Since guest posting became the #1 link building technique in the SEO industry well over a decade ago now, the number of sites that accept free submissions has shrank substantially and the amount of bloggers asking to get paid (I mean, you can’t blame ’em) for a guest post on their site has gone through the roof.
As with anything we touch, SEOs have to ruin the game by over abusing, scaling outreach systems so much that every blog on the block gets paid guest post offers for casino, crypto or CBD…
So what’s left for the link builder who doesn’t want to remortgage their house just to get a guest post on a DR 70 tech blog?
Simple: free guest posting sites – and not the garbage PBNs or scraper-fed auto-approvers either. I’m talking about legitimate platforms that actually get traffic, have editorial teams (or at least pretend to), and won’t slap a “sponsored” tag on your article like it’s a walk of shame.
10 Best Free Web 2.0 Guest Posting Sites
Let’s kick this off with the OGs of free content hosting. These are technically user-generated platforms – so you’re publishing content under your account/profile rather than pitching an editor. That means no gatekeepers, no “we’re not accepting guest posts right now”, and no awkward “what’s your budget?” replies.
1. Medium.com
The king of Web 2.0.
Still relevant. Still gets indexed like crazy. Still lets you throw up a contextual link with zero hassle.
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DA: 95
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Traffic: Millions
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SEO tip: Use Medium publications (high-trust internal blogs) to boost authority. Better indexing, more credibility.
Pro Tip: Syndicate your blog content to Medium with a canonical tag to your original URL. You’ll get reach without splitting SEO signals, and give a small boost to crawl rate on fresh domains.
2. LinkedIn Pulse
LinkedIn’s built-in publishing tool.
Massively underused for SEO because it’s seen as “corporate” – but that’s your edge. Your competitors are too busy playing nice in Slack channels.
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DA: 97
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Link style: No-follow, but the CTR and brand credibility are next-level.
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Real benefit: Authority association. You’re piggybacking on LinkedIn’s trust.
If you’re in B2B, ignoring LinkedIn Pulse is like ignoring water in a desert.
3. Substack
Technically a newsletter platform, but search engines index public Substack posts like blog content.
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DA: 86
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SEO Angle: Great for building topical authority. Write niche-specific articles and drop in CTA links to your money site.
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Growth tip: Embed forms or links to gated lead magnets to build email lists from your SEO efforts.
4. Tealfeed
Smaller than Medium but more lenient, especially with backlinks.
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DA: 59 (as of 2025)
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Niche fit: Ideal for tech, startups, and marketing-focused content.
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Underrated Play: Drop unique listicles with subtle anchor text – the editors rarely remove anything unless it’s completely spammy.
5. Vocal.Media
A freemium UGC platform with decent trust signals and shockingly relaxed moderation.
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DA: 76
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Monetization: They pay you based on reads, but let’s be honest – you’re here for the backlinks.
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SEO Play: Choose low-competition keyword angles and build your own network of interlinked articles.
6. Tumblr
Yes, it still exists. And it’s surprisingly still indexed.
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DA: 94
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Real Talk: Purely for link diversity and anchoring from an aged domain. No real traffic, but great for link variation in tiered strategies.
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Tip: Use it in your tier 2 setups pointing to your Medium/Substack layer.
7. Wix Blog
Wix lets you spin up a blog in minutes – and if you build it properly, Google will index it.
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DA: 93 (platform-wide)
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Why It Works: Domain authority inheritance. Also good for testing keyword silos.
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Sneaky Trick: Clone your article across 3–5 free site builders like Wix, strikingly, and Jimdo to build a mini PBN with zero cost.
8. Ghost.org (Self-Hosted or Hosted)
Most people overlook Ghost unless they’re devs. But its hosted blogs (on ghost.io) get indexed fast and give clean links.
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DA: 85
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Niche: Perfect for thought leadership, SaaS, or tech-y content.
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Pro Move: Use it to host your personal blog and disguise your link drops as “insightful industry commentary.”
9. Write.as
Clean, minimalist blogging platform with shockingly fast indexing times.
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DA: 78
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Content Style: Prefer short-form essays. Works well for stealth branded content or subtle niche edits.
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Bonus: No ads, no clutter, and you can publish anonymously. (Because sometimes the niche you’re promoting… isn’t exactly mom-friendly.)
10. Behance
Yes, Adobe’s portfolio platform. Not traditionally “bloggy” but it’s open for publishing case studies, guides, and visuals — and links inside project descriptions get indexed.
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DA: 92
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Niche Fit: Design, creative, SaaS, digital tools.
