Guest posting sites are platforms that publish articles from external writers, typically in exchange for author attribution and one or two contextual backlinks. These can be industry blogs, digital magazines, SaaS company resource sections, local business directories with editorial content, or news sites with contributor networks. The core deal is simple: you provide valuable content their audience wants, they give you exposure and a link back to your domain. The quality spectrum is wide. High-value guest posting sites have real editorial standards, engaged readerships, and domain authority in the 40+ range. Think industry-specific publications like marketing blogs for SaaS companies, legal journals for law firms, or tech news sites with established contributor guidelines. These spots are competitive and require genuinely useful content, not thinly veiled sales pitches. Low-value guest posting sites exist solely to sell links or accept any content without editorial review. They often have thin traffic, dozens of outbound links per page, and mixed-niche content that makes no sense together. Google's algorithms have gotten skilled at identifying these patterns, and links from obvious guest-post farms carry little to no weight, sometimes triggering manual reviews. At Ottawa SEO, we evaluate guest posting opportunities on three criteria: Does the site have real organic traffic? Would our client's target customer actually read this publication? Is the editorial process legitimate, meaning they reject weak pitches? If all three check out, guest posting becomes a scalable way to build topical authority and earn links that actually move rankings. The mechanics vary by site. Some have open submission forms, others require pitching editors directly, and premium publications might want to see your portfolio first. Turnaround ranges from a week for smaller blogs to 2-3 months for established industry sites. You'll typically get one contextual link in the body and one in your author bio. The key is matching your expertise to what their audience needs, not forcing your target keyword into irrelevant content.