How to Choose a Publisher for Link Building

There are many strategies that teach you how to choose the ideal publisher for link building. Let's start with a little spoiler: if you plan to do link-building regularly, the idea of an "ideal" publisher is quite abstract. Instead of searching for the perfect platform, which is likely very expensive or non-existent, the key is to use common sense and balance between criteria.

Using Tools for Analysis

In this guide, we primarily used Ahrefs to analyze these criteria. Ahrefs is a powerful tool that provides a general overview of a site's metrics, such as Domain Rating, organic traffic, referring domains, and more. However, remember that alternative tools are available, like Moz, SEMrush, and Majestic, each offering unique features and insights.

It's crucial to note that all these tools provide a general overview, not a definitive conclusion, about a publisher's quality. Use them to inform your decisions, but always cross-check with your manual review and align them with your overall SEO strategy.

Key Criteria for Choosing a Publisher

Website Appearance and User Experience

Start by looking at the overall appearance of the website. Is it a template site, or does it have a custom design? How much advertising is present? If a site is filled with ads and banners, it's a red flag.

Why? Excessive ads annoy users, distract them from reading the content, and signal that the site's primary revenue is from advertisements. This often means the content quality is low to medium, and the site is full of paid posts. Such sites frequently fall under Google's filters; you don't want to associate your links with them.

Bad Example: A site overloaded with flashy banners and pop-ups is likely to drive away users and undermine its credibility.

Good Example: An attractive site with minimal ads and a clean design tends to have better content quality and a more engaged audience.

Relevance of the Website’s Niche

Ideally, you want to place your links on niche-specific websites. However, high-quality niche sites are often limited. I usually divide my search into three stages:

• 1st Stage: 100% niche-relevant sites.

• 2d Stage: Sites that aren't niche-specific but have relevant sub-sections.

• 3d Stage: Broader sites that rank well for relevant keywords.

  
  

Example: Start by looking for publishers who specifically focus on your niche. If there are few, consider publishers with strong sections related to your topic. Lastly, look at general sites that have articles ranking for your keywords.

Domain Rating (DR) Considerations

DR is a debated metric, but it still has its place. Generally, try to avoid sites with a DR below 40 (except if they are perfectly niche-relevant or new but strong in other metrics).

Although some argue that DR is losing importance, you won't find low-DR sites in the top 10 search results. Low DR usually suggests a site isn't trusted, often due to poor content or lack of promotion, meaning traffic to your guest post is less likely.

Example: A site with a high DR but low traffic and strange spikes and drops in its traffic pattern is a sign of potential problems. I might still consider such a site, but only if it meets other important criteria, usually for a lower price.

Disclaimer: It's important to remember that DR is an easily manipulated metric. Website owners can artificially "inflate" their DR, making it appear higher than it is. Therefore, do not disregard a website solely because of a low DR. Always consider the complete picture by looking at other factors like traffic, content quality, and backlink profile to make a more informed decision.

Organic Traffic and Its Dynamics

Check the site's overall traffic, geographical distribution, and traffic trends. Stable traffic is crucial—avoid sites with drastic fluctuations or drops. As a rule, don't consider sites with traffic below 1,000 per month unless the site is niche-specific and the publication is free. Evaluate sites with 1,000+ traffic based on other parameters.

Example: Dismiss it if a site has good DR and traffic distribution but shows a declining trend. Instead, it would be cautious to look closely at other metrics. The traffic drop could be due to seasonal changes, algorithm updates, or content issues.

Unstable traffic example:

Stable traffic Example:

Referring Domains to Linked Domains Ratio

This ratio helps identify sites that sell links or are spammy. A site with fewer referring domains (backlinks acquired) than linked domains (outbound links) is likely selling guest posts. Ideally, a site should have more referring domains than linked domains. If the gap is too large, it's worth discussing with the webmaster to ensure your links will be indexed.

Example: A site with many linked domains compared to referring domains is a red flag. This may suggest it's part of a link-selling scheme. However, if the difference isn't extreme, it could be a point for negotiation with the webmaster, ensuring proper indexing of your links.

How to check refering / linked domains in Ahrefs?

Go to relevant reports in the menu:

Traffic Distribution Across Pages

Evaluate how the site's traffic is distributed across its pages. Ideally, choose websites where traffic isn't concentrated solely on the homepage; at least 45% of the pages should have traffic. If most traffic comes from just one page, any issues with that page could sink the site, affecting your link.

Example: A site may seem to have a good traffic spread, but upon closer inspection, it's all concentrated on different homepage versions. Such a site could be risky since it shows poor engagement with other content pages. On the other hand, if several articles are pulling in good traffic, it's a positive sign.

Keyword Relevance

Always check the organic keywords the site ranks for. These should be relevant to the site's niche. If the site ranks for unrelated keywords (e.g., celebrity gossip, iPhones, adult content), avoid it. Such sites often use spammy SEO practices, which can be risky for link-building efforts.

Example: A highly ranked site for terms like "celebrity news" or "adult content" isn't a good choice for a professional link-building campaign. Instead, look for sites with a ranking history for relevant industry-specific keywords.

Advanced Checks: IP Analysis

For those who want to go deeper, check if the site has publications on websites with the same or similar IP addresses. If so, you might be dealing with a Private Blog Network (PBN), which can be risky for link building.

Example: If multiple sites on the same IP cross-link or publish similar content, it could be a PBN. This might work in the short term but can be harmful in the long term due to Google penalties.

Conclusion

Remember that there are no perfect sites when selecting a publisher for link building. It's about balancing the key criteria: relevance, domain rating, traffic stability, and quality of the site's content and backlink profile. Over time, you'll develop an eye for spotting good opportunities quickly—this process can take as little as 5-6 minutes once you're experienced.

Use these criteria and tools as a practical checklist to make informed decisions that align with your link-building strategy and broader SEO goals.