Before you pay for a guest post, check the site. A few minutes of research can save you from a poor placement. Use this checklist.
1. Relevance
Does the site cover topics close to your business? A relevant site is better for readers and for credibility than a site that publishes on everything.
2. Real content
Read several recent articles. Are they original, edited and useful? Is there a clear, recent publishing history?
3. A real audience
Look at the site's estimated traffic in a reputable tool. Treat the numbers as estimates, not facts. Write down which tool you used and the date, because figures change.
4. Search visibility
Search for the domain name and for a few of its article titles. A site that cannot be found for its own name deserves a closer look.
5. Editorial policy and contact details
Good sites have an about page, a named contact, and clear guidelines for contributors, including how they treat sponsored content.
6. The type of other articles
If most articles look like paid placements on unrelated topics, readers and search engines may treat the site as a link seller.
7. Language and country fit
If your customers are in New Zealand, a site read mainly elsewhere may help less.
8. Price against value
Compare the fee with what you receive: audience, relevance, and how long the article will stay live.
Red flags
- "Write for us" on every category, with no focus.
- Promises of guaranteed authority scores or rankings.
- Very thin pages, copied content, or no named editor.
- A sudden, unexplained drop in the site's traffic.
- No way to contact a real person.
When you work with us, we record each check with its source and date, and you approve every site before we write or book anything.