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27 min read

80 Free Guest Posting Sites for 2026 [Verified]

Erika Rykun

Erika

Head of Link Operations

Guest posting remains the second most effective link-building tactic in 2026, and still one of our favorite ways to build links.

48.6% of link builders now consider digital PR the most effective tactic, but guest posting still remains a close second. This is especially true for businesses without a PR budget.

On top of that, pages ranking #1 in Google have 3.8x more backlinks than pages in positions 2-10 according to an Ahrefs study.

And with 73% of link builders believing backlinks influence AI search visibility, guest posting isn't just about Google anymore. It's about showing up in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and AI Overviews too.

But guest posting is hard work and easy to get wrong. There are a lot of poor-quality free guest posting sites out there that won't help your rankings. Your content and pitch must be exceptional if you want any chance of landing a post on these sites.

This article will help you find high-quality, relevant guest post sites to get your campaigns going. Below, we have listed 80 of our favorite free guest blogging sites. We've used many of these blogs to get free backlinks for our clients.

πŸ’‘ Important: Watch this video before proceeding:

What Is Guest Blogging?

Guest posting is the practice of writing and publishing content on someone else's website, typically in exchange for a backlink to your own site. It serves a dual purpose: the host site gets fresh, relevant content, and you earn referral traffic plus a quality backlink.

Here's why guest posting remains one of the most effective link-building strategies we recommend:

  • Builds high-authority backlinks that improve your domain's trust signals
  • Drives targeted referral traffic from audiences already interested in your niche
  • Increases brand awareness by putting your name in front of new readers
  • Strengthens relationships with editors and publishers in your industry

When done correctly using white-hat methods, guest posting compounds over time into long-term organic growth and brand recognition.

Guest blogging is also beneficial for your brand for the following specific reasons:

βœ… Backlinks and rankings

One of the primary reasons businesses engage in guest posting is to secure high-quality backlinks. In fact, 64.9% of link builders use this tactic.

Since backlinks are a crucial ranking factor for search engines like Google, securing links from authoritative websites can improve your domain authority and search rankings.

βœ… Brand awareness and exposure

By contributing to well-established, high-authority blogs in your niche or industry, you expose your brand to a larger audience. This is especially useful for new businesses or startups trying to gain visibility.

Guest blogging allows a 174% audience extension and brand awareness growth.

βœ… Positions you as an expert

Regularly publishing insightful, valuable content on reputable sites builds credibility and thought leadership in your niche. Readers are more likely to trust and engage with your brand when they see your expertise featured on authoritative websites.

βœ… Targeted traffic

Guest blogging helps attract a relevant audience interested in your niche. An average guest post generates 125 referral visits per month.

Since your guest post usually includes a bio with a link to your website, readers who find your content valuable may click through to learn more about your product or service.

βœ… Relationships and networking

Guest posting is also about forming relationships with bloggers, influencers, and industry leaders. These connections can lead to link-building collaborations, partnerships, or further guest blogging opportunities in the future.

Our Favorite Guest Post Sites

Here are 80 free guest blogging sites that we love using. We've included a short analysis of the top 19 and then listed the rest.

Beware: only pitch these websites if you have amazing content and a very strong pitch. If you even think about emailing these sites from a random Gmail address, your failure rate will be 100% and you'll have wasted your time. Instead, send emails from your business account.

1. HubSpot

πŸ‘‰ URL: https://blog.hubspot.com/

πŸ‘‰ DR: 93

πŸ‘‰ Traffic: 1,400,000

πŸ‘‰ Niche/industry: SaaS, sales, marketing

Hubspot’s blog is the pinnacle of guest blogging. The website boasts a very high domain rating (DR) and has millions of daily visitors. Land a guest post with Hubspot’s award-winning blog, and you’ll reap big rewards.

Its blog is divided into four main categories: marketing, sales, services, and website. It also has its own tech blog called the Hustle, and each blog has its own guidelines.

As you would expect, HubSpot has high editorial requirements and is inundated with guest post pitches. Only top-quality original content gets published.

