The blitz list: start and validate link building campaigns fast

Executive overview

Finding email addresses for link outreach is slow, error-prone, and expensive when done manually or via freelancers. The blitz list solves this by automating email discovery and validation against a small sample of prospects first.

Run a sample of vetted URLs through Hunter's Author API, verify deliverability with NeverBounce, and have a ready-to-send outreach list in 15–30 minutes. The sample-first approach lets you validate your pitch before committing to the full list.

Run a small sample to prove the campaign works before scaling it.

Why manual email finding fails

• Finding author emails requires name lookups, then Hunter, then NeverBounce verification
• Non-author contacts require LinkedIn or team page research before any email search
• Freelancers on Upwork or Mechanical Turk produce invalid, personal, or generic addresses
• In-house link builders doing the full workflow is high quality but extremely inefficient

How the blitz list works

• Feed a sample of vetted prospect URLs into Hunter's Author Finder API
• NeverBounce's API validates whether found addresses are likely deliverable
• From 1,000 prospects, expect 60–120 valid emails found and verified in 15–30 minutes
• Only a sample is contacted first, so you can judge campaign viability before scaling

Three ways to build the blitz list

1. Google Sheets with Hunter for Sheets add-on — quick to start; use the Author Finder tab, then export and clean via NeverBounce's Clean Tool; VLOOKUP to match statuses. Ideal for testing, but limited flexibility.
2. Custom coded program — best for agencies or anyone scaling email finding; Hunter and NeverBounce APIs are simple to integrate; basic functionality costs under $50 to build.
3. Google Sheets + Zapier — blends simplicity of Sheets with custom-logic flexibility; slower to set up and requires a paid Zapier plan, unlike a one-time App Script fee.