The full guide
Last verified 2026-10-30
Links checked 2026-10-30 · No website to check: this channel works by word of mouth or offline
01What it is and who is there
A guest post is an article you write for another site your buyers read, with your name and usually a link back. Readers get useful content and meet you; you get a credible link and some traffic. Google's spam policies treat buying links, or excessive link exchanges, as link spam, so the post must be genuinely useful and not paid placement for links.
02Cost and what you actually pay for
Writing for editors who accept your piece is free. Paying for links breaks Google's spam policies.
03Is it right for you?
It fits founders who can write expert pieces for niche blogs in their market. It fits poorly for anyone looking for quick links. Editors reject many pitches.
04Before you start
- Read Google's spam policies on link schemes.
- A list of blogs your buyers read that accept contributors.
- Each blog's contributor guidelines.
- Two or three article ideas per blog.
05Step-by-step: how to distribute here
- Read recent posts on each target site.
- Pitch a specific article idea that fits their audience.
- Write a genuinely useful piece, following their guidelines.
- Include a short bio with a link to your site.
- Share the article when it is published.
- Reply to reader comments.
06What to post or submit
Pitch:
Subject: Article idea: [title]
Hi [editor], I'm [name], [role] at [product]. I'd like to write "[title]" for your readers: [3-line outline]. It draws on [experience/data]. Samples: [links].07Common mistakes and do-nots
- Do not pay for links.
- Do not send the same article to many sites.
- Do not stuff the article with links to your product.
08How to measure it
- Track referral traffic from each post.
- Track links and rankings over time.
- A realistic test: three posts over three months.
09Time budget
- Per post: 4 to 8 hours including pitching.
10Pair it with
- SEO blog content — your own articles.
- Get added to 'best X tools' roundups — similar outreach.
- Medium and Substack Notes — borrowed readers.
- Original data studies — something worth writing about.
11Sources
- Google spam policies (link spam): https://developers.google.com/search/docs/essentials/spam-policies