Here’s a guest blog that we pitched, wrote, and had published on HubSpot on behalf of Follow Up Boss:


2) Colibri

πŸ‘‰ URL: https://colibriwp.com/blog/

πŸ‘‰ DR: 91

πŸ‘‰ Traffic: 4,300

πŸ‘‰ Niche/industry: Tech

Colibri is a WordPress page builder, and its content is geared toward the platform, online sales, and digital marketing. Its β€œLearn From” section is particularly popular with guest posters.

The blog provides you with good exposure, and guest posts are clearly labeled on the menu with your name, description, and a monochrome photo.

3) Entrepreneur

πŸ‘‰ URL: https://www.entrepreneur.com/

πŸ‘‰ DR: 91

πŸ‘‰ Traffic: 415,000

πŸ‘‰ Niche/Industry: Business

The website for Entrepreneur magazine focuses on business, management, and personal development. It publishes guest blogs on personal stories, entrepreneurship worldwide, analyses of regulatory issues, and more.

Potential guest bloggers must pitch ideas via a form, and the website provides them with guidelines and a style guide.

These are both quite long, so be prepared to do a lot of reading before you submit guest post ideas. The website has premium guest post writers whose content will be published faster than those who don’t pay.

4) Mashable

πŸ‘‰ URL: https://mashable.com/

πŸ‘‰ DR: 91

πŸ‘‰ Traffic: 12,700,000

πŸ‘‰ Niche/Industry: Business, tech, entertainment

Mashable is an international news website focusing on entertainment, culture, tech, science, life, and social good. Its high DR and massive number of daily visitors make it well worth building links with.

The website doesn’t have guidance or instructions dedicated to guest bloggers. Instead, it has published a couple of articles providing tips for any budding guest blogger.

One explains how to get your start-up on Mashable, while the others highlight what not to do when pitching an idea. Pitches should be emailed to [email protected].

5) HuffPost

πŸ‘‰ URL: https://www.huffpost.com/

πŸ‘‰ DR: 92

πŸ‘‰ Traffic: 1,100,000

πŸ‘‰ Niche/Industry: News

HuffPost, formerly known as The Huffington Post, is well-known for its user-generated content and covers a vast range of subjects.

While this means it’s likely to accept your guest blog posts, it also means that any links you build with HuffPost might not be super-relevant to your site.

The website has guest post guidelines and a relatively straightforward submission form for guest bloggers.

6) DZone

πŸ‘‰ URL: https://dzone.com/

πŸ‘‰ DR: 84

πŸ‘‰ Traffic: 58,300

πŸ‘‰ Niche/Industry: Tech

DZone is an online community and resource publisher for software developers. It has hundreds of thousands of visitors, all interested in learning about the latest trends and techniques.

As it is community-focused, DZone’s blog has a large number of guest bloggers. It offers a wealth of support for guest bloggers, with pages dedicated to guidelines, how to become a contributor, and a resource and support page called Writers’ Spotlight.

Its guest posting guidelines are detailed and stringentβ€”a good sign!

DZone also operates a Most Valuable Blogger (MVB) program. This is a special group of guest post writers considered subject experts. DZone promotes its guest posts, giving each guest blogger more exposure.

7) Recruitee

πŸ‘‰ URL: https://blog.recruitee.com/

πŸ‘‰ DR: 88

πŸ‘‰ Traffic: 39,200

πŸ‘‰ Niche/Industry: SaaS, recruiting, productivity

Recruitee provides tools and software for hiring talent. Its blog is comprehensive and discusses all things connected with employment, HR, recruitment, and productivity. It features articles, podcasts, events, and downloadable guides.

Use the company’s contact form to enquire about guest blogging.

8) WPExplorer

πŸ‘‰ URL: https://www.wpexplorer.com/

πŸ‘‰ DR: 83

πŸ‘‰ Traffic: 57,800

πŸ‘‰ Niche/Industry: SaaS, Tech

WPExplorer shares themes, plugins, and helpful guides for WordPress. The blog covers various topics, including tips, tutorials, SEO insights, security, reviews, and general news.

The blog’s guest blogging guidelines can be found on the site’s contact page. The quality of content published on the site is generally good, and the requirements are relatively straightforward.

9) MarTech Series

πŸ‘‰ URL: https://martechseries.com/

πŸ‘‰ DR: 81

πŸ‘‰ Traffic: 13,565

πŸ‘‰ Niche/Industry: Tech

MarTech Series is a news site covering all things related to marketing technology. This includes social media, privacy and regulation, customer experience, mobile sales and marketing, and more.