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Use Case: Drop value-packed visual content with a CTA linking out to your blog post or landing page.
Treat each platform as a piece in your link velocity puzzle.
Top 100 High DR Free Guest Posting Sites
Alright, now to the real deal, actual guest post sites where your article doesn’t live under a random username. These are editor reviewed, high authority platforms that let you slap a backlink in your author bio or sometimes even in the body (if you’ve got the copy chops).
Here’s where to start…
1. HubSpot
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DR: 93
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Traffic: 13M+
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Why it’s fire: If you land a spot here, it’s like getting a blue tick on your content marketing credibility. Ridiculously hard to get in – but if you do, it prints ROI like a mint.
2. Entrepreneur
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DR: 91
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Traffic: 875K
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Why it’s fire: Everyone knows this brand. Your guest post here turns into a lead-gen magnet just by existing. They upsell you for faster publishing, but the free route’s still open (if you’ve got patience and polish).
3. ClickUp
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DR: 87
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Traffic: 3.4M
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Why it’s fire: Their content game is elite. If you’re in productivity or project management, this is where you prove you’re not another Zapier listicle zombie.
4. Techopedia
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DR: 88
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Traffic: 1.1M
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Why it’s fire: Heavy on AI, dev, and security content. Bonus: they’re actually responsive to good pitches. Bring stats, stories, and avoid the fluff.
5. Hackernoon
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DR: 88
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Traffic: 395K
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Why it’s fire: HackerNews vibes with way more reach. Great for pushing crypto, tech, or your startup’s thought leadership narrative.
6. YourStory
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DR: 86
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Traffic: 808K
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Why it’s fire: Huge in India and Southeast Asia. Perfect for international SEO or startup storytelling.
7. Cloudways
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DR: 90
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Traffic: 289K
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Why it’s fire: Big SaaS audience, cloud-hosting nerds, and surprisingly open editorial process.
8. G2 Learning Hub
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DR: 91
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Traffic: 278K
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Why it’s fire: One of the few big SaaS sites that still accepts external writers. Great for B2B, tools, and software content.
9. DataScienceCentral
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DR: 76
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Traffic: 27K
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Why it’s fire: If you’ve got AI, ML, or data analytics knowledge – this is where the nerds will read, link, and actually care.
10. FinancesOnline
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DR: 87
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Traffic: 78K
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Why it’s fire: B2B SaaS + FinTech hybrid. Plug in product comparisons, feature guides, or startup ecosystem articles.
11. Outbrain
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DR: 92
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Traffic: 127K
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Why it’s fire: Marketing-focused distribution engine. Great for native ad nerds or performance marketers wanting exposure.
12. Edutopia
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DR: 84
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Traffic: 258K
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Why it’s fire: Huge in education. K-12 focused but also open to innovative content on learning, productivity, and future of work stuff.
13. Visme
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DR: 86
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Traffic: 1.3M
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Why it’s fire: Top-tier for visual content creators. Ideal if you’re writing about data viz, infographics, or presentations.
14. PageFly
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DR: 78
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Traffic: 54K
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Why it’s fire: Shopify app devs and ecom marketers eat this up. Perfect for conversion-focused, CRO, or UX content.
15. Wakelet
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DR: 85
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Traffic: 48K
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Why it’s fire: Think Pinterest meets Notion. Insanely loyal user base. Publish thoughtful curated content, sneak in links.
16. Fylehq
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DR: 71
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Traffic: 69K
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Why it’s fire: Perfect for FinTech content, especially if you’re doing corporate card or expense automation SEO.
17. MobileAppDaily
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DR: 73
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Traffic: 38K
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Why it’s fire: Big on app reviews and developer tools. If you’ve got mobile SaaS or dev case studies, drop them here.
18. OpenSource.com
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DR: 83
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Traffic: 316K
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Why it’s fire: Pure dev goldmine. Ideal for content around open-source libraries, case studies, or frameworks.
19. SurveySparrow
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DR: 80
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Traffic: 210K
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Why it’s fire: You’d never expect it, but this survey SaaS is killer for B2B content marketing if pitched right.
20. Clutch.co
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DR: 90
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Traffic: 839K
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Why it’s fire: The go-to review site for agencies. Guest blogging here gives you the holy grail of link trust.
These are all of the high DR sites, but for most sites you want to make sure you are niching down properly!
