How I Pick Sites for Guest Posts & Niche Edits

[Monsterer]

I look at relevance, traffic, and trust score.

Nothing else matters. Sometimes people get lost in metrics. Who else keeps it simple?

 

[roosterseo]

Fact, people chases DA/DR like its gold but ignore relevance....biggest mistake in link building

 

[SEO Intelligence]

Exactly, real traffic and niche relevance beat inflated metrics every time. Simple filters, stronger results

 

[vcc empire]

I look at relevance, traffic, and trust score.

Nothing else matters. Sometimes people get lost in metrics. Who else keeps it simple?

So according to your experience for guest posting DA/ DR doesn't matter. We can pursue only with three factors trust score, relevance and traffic. This is first time I heard this, maybe most of people are unaware of this or maybe they are running in matrix copying as they heard. The reason to ask you is to confirm once again also so stay connected with this thread for upcoming discussion. Thanks Would appreciate further information for Guest posting

 

[wwsosop]

For me its traffic and relevance,

 

[Deleted member 731332]

I still check incoming anchors. I will always do that to avoid the sites that may have been legit at some point but now just sell guest posts and get spammed with GSA SER or some other automated link building tool. The site will get hit sooner than later and posting on it is a waste of time and money.

 

[tazarbm]

and trust score.

how do you assess that?

 

[Play ON]

Exactly, that's the solid foundation. I'd maybe add 'domain authority' under the 'trust' umbrella, but you're right, those three pillars are what actually move the needle. Everything else is just noise.

 

[RMX]

I look at relevance, traffic, and trust score.

Nothing else matters. Sometimes people get lost in metrics. Who else keeps it simple?

Absolutely agree overcomplicating things often does more harm than good. At the end of the day, relevance and trust define link quality, not inflated DR or DA scores. Keeping it simple usually leads to more natural and effective SEO decisions.

 

[Monsterer]

Exactly @roosterseo
DA/DR is an ego metric easy to screenshot, useless in reality.
Relevance is what tells Google why your link exists. The funny part? Most people still build links that don’t even make contextual sense.

Fact, people chases DA/DR like its gold but ignore relevance....biggest mistake in link building

Spot on @tooeasymoney
Once you filter using traffic + relevance, you’ll see how naturally rankings move.
Those inflated DR sites look strong on paper, but collapse every time Google sneezes.

Exactly, real traffic and niche relevance beat inflated metrics every time. Simple filters, stronger results

Right DA/DR can be referenced but never trusted blindly @uptospeed
For guest posting, I only look at:

• Relevance: same or close topic
• Traffic: stable organic trend
• Trust: clean backlink history + natural outbound links

After testing hundreds of placements, these 3 alone outperform any DA/DR-based outreach strategy.

So according to your experience for guest posting DA/ DR doesn't matter. We can pursue only with three factors trust score, relevance and traffic. This is first time I heard this, maybe most of people are unaware of this or maybe they are running in matrix copying as they heard. The reason to ask you is to confirm once again also so stay connected with this thread for upcoming discussion. Thanks Would appreciate further information for Guest posting

Exactly solid habit @wwsosop
Anchor check exposes the truth faster than any metric.
I’ve seen sites with 60+ DR but 80% spam anchors, pure junk under the hood.
If the anchor profile screams “casino / CBD / payday loans,” I don’t touch it, no matter the DA.
Those domains might survive for now, but Google will bury them soon. Smart move keeping that filter in place.

For me its traffic and relevance,

I agree @Zombie Pop on this approach, that’s one of the sharpest filters you can use.
Most SEOs skip anchor analysis because it takes an extra minute, but that’s where you spot the real damage.
I always tell people, if the anchors look unnatural, the next update will clean that site out.
Better to miss one placement than get dragged down with a domain that’s already on Google’s radar.

I still check incoming anchors. I will always do that to avoid the sites that may have been legit at some point but now just sell guest posts and get spammed with GSA SER or some other automated link building tool. The site will get hit sooner than later and posting on it is a waste of time and money.

When I say trust score, I mean how clean and natural the site’s backlink profile looks.

Simple routine I follow @tazarbm

1. Start with DomainCheck in Ahrefs
2. Check the Anchors tab → see if it has a natural mix of brand and topic keywords
3. Review Referring domains → avoid mass link farms or sudden growth spikes
4. Check the Organic traffic graph →steady traffic is good, big drops or sudden changes are a warning

That combo will tell you within 60 seconds if the site’s worth a placement or not.

how do you assess that?

Agree @Play ON when DA/DR supports trust, it fits.
But it shouldn’t define trust.
I’ve had DA 25 sites outperform DA 70s purely because their traffic, anchors, and topical map were tight.
Quality links don’t scream metrics, they behave naturally.

Exactly, that's the solid foundation. I'd maybe add 'domain authority' under the 'trust' umbrella, but you're right, those three pillars are what actually move the needle. Everything else is just noise.

Exactly @RMX
Some SEOs try to measure 20 things just to justify their strategy.
At the end of the day, Google rewards relevance + authority built through real content ecosystems, not metric inflation.
Keep it simple and organic, it gives stable results

Absolutely agree overcomplicating things often does more harm than good. At the end of the day, relevance and trust define link quality, not inflated DR or DA scores. Keeping it simple usually leads to more natural and effective SEO decisions.

 

[titanbacklinks]

Absolutely keeping it simple often leads to better decisions. Focusing on relevance, real traffic, and trust ensures you’re building links that actually drive results. Metrics can guide you, but genuine quality and context matter more in the long run. Simplicity keeps your strategy clean and effective.

 

[tazarbm]

Simple routine I follow @tazarbm

1. Start with DomainCheck in Ahrefs
2. Check the Anchors tab → see if it has a natural mix of brand and topic keywords
3. Review Referring domains → avoid mass link farms or sudden growth spikes
4. Check the Organic traffic graph →steady traffic is good, big drops or sudden changes are a warning

That combo will tell you within 60 seconds if the site’s worth a placement or not.

I usually attribute this to authority, not trust. I think trust is related to EEAT, brand popularity, etc...

But thanks for explaining

 

[Ozzyzig]

Great share.
I agree with DR/DA being a rogue metric. A few of the sites that I have are high in page 1 for a lot of keywords but they have a low DR when compared to the big hitters in the niche.

I normally give DR a courteousy glance, but don't treat it as a defining factor in chosen a link opportunity

 

[LinkFalcon]

Absolutely! Focusing on relevance, traffic, and trust score is the smartest approach. Too many people chase vanity metrics instead of what truly drives results.

 

[lekrichard7]

Look at traffic and backlinks if it is original or manipulated.

 

[Deleted member 731332]

Absolutely! Focusing on relevance, traffic, and trust score is the smartest approach. Too many people chase vanity metrics instead of what truly drives results.

If people chase vanity metrics what exactly is “trust score?”

 

[LondonLife]

I pick sites that are highly relevant to the niche, Domain Authority or Domain Rating, content quality and the site is value for money.

 

[youssefelhadi1921]

I usually check the same relevance and traffic. Metrics can be useful, but real engagement and niche match matter more in the long run.