Its articles are organized by tags, one of which is β€œGuest Authors.” Use the contact form to enquire about guest blogging opportunities.

10) Bplans

πŸ‘‰ URL: https://articles.bplans.com/

πŸ‘‰ DR: 78

πŸ‘‰ Traffic: 464,000

πŸ‘‰ Niche/Industry: SaaS, business

Bplans provides free business plans, tools, and guides to help companies grow. Its blog content is organized by the different stages of business growth, including planning, starting, funding, managing, and more.

The website has clear guidance on who they want to write for them and what guest posts should be like. It also indicates the kind of pitches they like to receive.

Bplans requires all guest authors to complete an agreement before pitching an idea. Pitches are submitted by filling out a very detailed form at the bottom of the guidance page.

11) PureVPN

πŸ‘‰ URL: https://www.purevpn.com/

πŸ‘‰ DR: 80

πŸ‘‰ Traffic: 297,000

πŸ‘‰ Niche/Industry: SaaS, Tech

PureVPN is a Virtual Private Network (VPN) with a focus on privacy. Its blog covers VPN use cases, industry news, privacy insights, and security tips. Its newsletter has over 600,000 subscribers.

The range of content on the blog is vast because VPN use cases can relate to anything involving the internet.

Articles include β€œHow to Fix Minecraft Lag,” β€œBlue Hat Hackers β€” Who Are They?” and β€œDoes Spectrum use CGNAT?”

12) Mitel

πŸ‘‰ URL: https://www.mitel.com/

πŸ‘‰ DR: 79

πŸ‘‰ Traffic: 100,000

πŸ‘‰ Niche/Industry: SaaS, tech, business

Mitel provides remote working solutions and cloud platforms to businesses. Its blog covers business communications, trends, tips, news, and announcements. It has 22 subject tags. Each guest blogger gets a short bio and photo at the end of their guest post.

Use the company’s contact form to inquire about guest blogging opportunities.

13) Flock

πŸ‘‰ URL: https://blog.flock.com/

πŸ‘‰ DR: 78

πŸ‘‰ Traffic: 50,000

πŸ‘‰ Niche/Industry: SaaS, sales, productivity, collaboration

Flock is a messaging and online collaboration platform similar to Microsoft Teams and Slack.

Its blog covers subjects like communication, leadership, collaboration, productivity, and remote working. Its articles are insightful, well-written, and relevant to modern business teams.

At the end of each post, guest contributors can include an image, a short description of their business and what they do, and a link to their website.

14) Moto CMS

πŸ‘‰ URL: https://www.motocms.com/

πŸ‘‰ DR: 79

πŸ‘‰ Traffic: 30,000

πŸ‘‰ Niche/Industry: Tech

Moto CMS is a website builder that provides over 100 niche-oriented templates. It also provides a range of related services, such as SEO.

The company’s blog has six main categories: web design and development, tutorials, marketing and SEO, free stuff, working from home, and news.

The website doesn’t provide editorial guidelines or instructions for pitching ideas. However, its contact page provides a name and an email address for blog inquiries.

15) ClickUp

πŸ‘‰ URL: https://clickup.com/blog/

πŸ‘‰ DR: 90

πŸ‘‰ Traffic: 1,200,000

πŸ‘‰ Niche/Industry: SaaS, business, tech

ClickUp is a cloud-based collaboration and project management tool. Its features include communication and collaboration tools, task assignments and statuses, alerts, and a task toolbar.

The product’s blog is organized into four main sections: manage, product, news, and worklife.

The blog provides tips and trends relating to project management. Its tags include software, planning, using ClickUp, management, and (oddly) Gantt charts.

ClickUp’s guest blogging guidelines are very detailed, and the company is picky about who it accepts guest posts from. They’ll only accept ideas from in-house teams at reputable, relevant brands.

16. Techopedia

πŸ‘‰ URL: https://www.techopedia.com/

πŸ‘‰ DR: 87

πŸ‘‰ Traffic: 305,000

πŸ‘‰ Niche/Industry: Tech

Techopedia focuses on topics such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), big data, blockchain, cybersecurity, and data science.

