Checklist: 7 Things to Sort Out Before Ordering a Guest Post

A practical checklist that ensures you're ready to get the most out of your guest post. Avoid the most common mistakes and maximise your ROI.

Why a checklist makes all the difference

Most customers who end up dissatisfied with their guest post have skipped the preparation. They click "order", write a half-hearted brief, and hope for the best. The result? Delays, revisions, and a placement that misses the mark.

This checklist ensures you have everything ready before you hit order. It takes 15 minutes and saves you weeks of frustration and wasted money.

1. Define your goal — what do you want to achieve?

What do you specifically want to achieve with this guest post? Your goal determines everything: which package type you choose, which website you select, and what your brief looks like.

• Ranking for a specific keyword → choose a guest post on a relevant Tier A/B site
• Broader brand exposure → consider brand mentions across several sites
• Referral traffic → choose a website with a high, genuine readership (not just DR)
• Diversifying your link profile → spread your placements across different domains and types
• Positioning yourself as an expert → choose a respected outlet in your niche

2. Choose the right target URL

The page you link to should be relevant to the article's topic and optimised to convert visitors. It sounds obvious, but it's one of the most common mistakes we see.

3. Research your topic and match it to the website

Make sure your proposed topic fits the publishing website's tone, audience, and content strategy. A topic that's relevant to both parties delivers the best result — and the most natural placement.

1. Read 3-5 articles on the website: Understand the tone and the topics they typically cover. Your proposal should fit in naturally.
2. Check if the topic is already covered: If the website already has an article on your topic, suggest an angle that complements it — not one that copies it.
3. Find the overlap between your brand and the site's niche: The best angle is where your product or service is naturally relevant to the site's audience.

4. Prepare your anchor text strategically

The anchor text is the visible, clickable text your link is embedded in. It's one of the most important on-page SEO signals for your link, so it's important to get it right.

5. Set a realistic budget

Quality costs money — and in link building, you almost always get what you pay for. A Tier A guest post costs more, but it also delivers significantly more value than a Tier C link.

6. Plan a realistic timeframe

Guest posts take time — from brief to publication can take 5–14 days, depending on the package type, the publisher's capacity, and the number of revisions. Plan your link building calendar with this in mind.

1. Brand mention: 1-5 days from order to publication
2. Guest post (Tier C): typically 5-7 days
3. Guest post (Tier B): typically 7-10 days
4. Guest post (Tier A): typically 10-14 days (more thorough editorial process)

7. Prepare your brief — the most important part

A good brief is half the work. This is where most mistakes happen, and it's where you have the greatest opportunity to influence the quality of the outcome.

• ✓ Topic and angle are clearly defined with a specific target audience
• ✓ Target URL has been tested, works, and is relevant to the topic
• ✓ 2-3 anchor text suggestions are prepared (natural, varied)
• ✓ Tone and style are described — ideally with reference articles
• ✓ Minimum word count is set (recommendation: 800-1,200 words)
• ✓ Brand description and USP are included
• ✓ Topics to avoid are mentioned

Preparation is the key to guest post success. 15 minutes of preparation can be the difference between an investment that pays for itself — and one that ends up as a waste.

— Linkfabrikken editorial team