to law. Focus on queries where you can provide unique insights based on your specific practice experience. One thoughtful response that gets published is worth more than 20 generic responses that get ignored—and responding off-topic can get you banned from platforms like SOS.
Can I outsource responding to media queries to my marketing team?
Your marketing team can monitor platforms and flag relevant opportunities, but the actual responses should come from you (or another attorney at your firm with relevant expertise). Journalists are seeking authentic expert insights, not polished marketing copy. The most successful responses share specific experiences and observations that only a practicing attorney could provide. Marketing can help prepare response templates and ensure proper branding, but the substance needs to be genuinely yours.
How does media coverage help with AI search visibility?
AI platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity prioritize sources with demonstrated authority when generating responses. Being quoted in major publications signals to these AI systems that you’re a credible expert. Semrush research shows a direct correlation between domain authority and AI-generated mentions—the higher your authority score (built partly through quality backlinks from media coverage), the more likely AI platforms are to cite your firm when answering relevant queries. This is a core principle of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).
Ready to Build Your Law Firm’s Authority?
Media outreach is just one piece of a comprehensive AI-powered marketing strategy. Learn how InterCore Technologies can help your firm dominate both traditional search and AI platforms.
(213) 282-3001 | sales@intercore.net
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Conclusion: Your Expertise Is Your Greatest Asset
In an era where 96% of people seeking legal advice begin with a search engine and AI platforms increasingly influence how consumers find attorneys, building authority has never been more critical. Media query platforms like Source of Sources offer a remarkably cost-effective way to earn that authority.
Every law firm has attorneys with deep expertise in specific practice areas—expertise that journalists actively seek for their stories. The barrier isn’t access; it’s execution. Sign up for SOS and similar platforms, monitor queries consistently, and respond quickly with genuine insights drawn from your practice experience.
The attorneys who succeed with media outreach understand that it’s a long-term strategy that compounds over time. Each published quote builds your backlink profile, strengthens your E-E-A-T signals, and increases the likelihood that AI platforms will cite you as an authority. Start today, be consistent, and let your expertise speak for itself.
For a comprehensive approach to legal marketing that integrates PR, SEO, and AI search optimization, explore how InterCore Technologies can help your firm build sustainable visibility across every platform where your potential clients are searching.
Scott Wiseman
CEO & Founder, InterCore Technologies
Scott has been helping law firms navigate digital marketing since 2002. He specializes in AI-powered marketing strategies, including Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and AI search visibility for legal practices nationwide.