By guest posting on Techopedia, you showcase your knowledge to a tech-savvy audience.

To apply to write a guest post for Technopedia, you’d need to fill out its form on its contributor's page, provide details about yourself, and attach a writing sample if available.

17. OpenSource

πŸ‘‰ URL: https://opensource.com/

πŸ‘‰ DR: 83

πŸ‘‰ Traffic: 123,000

πŸ‘‰ Niche/Industry: Tech

OpenSource has a blog dedicated to open-source software, and it welcomes users to share their knowledge and experiences related to open source.

Your guest posts will reach an audience interested in software development, and you’re speaking to a community that understands the topic in detail.

18. Outbrain

πŸ‘‰ URL: https://www.outbrain.com/

πŸ‘‰ DR: 87

πŸ‘‰ Traffic: 88,800

πŸ‘‰ Niche/Industry: Tech, marketing

Outbrain allows guest bloggers to contribute original content focused on performance marketing and digital advertising. If you have any unique insights on advertising, Outbrain is the ideal platform for your guest blog posts.

19. Wakelet

πŸ‘‰ URL: https://wakelet.com/

πŸ‘‰ DR: 85

πŸ‘‰ Traffic: 36,600

πŸ‘‰ Niche/Industry: Content curation

Wakelet is a content curation platform that allows users to save, organize, and share online content in a visually engaging way.

It allows individuals, educators, and teams to curate articles, videos, images, and PDFs into structured collections called β€œWakelets.”

Guest blogging for Wakelet means your content will be seen by people who love curating content, meaning your post could reach a far broader audience by being shared.

Below is the rest of our top 80 guest posting sites list:

