A Marketer recently asked us to check a list of websites offered by a Publisher outside Posticy. The question was reasonable: were these the same websites the Publisher had listed on the platform?
They were not. We could not confirm the Publisher’s authority to offer those domains from the available records. That did not prove every website on the list was unsuitable. It meant the list could not be treated as a collection of Posticy-approved offers.
It is a useful distinction for anyone buying guest posts. A list can tell you where to start researching. It cannot, by itself, tell you who controls the publication, what you will receive or which terms apply.
A domain name is only the beginning
A spreadsheet may contain a domain, an authority score, a traffic estimate and a price. Those details are convenient for comparing a large number of opportunities. They can also hide the questions that matter most.
Does the seller own or administer the website? Does the price cover the placement you actually need? Is the audience relevant? Are the metrics current and drawn from a consistent source? Will the article carry the agreed links and disclosures?
An external list is not automatically unreliable. Treat it as a research input, rather than proof that an offer is verified or that the seller has authority to fulfil it.
Check the Publisher, not just the publication
Being able to publish one article is different from having authority to manage a website’s commercial placements. Author accounts and community submission tools can allow someone to post content without owning or administering the publication.
On Posticy, review the Publisher’s profile and the websites actually available there. If a domain appears only in a separate list, do not assume it has been reviewed or approved by Posticy. Ask the Publisher to add it and complete the applicable verification and review process before offering it through the Marketplace.
The website listing guide explains how Publishers submit their websites for review. Listing approval should not be read as a guarantee of campaign performance.
Compare metrics in context
A high DA or DR can help you decide what to investigate, but it cannot establish editorial relevance or seller authority. Traffic estimates can differ between providers, and figures copied into a spreadsheet may be outdated or presented without context.
Review the website itself: recent articles, subject consistency, audience fit and the pages surrounding the proposed placement. Compare metrics using their source and update context where available. We discuss this more in Beyond DR and DA: Choosing Guest Post Websites with Posticy Index. The Posticy Index is an additional comparison aid, not a substitute for your own assessment.
Agree on the actual placement
Before acceptance, clarify the website, article or Niche Edit scope, promoted URL, anchor text, link attributes, disclosures, publication price and currency. Record additional conditions and any separately charged writing service.
Keep Publisher placement fees separate from Posticy usage costs. Connects and Premium cover eligible platform actions; they do not pay for the Publisher’s placement. For the payment process, consult Paying a Publisher for Your Order.
A clear brief makes comparisons more useful than a long list of domains. Our guest posting campaign checklist covers other selection and planning mistakes to watch for.
Keep the Order and delivery in the same workflow
Use the Posticy Proposal and Order workflow to record the agreed placement and subsequent changes. For independent placements, payment goes directly to the Publisher through the available payment route. Keeping the Order in Posticy does not turn that payment into an escrow arrangement.
After publication, the Publisher should officially deliver the published URL through the Order. A link pasted into a message does not replace delivery. Review the live article and agreed links before accepting completion. Official delivery also activates the platform’s weekly placement monitoring; it does not guarantee that a link will stay live indefinitely.
For the practical steps, see Delivering a Published Article and Handling Revisions. Publishers can also read From Email to Placement Portals for a more organised way to present and manage their offers.
Use the list to build a shortlist
The useful next step is not to discard every spreadsheet. It is to turn candidate domains into a shortlist you can evaluate: relevant publication, identifiable Publisher, accurate offer and recorded terms.
Start with the websites available in the Publisher’s Posticy profile, compare them against your brief and place the agreed Order through the platform. If your team needs help researching and coordinating a campaign, Posticy’s Managed Link Building service offers a separate service route with its own agreed scope and terms.
