The short answer
Ask how the publication identifies commercial content and qualifies paid links before agreeing to a placement. Google's guidance uses rel="sponsored" for paid placements and also accepts nofollow. Link qualification and a reader-facing disclosure are separate questions; discuss both with the editor.
A worked example
A fictional gardening article includes a paid reference to a retailer's care guide. The buyer asks whether the link will use a commercial qualification and how the relationship will be explained to readers. This conversation belongs in the brief, not after publication. If the proposal instead promises undisclosed ranking influence, pause and reassess the arrangement.
A practical checklist
- Tell the editor whether money, services or another commercial benefit is involved. Ask for the planned link attributes and the publication's disclosure approach in writing.
- Review the final article's wording and the actual anchor element when it is delivered. A sentence in an email does not prove that the published HTML matches the agreement.
- Keep a record of the publication URL, inspection date and any correction request. If the implementation differs, discuss the discrepancy without claiming a guaranteed SEO consequence.
What to avoid
Avoid treating a 'dofollow' label as a purchase guarantee or a substitute for compliance review. Do not promise that a paid article will improve rankings. Applicable disclosure obligations may also depend on the circumstances; get appropriate advice when legal questions arise.
A useful follow-up
Does a sponsorship note replace link qualification?
No. Review the visible commercial disclosure and the link's HTML attributes separately.