So, here’s a niche specific list of the next 70+ best sites I’d recommend you outreach to and get free guest post links from:
| Niche | URL |
| Tech/Dev | https://colibriwp.com/blog/ |
| Tech/Dev | https://dzone.com/ |
| Tech/Dev | https://www.wpexplorer.com/ |
| Tech/Dev | https://stackify.com/ |
| Tech/Dev | https://www.technologynetworks.com/ |
| Tech/Dev | https://jaxenter.com/ |
| Tech/Dev | https://www.getastra.com/ |
| Tech/Dev | https://geekflare.com/ |
| Tech/Dev | https://www.softwaresuggest.com/ |
| Tech/Dev | https://levelup.gitconnected.com/ |
| Tech/Dev | https://cms2cms.com/ |
| Tech/Dev | https://appuals.com/ |
| Tech/Dev | http://simpleprogrammer.com/ |
| Tech/Dev | https://www.wpblog.com/ |
| Tech/Dev | http://blog.bitsrc.io/ |
| Tech/Dev | https://www.codility.com/ |
| Tech/Dev | https://magnetoitsolutions.com/ |
| Tech/Dev | https://fitwp.com/ |
| Tech/Dev | https://specopssoft.com/ |
| Tech/Dev | https://ourcodeworld.com/ |
| Business/Startup | https://mashable.com/ |
| Business/Startup | https://www.huffingtonpost.com |
| Business/Startup | https://blog.recruitee.com/ |
| Business/Startup | https://articles.bplans.com/ |
| Business/Startup | https://www.purevpn.com/ |
| Business/Startup | https://www.mitel.com/ |
| Business/Startup | https://www.motocms.com/ |
| Business/Startup | https://devrix.com/ |
| Business/Startup | https://frontapp.com/ |
| Business/Startup | https://www.carbonblack.com/ |
| Business/Startup | https://www.smallbizdaily.com/ |
| Business/Startup | https://www.liveplan.com/ |
| Business/Startup | https://www.smartdatacollective.com/ |
| Business/Startup | https://www.businesswest.co.uk/ |
| Business/Startup | https://www.smartbizloans.com/ |
| Business/Startup | https://www.companybug.com/ |
| Business/Startup | https://startupmindset.com/ |
| Marketing/SEO | https://martechseries.com/ |
| Marketing/SEO | https://www.blog2social.com/ |
| Marketing/SEO | https://60secondmarketer.com/ |
| Marketing/SEO | https://blog.netop.com/ |
| Marketing/SEO | https://www.trickyenough.com/ |
| Marketing/SEO | https://www.reputationrhino.com/ |
| Uncategorized | https://blog.flock.com/ |
| Uncategorized | https://www.successfulblogging.com/ |
| HR/Productivity | https://www.recruiter.com/ |
| HR/Productivity | https://blog.proofhub.com/ |
| HR/Productivity | https://www.paymoapp.com/ |
| HR/Productivity | https://www.paldesk.com/ |
| HR/Productivity | https://desktime.com/ |
| HR/Productivity | https://blog.sage.hr/ |
| HR/Productivity | https://www.getkisi.com/ |
| HR/Productivity | https://www.goosechase.com/ |
| HR/Productivity | https://sparkbay.com/ |
| HR/Productivity | https://cloverleaf.me/ |
| Data/Analytics | https://survicate.com/ |
| Data/Analytics | http://insidebigdata.com/ |
| Data/Analytics | https://www.insightsforprofessionals.com/ |
| Finance/Fintech | https://www.paymentsjournal.com/ |
| Finance/Fintech | https://www.credibly.com/ |
| Finance/Fintech | https://paymentcloudinc.com/ |
| Security/Privacy | https://www.ifsecglobal.com/ |
| Security/Privacy | https://www.stickypassword.com/ |
| Security/Privacy | https://www.scam-detector.com/ |
| Misc/Other | https://tallyfy.com/ |
| Misc/Other | https://innotechtoday.com/ |
| Misc/Other | https://www.viima.com/ |
| Misc/Other | https://www.jasonfox.me/ |
| Misc/Other | https://www.yoh.com/ |
| Misc/Other | https://www.nichemarket.co.za/ |
| Misc/Other | http://dianakelly.com/ |
I hope these can be a starting point to begin building guest post links for your site from, and it’s likely that you may never dozens more opportunities than just this – You can always check out out guest posting service.
It’s all well and good giving you an infinite number of domains or URLs to get links from, but if you don’t know how to outreach to the sites in the first place then this entire article has been pointless.
How to Actually Do Outreach to Free Guest Post Sites
Alright, now that we’ve served up more free guest post opportunities than a 2015 niche edits Skype group, let’s talk about what 99% of SEOs still get horribly wrong… Outreach.
You’ve seen the damage:
“Hello dear sir, I write for high quality site. Please publish my post, I wait your reply.”
