I am in-house with media companies that offer such site posts with back-links
Not a ton. Just about 10 of them.
Literally, topping SERPs, #1, for high demand news.
Most don't have the budget or balls to get these links done, sometimes neither of the 2.
And to be frank ....
People want things done 'their way' but these companies give 0 fucks about a 1-time guy who spends $3000 , as they have Fortune 500 companies spending $30k with one call, that will get priority every time. Then secondary, they have budgets from smaller companies from across the world, who get their balls together and make the purchase without thinking they need to control our/my business.
I prefer not to waste my time talking to people who ask 100 questions and to see sites, etc b/c most are just 'data mining/reverse engineering' instead of focusing on their own business. People aren't legit looking for a solution to their needs, they're jut trying to wear another hat.
People rather feel 'in control' than understanding the rules of the Richest Man of Babylon.
From what I've seen, many on BHW to think they know something about Gold from their 1/10th of time dedicated to the study, rather than trust a man who spent the last 20 years of his living living on gold rich land, mining & researching it. Make sense? Hopefully that doesn't go over the heads of readers.
Those people will spend $500 hoping to get a good deal from a guy who's not exhibiting professional tendencies, than spend $2k with someone who's being professional/direct. And will crash and burn, over and over, until they find a deal , before just dealing with reality.
People feel more comfortable with a spreadsheet with farmed/mined/reverse engineered site links from a person in a foreign country, than a professional in the country/city where the company is based.
BHW's a trip in that way.