What a guest post on a news site actually is
A guest post on a news website is an article written for that site's readers and published under its masthead, with a link back to your website where it genuinely helps the reader. It isn't an advert or an announcement. It's a piece of content a news reader would recognise as worth their time.
People often mix this up with a press release, so it's worth separating the two. A press release says "this happened at our company" and is written in the third person, close to a formal notice. A guest post makes a point, explains something or adds context to a story the site's audience already cares about. A release about your new logistics software is an announcement. An article on why small retailers keep running out of stock in December, written by someone who runs the software, is a guest post.
That difference changes how editors read your submission, which sites suit you, and what you can reasonably expect back. On SerpMarket each news site sets its own price, link limit and content rules. You see the reported numbers before ordering, and the domain once you're logged in, so you can read the site properly before deciding.
Written for readers
Analysis, explainers, opinion and practical guides, not sales copy.
One useful link
Placed where a reader would want to click it, within the publisher's link limit.
A site you chose
Audience, country and price checked before you pay a cent.
Why news websites are worth the extra care
Niche blogs are the usual home for guest posts, and for many campaigns they're the right choice. News sites play a different role. Here's what they tend to offer, and what they ask of you in return.
Broad, returning audiences
A general or regional news site is read by people who come back daily for updates. Your article joins that stream rather than sitting on a site that only gets visits from search. Use the traffic column in the list to separate genuine news audiences from sites that only look like news outlets.
Content that is crawled and refreshed often
News sites publish constantly, so search engines visit them frequently. New articles are usually discovered quickly. That matters if you need a page about a new product or report to be found soon after launch.
Borrowed credibility, if the fit is right
A thoughtful article on a recognisable news domain says something about your company that your own website can't. Prospects, partners and journalists who search your name see an outside source discussing your work. That only holds if the article is good. A thin, promotional piece on a news site can make a brand look worse.
Higher editorial standards
The flip side: news editors are stricter. They turn down copy that reads like marketing, makes claims without sources or has nothing to do with their readers. Treat that as a filter that protects the value of the placement, not as an obstacle.
Google's rules on paid articles, in plain words
Anyone buying guest posts should know where Google draws its lines. Two of its published policies matter most here, and both are worth reading in full.
Link spam
Google's spam policies list "exchanging money for links, or posts that contain links" and "links with optimized anchor text in articles, guest posts, or press releases distributed on other sites" as examples of link spam. The same page also says that buying and selling links is a normal part of the web and isn't a violation when the paid links are qualified with rel="nofollow" or rel="sponsored". Google's outbound link guidance asks for paid placements to be marked sponsored.
Site reputation abuse
In 2024 Google added a policy aimed at third-party content "published on a host site mainly because of that host's already-established ranking signals". The classic example is a respected site hosting pages about something unrelated, such as payday loan reviews on an education site, purely so they rank. Google's policy page also lists what it doesn't consider abuse, including columns, opinion pieces and other work of an editorial nature, and native advertising whose purpose is to inform readers rather than manipulate rankings.
Pick a news site whose readers would want your article. Write something editorial and useful. Use your brand name or a plain URL as the anchor. Let the publisher label the link the way their policy requires. Those four habits keep you on the right side of both policies.
Disclosure to readers is a separate question from links. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission's guide on native advertising expects paid content to be identifiable as advertising to readers. Publishers handle labels differently depending on where they operate, which is one more reason to let each publisher apply its own policy.
We're not lawyers and this isn't legal advice. It's how we think about the rules when we review sites and orders. If your industry is regulated, such as finance, health or gambling, check with your compliance team before ordering.
Picking the right news site for your article
With a short list of good sites, the choice is usually about fit rather than raw numbers. Work through these questions in order.
- Who reads it, and where?Check the country column first. A national US outlet and an Indian business portal reach very different people. Once logged in, open the domain and read its last ten articles.
- Does it cover your topic?A general news site that never touches technology is a poor home for a SaaS article, however strong its domain. Look for an existing section where your piece would sit naturally.
- Is the traffic real and steady?Prefer sites whose reported organic traffic matches what you see: regular new articles, real bylines and comments or shares. Our guide to spotting weak link sites lists the warning signs.
- What are the link rules?The listing shows the link attribute and how many links a post may carry. Most news sites allow one or two. Plan your article around that from the start.
- Does the timing work?If the article is tied to a launch or an event, sort by "Fastest" and add a few days of margin. Turnaround starts when the publisher accepts.
DR, DA and traffic on SerpMarket are reported by publishers and checked during our manual review, not pulled live from a third-party tool. They're a strong starting point, but read the site before spending serious money. Our DR vs DA guide explains what each number means.
Articles news editors say yes to
Most rejected guest posts fail for the same reason: they're about the company, not about the reader. Editors at news sites ask one question: would our audience read this if nobody had paid for it? Aim to make the answer yes.
Angles that work on news sites
The explainer
A rule, a price rise or a trend is in the news. You explain what it means in practice for ordinary readers or businesses.
The data piece
Numbers from your own work, anonymised and summarised. Original figures are the most quoted thing on the web.
The practitioner's view
Someone who does the work explains what most coverage gets wrong, with specifics only an insider would know.