Name

DR

Traffic

Niche/Industry

URL

DevriX

76

2,200

Tech

https://devrix.com/

Front App

76

1,200

Business, marketing

https://frontapp.com/

Carbon Black

74

33,600

Tech

https://www.carbonblack.com/

Small Biz Daily

72

9,200

Business

https://www.smallbizdaily.com/

Stackify

73

60,500

SaaS, tech

https://stackify.com/

Technology Networks

78

399,000

Tech

https://www.technologynetworks.com/

Recruiter

77

19,400

SaaS, business

https://www.recruiter.com/

ProofHub

78

85,700

SaaS, productivity, management

https://blog.proofhub.com/

Jaxenter

73

63,100

Tech

https://jaxenter.com/

Astra Security

79

31,500

Tech

https://www.getastra.com/

Geekflare

79

119,000

Tech

https://geekflare.com/

Software Suggest

77

155,000

Tech

https://www.softwaresuggest.com/

Paymo

73

24,000

SaaS, productivity

https://www.paymoapp.com/

Survicate

78

31,400

Tech

https://survicate.com/

Payments Journal

78

590,000

Finance, payments, tech

https://www.paymentsjournal.com/

InsideBIGDATA

74

3,200

Tech, data

insidebigdata.com

Level Up Coding

78

17,800

Tech

https://levelup.gitconnected.com/

LivePlan

80

145,000

SaaS, business

https://www.liveplan.com/

SmartData Collective

67

4,400

Tech

https://www.smartdatacollective.com/

CMS2CMS

68

1,800

Tech

https://cms2cms.com/

Appuals

72

31,100

Tech

https://appuals.com/

IFSEC Global

73

66,200

Security, tech

https://www.ifsecglobal.com/

Simple Programmer

67

8,600

Tech

simpleprogrammer.com

Paldesk

58

7,000

SaaS, tech, marketing

https://www.paldesk.com/

Blog2Social

69

2,300

Marketing

https://www.blog2social.com/

60 Second Marketer

65

1,600

Marketing

https://60secondmarketer.com/

Sticky Password

70

7,700

Tech

https://www.stickypassword.com/

DeskTime

73

16,500

SaaS, tech, teams

https://desktime.com/

Sage HR

68

11,200

Accounting, finance

https://blog.sage.hr/

WP Blog

61

6,700

Tech

https://www.wpblog.com/

Impero

62

2,700

SaaS, tech

https://blog.netop.com/

Kisi

71

32,500

SaaS, tech, productivity

https://www.getkisi.com/

Business West

63

1,500

Business

https://www.businesswest.co.uk/

Bits and Pieces

72

68,000

Tech

blog.bitsrc.io

Codility

71

23,900

SaaS, tech

https://www.codility.com/

SmartBiz Loans

60

4,900

Finance, business

https://www.smartbizloans.com/

GooseChase

69

18,000

SaaS, team building

https://www.goosechase.com/

Magneto IT Solutions

67

3,700

Tech

https://magnetoitsolutions.com/

Tallyfy

66

15,000

SaaS, business

https://tallyfy.com/

FitWP

60

1,200

Tech

https://fitwp.com/

SpecOps Software

72

23,000

SaaS, tech, security

https://specopssoft.com/

Blogging Tips

48

3,600

Marketing

https://www.successfulblogging.com/

Innovation & Tech Today

69

4,700

Tech

https://innotechtoday.com/

Sparkbay

59

2,500

SaaS, HR, tech

https://sparkbay.com/

Viima

60

14,400

SaaS, innovation

https://www.viima.com/

Our Code World

56

51,000

Tech, coding

https://ourcodeworld.com/

Credibly

67

53,000

Finance

https://www.credibly.com/

Insights for Professionals

65

2,200

Business

https://www.insightsforprofessionals.com/

PaymentCloud

70

106,000

SaaS, finance, tech

https://paymentcloudinc.com/

Jason Fox

52

2,200

Real estate, marketing

https://www.jasonfox.me/

Scam Detector

67

13,000

Security, tech

https://www.scam-detector.com/

Tricky Enough

54

2,500

Tech

https://www.trickyenough.com/

Yoh

55

4,400

Tech

https://www.yoh.com/

nichemarket

45

3,900

Business

https://www.nichemarket.co.za/

Diana Kelly Levey

43

625

Freelance

dianakelly.com

Company Bug

38

7,300

Business, finance

https://www.companybug.com/

StartUp Mindset

38

2,700

Business, startups

https://startupmindset.com/

Cloverleaf

62

29,000

SaaS, productivity, business

https://cloverleaf.me/

Reputation Rhino

50

1,200

Marketing

https://www.reputationrhino.com/

πŸ‘‰ More Places to Guest Post

If you're looking for even more places to guest post besides the opportunities listed here, we've got you covered!

Check out PlacesToGuestPost.com from our friend Ryan Doyle, which has a very nice curated list of over 1,800 sites that accept guest posts.

Why Is Finding the Right Guest Post Site Important?

There are two types of websites out there offering guest post opportunities.

High-quality websites that usually:

  • Exist to serve an interest, purpose, or niche
  • Are free to write for
  • Only publish great content
  • Have stringent guidelines

Low-quality websites that often:

  • Exist solely for the purpose of building links
  • Charge a fee (either directly or by association with link builders)
  • Publish poor-quality content
  • Have few or no guidelines

Publishing your guest post on a high-quality website will positively impact your rankings. At best, publishing on a low-quality website will have minimal impact. It could even result in a penalty from Google.

traffic forecast upwards

Why Won't Google Count Links From Low-quality Guest Posting Sites?

Google treats backlinks as trust votes. When a site exists primarily to sell or exchange links, Google has systems in place to recognize that pattern and discount those links entirely. The site may look legitimate on the surface, especially if built on an expired domain with borrowed authority, but over time its signals erode and the links become worthless.

Cheap link-building services often rely on exactly these kinds of sites. They can deliver the volume of links they promised, but since Google is ignoring them, you see no measurable SEO benefit. Worse, if the pattern is egregious enough, you risk a manual penalty that actively suppresses your rankings.

The bottom line: it's not just about avoiding bad links. It's about making sure every link you build comes from a site Google actually trusts and indexes as a real, serving-a-purpose publication.

Why Guest Post on Quality Websites?

Guest posts on quality websites don't get ignored or receive ranking penalties because they only publish well-written, original content that is relevant and valuable to their readers. When Google sees this content, it doesn't think it's there for link-building purposes.

There are many quality websites that accept guest posts for their blog. They offer this service because it's an excellent way for them to get quality content for free. These websites usually won't charge to feature your content but have high editorial standards and rigorous guidelines. You will have to work very hard to get your ideas and guest posts accepted and approved.

