If you manage a business website, you’ve probably received emails from people wanting to publish articles on your site. Some of these are perfectly fine. Others could get your website penalized by Google. The tricky part is knowing which is which.
Over the years of managing websites for our clients and running our own site, we’ve learned to spot the difference. Here’s what we’ve found works.
Understanding What’s Actually Happening
When someone offers to write a guest post for your website, they’re usually after one thing: a link back to their site. That link helps their website’s SEO. This isn’t automatically bad—it’s how much of the internet works. The question is whether they’re offering genuine value in exchange, or if they’re running a link scheme that could hurt your site.
Google is pretty clear about this. They don’t mind natural links that happen because content is genuinely helpful. They do mind links that exist only to manipulate search rankings.
Red Flags That Signal Trouble
Here are the warning signs we watch for when evaluating guest post requests:
They Offer a Link Exchange
This is the biggest red flag. If someone says “I’ll publish an article on your site, and in return I’ll publish your content on these sites,” that’s a link exchange scheme. Google explicitly penalizes these.
The email might say something like: “In return, I could also publish an article on [list of websites].” That’s your signal to delete and move on.
The Email Feels Generic
Pay attention to how they reference your site. Do they mention your actual website name and specific content? Or do they use vague phrases like “your site” and “my latest article”?
If they can’t be bothered to personalize the email, they’re probably sending it to hundreds of websites. That’s not a real relationship.
Pro tip: does the signature say “Best” instead of Thanks, Sincerely or some other more human closing? Best is a popular closing used by Ai writers and the Google automation response. It can be a subtle tip off that you are being contacted en-mass. That is a red flag.
They Reference Old Articles You Don’t Remember
Sometimes these emails claim they previously published something on your site. If you can’t find that article or don’t remember approving it, something’s off. Either they’re lying, or someone else managed to slip content onto your site without proper review.
The Sites They Mention Look Questionable
If they offer to publish your content in exchange, take a look at those sites. Are they legitimate businesses with real content and clear purposes? Or are they thin websites that exist mainly to host guest posts?
A quick Google search usually reveals the truth pretty fast.
They’re Too Eager or Pushy
Legitimate writers understand that website owners need time to consider requests. If someone is pushing hard for a quick yes or sending multiple follow-ups right away, that urgency often signals they’re trying to place links before you think too carefully about it.
Green Flags for Legitimate Guest Posting
Not every guest post request is bad. Here’s what good ones look like:
The Content Is Actually Relevant
The writer is offering content that genuinely fits your website’s focus and would help your readers. For a business website, that might mean articles about your industry, practical advice for your customers, or insights into topics your audience cares about.
If you run a dermatology practice and someone wants to write about roofing contractors, that’s not a good fit. If they want to write about skincare routines or sun protection, that makes sense.
The Writer Has Real Credentials
Look them up. Do they have a legitimate website? A portfolio of published work? A clear professional identity? Real writers and content creators exist—they’re building their reputation and authority through quality content.
Check their website. If it’s an actual business or publication with substance, that’s a good sign. If it’s a bare-bones site with nothing but generic content and outbound links, walk away.
They’re Not Asking For Or Offering Anything Sketchy
A legitimate guest blogger might ask for an author byline with a link to their website or professional profile. That’s normal. What’s not normal is asking you to link to multiple sites, include specific anchor text, or participate in any kind of exchange program.
The Relationship Feels Natural
Good guest posting relationships often develop over time. Maybe they’ve commented on your content. Maybe you’ve interacted on social media. Maybe they reached out with a genuine compliment about your site before pitching an article.
Schemes feel transactional. Real relationships feel like actual people talking to each other.
Their Outbound Links Make Sense
If they send a sample article, look at where the links go. Are they linking to authoritative sources that support the content? Or are all the links going to random SEO tools and questionable sites?
Natural writing includes links when they help the reader. Link schemes include links because they’re trying to manipulate rankings.
What to Do If You Find Questionable Content Already on Your Site
Maybe you’re reading this and realizing you already have some suspicious guest posts published. Here’s what to do:
- Check the backlinks – Use Google Search Console to see what sites are linking to that post. If you see links from low-quality sites or the domains mentioned in link exchange emails, that confirms your suspicions.
- Evaluate the content quality – Is it actually helpful to your visitors? If it’s thin, off-topic, or clearly written just to hold links, it’s not serving your site well.
- Look at the traffic – Check your analytics. Is this post bringing legitimate visitors? If it’s just sitting there gathering dust, it’s not helping you.
- When in doubt, remove it – You can just delete questionable posts. For posts that have somehow gotten legitimate traffic, you can 301 redirect the URL to a relevant page on your site. But in most cases, deletion is fine.
A Simple Decision Framework
When you get a guest post request, ask yourself these three questions:
1. Would this content genuinely help my website visitors?
If the answer is no, nothing else matters. Your website exists to serve your customers and prospects, not to be a link repository for SEO schemes.
2. Does this person have legitimate credentials and a real presence?
Five minutes of research usually tells you everything you need to know. Real people have real professional identities. SEO schemers have thin websites and generic personas.
3. Are they asking for anything beyond a simple author byline?
One link back to their legitimate website or professional profile is normal. Link exchanges, specific anchor text requests, or placement on multiple domains are not.
If you get “yes, yes, no” to these three questions, the guest post is probably fine. Any other combination should make you cautious.
The Bigger Picture
Guest blogging done right is good for the internet. It helps writers build their reputation, helps websites get quality content, and helps readers find useful information. The problem is people who abuse the system for SEO manipulation.
Your website’s reputation with Google matters. A few questionable links aren’t worth the risk of penalties or ranking losses. When in doubt, err on the side of caution.
We’ve seen too many businesses get hurt by link schemes they didn’t understand. They thought they were getting free content. What they actually got was a liability.
Need Help Evaluating Guest Post Requests?
If you’re not sure about a guest post request you’ve received, we’re happy to take a look. We can review the proposal, check the requester’s credentials, and give you an informed opinion about whether it’s legitimate.
Managing your website’s content and SEO is part of what we do. Sometimes that means knowing what not to publish, which can be just as important as knowing what to add.
Feel free to forward any questionable requests to us. We’d rather you ask than guess wrong.