The practical guide
A clear, step-by-step answer to a problem readers have right now, such as filing, travelling, hiring or saving.
Shape and length
Somewhere between 700 and 1,200 words suits most news sites. Use a headline that promises something specific, an opening paragraph that gets to the point, short paragraphs, and subheadings every few hundred words. Cite sources for any figure that isn't yours. Write the byline bio last, in two sentences.
Your link
Put it where it helps: the report you mention, the tool you describe or the page that answers the question you've just raised. A link in the middle of a useful paragraph is read and clicked. A link in the bio is mostly ignored.
Before you send it, run through this checklist. Your ticks are saved only in this browser.
Short on time? When you order a guest post, choose "Write it for me", add your topic, keywords and target URL, and an article is prepared for you. The writing fee is shown before you pay.
Anchor text that stays safe on a news site
Anchor text is the clickable wording of your link. On a paid article it's the detail that most often turns a good placement into a risky one. Here's how we'd think about it.
| Type | Example | Our view |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | "Northwind Logistics" | The safest choice and the most natural on a news site. |
| Plain URL | "northwind.example" | Safe and clear, especially when citing a source. |
| Descriptive | "their 2026 warehouse survey" | Excellent when it describes exactly what the reader will find. |
| Partial keyword | "tips on inventory planning" | Fine occasionally, if it reads naturally in the sentence. |
| Exact commercial keyword | "best inventory software" | Avoid. This is what Google's link spam policy describes, and editors often change it anyway. |
Across a campaign, most of your anchors should be brand, URL or descriptive. If you notice yourself trying to fit the same keyword into every article, stop and ask whether the article is serving the reader or the ranking.
From order to live article
Here's what happens after you choose a site, and where you stay in control.
- Send your brief or articlePaste or upload the article, or choose "Write it for me" and describe the topic. Add your target URL, preferred anchor and any notes for the editor.
- Funds move into escrowThe price is reserved from your wallet and held. The publisher can see the order, but not the money.
- The editor decidesThe publisher accepts or declines. If they decline, the reserved amount goes back to your wallet. If they accept, the turnaround clock starts.
- You check the live articleThe URL appears in My Orders. Open it, check the link and the wording. You have 3 days to accept, ask for a revision or open a dispute.
- Payment releases, protection continuesWhen you accept, or the review window passes, the publisher is paid. The article is covered by the 365-day live-link guarantee from delivery.
Ordering several sites at once? Add each to the cart and check out together. Coupons apply to the whole cart. The rules are set out on our buyer and seller protection page.
Guest post or link insertion on a news site?
Some news publishers also offer link insertions: adding your link to an article they've already published. Both have a place.
| New guest post | Link insertion | |
|---|---|---|
| Content | A new article, by you or written for you | An existing article, edited to include your link |
| Control over context | Full: you shape the topic and the paragraph around the link | Limited: the link must fit the article as it is |
| Age of the page | New, so it starts fresh | Already published and possibly already indexed |
| Speed | Writing plus editorial review | Usually faster, with no new article to approve |
| Best when | You have something to say, or want a lasting piece about your topic | A relevant article already exists and your page truly adds to it |
If a listing offers both, its prices for each are shown separately when you log in.
Questions buyers ask about news site guest posts
Is buying a guest post on a news site against Google's rules?
Google's spam policies treat paid links that pass ranking credit, and guest posts with optimized anchor text, as link spam. The same policies say paid links are fine when they are qualified with nofollow or sponsored. The safest approach is a genuinely useful article on a relevant site, with your brand or plain URL as the anchor, on a site that handles link labels properly.
What is the difference between a news guest post and a press release?
A press release announces something about your company and is written as an announcement. A guest post is an article written for the site's readers, such as analysis, a guide or commentary, with your link placed where it helps the reader. Editors judge them differently, and guest posts usually need a stronger reader angle.
How many links can I include?
Each publisher sets a maximum number of links per post, shown on the listing. Most news sites allow one or two. One well-placed link usually works better than several.
Can you write the article for me?
Yes. When you order a guest post you can choose Write it for me, add your topic, keywords and target URL, and the fee is shown before you pay. You can also send your own finished article.
Will the article be labelled as sponsored?
That is the publisher's decision and depends on their editorial policy and local advertising rules. Some news sites label paid contributions, others publish them as contributor articles. If labelling matters to you, ask in your order notes before the publisher accepts.
What if the publisher changes my article?
Editors may tighten wording, change the headline or adjust the anchor so it reads naturally. If the published article no longer matches what you agreed, request a revision or open a dispute within the 3-day review window.
How quickly will it be published?
Each listing shows the publisher's usual turnaround, counted from when they accept your order. The live list on this page shows the fastest turnaround available today.
What protects me if the post disappears?
Every completed order is covered by a 365-day live-link guarantee. If the article is removed or the link is stripped within a year, report it and we work with the publisher to restore it or resolve it, up to a refund at our discretion.
Sources: Google Search Central, Spam policies for Google web search (link spam and site reputation abuse) and Qualify your outbound links to Google; U.S. Federal Trade Commission, Native Advertising: A Guide for Businesses.