Keep these three things in view
- Audience relevance matters alongside authority scores.
- A metric without a source and date is incomplete evidence.
- Agree the content, cost and paid-link disclosure before purchase.
What should you decide before choosing a site?
Write down who you want to reach, what topic your article will cover and what a useful outcome means for your campaign. A publication should make sense for that audience. Set a budget and check whether writing, editorial changes and placement are included before comparing prices.
Your shortlist should begin with the publication itself. Read recent articles, look for an identifiable editorial team and consider whether the proposed topic belongs beside the content already published. A score cannot answer those questions for you.
Which metrics are useful?
Metrics can help compare candidates, but each needs its own definition. Ahrefs describes Domain Rating as a relative measure of backlink-profile strength on a 0–100 scale. That is not an audience measurement or a publication-quality certification.
Ask which provider supplied each score or traffic estimate and when it was observed. Keep missing values separate from zero. Review the publication’s content and relevance alongside the numbers.
| Check | Question to ask |
|---|---|
| Audience | Does the topic, language and geography fit? |
| Metrics | Which provider measured this, and when? |
| Editorial | Does the publication show consistent, useful content? |
| Scope | What does the price include, and what is excluded? |
Definition: Ahrefs’ Domain Rating guide.
How should paid links be disclosed?
Google treats buying links to manipulate rankings as link spam. Advertising and sponsorship links need appropriate qualification: rel="sponsored" is recommended for paid placements, and rel="nofollow" is also acceptable. Discuss link attributes before agreeing to a placement; do not promise ranking improvements.
Sources: Google Search link-spam policies and Google’s guidance on qualifying outbound links. Final wording requires editorial review before publication.
What should be clear before checkout?
- Content scope. Confirm who writes, who edits and how revisions are handled.
- Placement terms. Confirm the publication, link attributes and any duration commitment.
- Total cost. Check currency, fees and whether billing recurs.
- Delivery and recovery. Read the actual turnaround, cancellation, refund and replacement terms.
Keep the brief and agreed terms with the order. If a listing changes price or becomes unavailable, review the change before payment. The current planning cart shows changes, but saving it does not reserve a publication, create an order or take payment.