– Some guy who just tanked his domain with spun AI content and a Fiverr order.
So, here’s how you actually get published on these free-but-editor-reviewed platforms without sounding like you’re scraping and spamming with a Gmail alias.
Rule #1: Ditch the “Free” Mindset
Just because it’s a free guest post site doesn’t mean your content should be free-tier garbage.
These sites may not charge a fee, but they’re still selling attention, trust, and editorial integrity. You’re paying with quality — not cash.
If you treat them like a backlink dump, don’t be surprised when you end up in their spam folder with the Forex bots.
Rule #2: Match Their Vibe Like You’re Trying to Slide Into DMs
Read their content. Not just one post — three to five. Check the tone, structure, formatting.
If they’re publishing 2,000-word research essays with charts and you send in a 700-word AI blurp about “10 Ways AI Will Change Marketing”… you’re out.
Better yet — call out a recent article you liked and add a specific follow-up suggestion in your pitch. That one line can be the difference between “Delete” and “Interesting…”
Rule #3: Build a Real Brand, Not a Gmail Burner
Use a domain-branded email.
Even if you’re not pitching as “Forbes contributor & marketing coach,” showing you’re from something builds instant legitimacy.
Example:
🟩 Bad: seo.freakz.420@gmail.com
✅ Good: content@yourbrandname.com
If you don’t have a domain based email, go back to the sandbox and buy one. You’ll get a significantly higher reply rate, even if it’s just a fake one page PR firm.
Your Guest Post Pitch Template (That Doesn’t Suck)
Here’s a format you can actually use — with proven conversion on real high-DR guest post sites:
Subject: Guest Post Idea for [Site Name] – [Topic or Headline]
Hi [First Name or Editor Name],
I’ve been reading through your [blog/resource section] and loved your recent piece on [insert article title]. Really liked how you [specific compliment – e.g., “broke down complex concepts with actionable takeaways”].
I’d love to contribute a guest article to [Site Name] – I’ve put together a few ideas based on your recent topics:
1. [Headline Idea #1] – A [benefit-driven angle or hook]
2. [Headline Idea #2] – Based on [recent trend, stat, or insight]
3. [Headline Idea #3] – (Optional more creative or contrarian take)
Each article would be 100% original, tailored to your audience, and formatted like your current posts (with proper sourcing and structure). Happy to include visuals, examples, or even quotes if needed.
Let me know if any of these catch your eye. I’d be happy to get a draft over.
Cheers,
[Your Name]
[Title / Company (if real)]
[Link to Author Bio / LinkedIn or Portfolio]
⚠️ Avoid These Rookie Outreach Sins
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Don’t mention links in your pitch. If you say “can I include a link,” they’ll assume you’re just another link seller.
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Don’t attach anything in your first email. Not even a draft. You’ll look desperate.
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Don’t follow up 24 hours later asking if they saw your email. Give it a week, then follow up once.
Knowledge 💣 Hacks for Outreach
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Warm up your inbox before sending 100 cold pitches. If you’re on a new domain, Google will throttle you.
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Use Hunter or VoilaNorbert to find editor emails — never pitch “info@” or “contact@”.
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Track open rates with tools like Mailtrack or MixMax. If they opened it 3 times and didn’t reply, your pitch sucked.
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Personalize at scale with tools like Instantly.ai or Smartlead — but don’t template to death.
Final Tip: Get In Before the SEO Crowd Does
You know how you find a good link opportunity, then six months later every SEO and their dog has burned it to the ground?
That’s how most of these “free guest post” sites go.
The window of opportunity isn’t permanent.
So don’t wait.
Pick 10 targets from the niche list I gave you.
Send a custom pitch to each.
Then repeat every week.
Guest posting is still alive. You’ve just got to stop being lazy with your approach.
How to Spot a Quality Guest Post Site
Before you drop 3 hours writing a guest post or send off a pitch, do yourself a favour and vet the site first, even if it’s on this list! Because just having a DR 70 and “Write For Us” page doesn’t mean it’s not just a recycled expired domain linking out to every niche from Viagra to VPNs.