What Are Low-quality Websites?

toxic backlinks

Some low-quality websites are legitimate but just aren't very good. Others are link farms or private blog networks (PBNs), complex networks of websites set up by unscrupulous link builders to extract money from website owners who don't understand SEO.

PBNs are often built using expired domains that previously pointed to legitimate high-authority websites. By redirecting the domain to their PBN, they "borrow" the high authority rating. This makes the website look legitimate. But over time, Google identifies these sites and their domain rating erodes, leaving you with a bunch of worthless links.

Here are the red flags to watch for when vetting any site before you pitch:

  • The site charges a fee to publish your content
  • No editorial guidelines or an obviously generic "write for us" page
  • Niche mixing β€” tech articles alongside recipes alongside personal finance with no coherent topic focus
  • Absent or generic author bios with no social profiles or credentials
  • High DR but extremely low organic traffic (a classic sign of domain manipulation)
  • Most outbound links pointing to commercial or affiliate pages

Successful guest post sites are less likely to lose their domain rating over time. By focusing on these opportunities, you can build long-term, valuable, and relevant links to your website.

How to Find Guest Posting Opportunities

Finding guest blogging opportunities requires a strategic approach to ensure you target the right websites and maximize your content’s reach.

Here are six steps to follow to help you find and secure guest blogging opportunities:

1. Use Google search operators

Google is one of the best tools to find guest blogging opportunities. Use the following search queries to discover sites that accept guest blog posts:

➑️ "[your niche] write for us".

➑️ "[your topic] guest post guidelines".

➑️ "[your industry] become a contributor".

➑️ "[your keyword] submit a guest post".

➑️ "[your niche] accepting guest posts".

➑️ "[your topic] guest post by" (to find sites that have published guest posts in the past).

For example, if you’re in the fitness niche, you might search: "fitness write for us" or "health and wellness guest post guidelines.”

2. Check competitor backlinks

If your competitors have written guest posts, you can find these opportunities by analyzing their backlinks. You can use SEO tools like

➑️ Ahrefs: Site Explorer > Backlinks

➑️ SEMrush: Backlink Analytics

➑️ Moz: Link Explorer

Enter your competitor’s domain and then look at the referring domains to see where they’ve contributed to guest posts.

3. Use social media

Platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn can help you find opportunities for guest blogging.

➑️ Search for "guest post" or "write for us" in posts or hashtags.

➑️ Join Facebook groups dedicated to bloggers and guest posting.

➑️ Follow influencers in your niche and see where they contribute.

4. Explore guest blogging communities

There are platforms specifically designed to connect guest bloggers with website owners, such as:

➑️ GuestPost.com

➑️ MyBlogGuest

➑️ PostJoint

➑️ BloggerLinkUp

These platforms often list websites actively looking for guest contributors.

5. Reach out to blogs in your niche

If a website doesn’t explicitly mention guest posting, you can still reach out and ask if they accept contributions.

You can do this by:

  1. Identifying high-quality blogs in your niche.

  2. Finding the editor’s or blog owner’s contact information.

  3. Sending a personalized pitch offering unique, high-value guest post content.

6. Network with other bloggers

Building relationships with other bloggers can lead to guest post invitations. Engage with bloggers through:

➑️ Commenting on their blog posts.

➑️ Sharing their content on social media.

➑️ Attending industry events related to your niche.

How to Evaluate a Guest Posting Site Before You Pitch

Having a list of 80+ sites is only useful if you know which ones are worth your time. Use these six metrics to vet any site before you invest effort in a pitch:

MetricWhat it tells youWhat to look for
Domain Authority (DA)Overall authority of the domain (Moz scale)DA 30+ for meaningful link equity
Domain Rating (DR)Backlink profile strength (Ahrefs scale)DR 30+ with a clean link profile
Organic trafficReal visitors from searchConsistent monthly traffic; high DR with zero visitors is a red flag
Niche relevanceContent alignment with your industryOverlapping topics and categories
Spam scoreRisk indicator for manipulative sitesBelow 5% on Moz; avoid sites with excessive outbound links
IndexationWhether Google crawls and ranks the siteActive pages appearing in Google's index

Never rely on DR alone. A site with DR 60 and 20,000 monthly visitors in your exact niche will typically outperform a DR 85 site with barely any organic traffic and no topical overlap.