And to stay extra safe, follow my 10 step system:
The 10 Step Quality Guest Post Site Checklist
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Indexed in Google
Dropsite:domain.comin Google. If nothing shows up, bounce, it’s either penalized or deindexed. -
Real Organic Traffic
Check on Ahrefs or Similarweb. If it’s got DR 70 but 112 monthly visits, it’s likely a DR-inflated zombie. -
Clean Anchor Profile
Look at their backlink anchors. If 30% is “online casino” or “buy backlinks,” you know it’s been rinsed. -
Niche Relevance
Would your article look natural there? If it’s a pet blog and you’re pitching FinTech, you’re not building a brand, you’re burning one. -
Real Author Names
Do articles have actual names or just “admin”? Real authors = real editorial control. -
Fresh Content
Is the last blog post from 2022? A ghost town is a red flag, even if the DR says otherwise. -
Content Quality
Skim a few posts. If it’s AI spam, poorly formatted, or keyword-stuffed, Google’s already tuned it out. -
Link Placement Rules
Do all guest posts have dofollow homepage links in the first paragraph? You’re looking at a glorified link directory. -
Outbound Link Profile
Too many outgoing links per article (especially unrelated ones)? That’s a sign they’ll publish anything. -
HTTPS & Basic UX
No SSL or looks like it was built in FrontPage ‘98? Google’s not showing it love, and neither should you.
Use this checklist before you waste time, content, or credibility. And if it fails 3 or more of these checks?
Hard pass.
Even free guest post links aren’t worth a toxic footprint that’ll drag down your whole domain for months or even years to come.
How to Write the Guest Post (And Actually Make It Worth the Link)
So you landed a free guest post, congratulations! But here’s where most people fumble the bag:
They either write some lazy, 900 word ChatGPT slop…
Or worse, they use the link to their homepage with “click here” anchor text like it’s 2009!
This ain’t content for the sake of content. You’re placing a strategic asset that you want to pass stacking authority over time.
Here’s how to actually write the piece, pick the URL, and dial in your anchor text like someone who knows what the hell they’re doing:
1. Choose the Right URL
Don’t just link to your homepage or top blog post “because it looks clean.”
Pick a target page based on:
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Ranking potential: Does it sit on page 2? Good. That means one or two links might tip it.
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Existing link profile: If it already has 10 exact match anchors, your link should diversify (brand, partial, naked).
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Conversion or affiliate value: Is the page monetized? No point ranking something that doesn’t make bank.
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Internal authority: Is it buried three layers deep in your nav? Consider pointing to a hub page instead, and pass the juice internally.
2. Choose the Anchor Text Intelligently
Anchor strategy is where most SEOs go full caveman. You don’t need 20 exact match anchors saying “best SEO tool”, that’s a penalty in waiting.
Instead:
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Use branded anchors if the site is super authoritative.
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Use partial match if the linking article is semantically close to your keyword.
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Use long tail if the target page is weak or new (e.g., “check out our full guide to technical SEO audits”).
-
Use naked URLs when posting on sites that already look suspiciously linky.
3. Write to Serve the Host Site, Not Just Yourself
The content needs to have the ability to get traffic to maximize the likelihood it sends signals.
Write like you’re aiming for page 1, because if the article actually ranks, you’ll double your ROI.
Checklist:
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Hook in the intro (stats, controversy, case study)
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Use subheaders every 200–300 words
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Drop visuals, data, and external sources
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Link internally to the host site’s older posts (they’ll love you for it)
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Make your CTA or link contextual, not shoved in like a footer link with a trench coat
4. Match the Link Effort to the ROI
You’re not going to drop your best pillar post link on a DA 29 blog that looks like it was built in Microsoft Paint.
Match your link target based on:
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The DR/authority of the site
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The estimated value of a ranking bump
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The number of links you still need to push the page up a few spots
If the ROI doesn’t cover the cost of your time, skip it or tier it.
Smart SEOs don’t just build links.
They build assets with compound interest.
Want a quick audit of which page you should be linking to next based on anchor distribution and ROI? Book a FREE call with our team here.
Final Thoughts: Free Guest Posting Still Slaps
Guest posting’s been dragged through the mud more times than I have on most of these SEO forums… It’s bloated with low quality spam, AI slop, and “DA50 only” sellers on LinkedIn acting like they’re running The Times.
But here’s the truth:
It still works, if you do it properly.
You’ve now got:
✅ A curated list of 100+ legit, high trust free sites
✅ A system for qualifying which ones are worth your time
✅ Outreach strategies that don’t make editors want to delete their inbox
✅ Smart link placement tactics that actually move rankings, not just your ego
So no more excuses.
Build a system.
Track ROI.
Link smart.
And when everyone else is out there begging to get published for $150 a pop on “news” blogs hosted in Ukrainian data centers, you’re gonna be stacking contextual links from sites that actually get traffic.
Oh, and one last thing:
If you do this well, you’ll never have to buy another link off a marketplace again.
(Unless you want to, in which case… You happen to be on the right site!)
Now go build some f***ing links!
Regards,