How to Submit a Guest Post (Step by Step)

Once you've identified the right sites, here's the process for getting your post accepted and published:

  1. Research the site's content and guidelines. Read five to ten recent posts on the target blog. Understand their tone, typical article length, internal linking style, and what topics have already been covered. Then read their guidelines thoroughly before you pitch anything.
  2. Craft a personalized pitch. Send from your business domain, not a personal Gmail account. Propose a specific headline rather than a vague topic. Mention one or two of their recent articles to show you've done your homework. Keep the pitch to three to four short paragraphs.
  3. Wait for approval and follow up once. Most editors take seven to fourteen business days to respond. If you don't hear back, send one polite follow-up. If there's still no response, move on and pitch elsewhere.
  4. Write to their specifications. Once approved, deliver exactly what you promised: the agreed word count, correct formatting, no over-optimization of anchor text, and sources cited where required.
  5. Submit and handle revisions. Expect editorial feedback. Respond promptly and professionally. Sites with high standards will push back on anything that doesn't meet their bar, and that's a sign you're in the right place.
  6. Promote the published post. Share it on your social channels, link to it where relevant from your own content, and let the host site know you've promoted it. This builds goodwill and makes editors more receptive to future pitches.

Frequently Asked Questions

What DR and Traffic Numbers Should I Look for in a Guest Posting Site?

Use DR 50+ as a reasonable baseline for most campaigns. DR 70 to 90 sites carry the strongest link signals but are the hardest to land, so temper your expectations on acceptance rates. For niche-specific campaigns, a DR 40 to 60 site with tight topical alignment often delivers more SEO value than a DR 80 site with no content overlap.

On the traffic side, aim for at least 5,000 monthly organic visitors. A site with high DR and under 1,000 organic visits is a red flag, as it typically signals domain manipulation or a site that has lost Google's trust.

The strongest evaluation combines all three signals together: DR, organic traffic, and topical relevance. Any site that scores well on just one or two of those metrics deserves more scrutiny before you pitch.

Are Links From Guest Posts Dofollow or Nofollow?

It depends on the site and should be confirmed before you invest time in a pitch. High-authority publications like HuffPost and Entrepreneur typically apply rel="nofollow" or rel="sponsored" to contributor links, while many other sites leave contextual and bio links as dofollow.

To check before you pitch, find an existing guest post on the target site, right-click the author's link, select "Inspect," and look for any rel attributes in the anchor tag. If you see rel="nofollow", the link won't pass PageRank.

That said, nofollow links still drive referral traffic, brand awareness, and audience exposure. Google also treats nofollow as a "hint" rather than a hard block, so some indirect benefit is possible. But if passing PageRank is your primary campaign goal, prioritize sites that leave contextual links as dofollow.

How Do I Pitch a Guest Post That Actually Gets Accepted?

The strongest pitches are short, specific, and audience-focused. Here's what works:

  • Send from your business domain, not a personal Gmail address
  • Study five to ten recent posts on the target site before writing a single word
  • Pitch a specific headline with a clear angle, not a vague topic area
  • Show your credentials in one sentence with a link to a published writing sample
  • Frame everything around value for the host site's readers, not your backlink goals
  • Follow up once after seven to ten business days, then move on if there's no reply

Editors can tell immediately when a pitch is templated or when the sender hasn't read their site. Personalization and specificity are what separate accepted pitches from ignored ones.

Looking for High-quality Guest Posting Opportunities? We Can Help!

Finding free guest posting sites can be time-consuming, and securing placements on high-authority websites requires exceptional content, personalized outreach, and persistent follow-up. Here's a quick recap of what matters most:

  • Evaluate every site by DR, organic traffic, and topical relevance, not just domain authority
  • Personalize every pitch and send from a business email address
  • Diversify across guest posts and niche edits for broader link profile coverage
  • Prioritize topical relevance over raw metrics whenever the two conflict
  • Verify dofollow vs. nofollow status before committing to a site

If you want to skip the outreach grind and get premium guest post placements on reputable sites, LinkBuilder.io can help. Guest posting is one of the link-building tactics we specialize in. We connect your brand with high-quality websites in your niche to improve your SEO and drive targeted traffic.

Our team handles the outreach, content creation, and placement so you can focus on growing your business. Book a call to discuss your link building needs.