What you are paying for
What you are paying for
Guest post pricing reflects several distinct value components. Understanding what drives cost helps you separate real SEO value from overpriced or risky placements.
What actually drives price
- Domain authority (Ahrefs DR) — Higher DR typically correlates with stronger ranking signals, but DR alone tells you nothing about actual traffic or editorial quality
- Niche risk — Google monitors YMYL sectors closely. Sites in money, health, or news-adjacent niches face stricter manual review, raising publisher costs
- Demand for the niche — When many buyers want links in the same vertical, publishers raise prices
Why crypto, casino and CBD cost more
These niches face higher publisher risk: stricter advertiser restrictions, higher rejection rates from ad networks, and more frequent manual spam reviews from Google. Fewer publishers accept these topics, so scarcity drives pricing. For example, altpr.io's crypto/CBD/forex posts range $30-$600 (median $60) versus general posts at $15-$100 (median $40).
Judging value per visitor
Calculate actual cost efficiency:
- Take the post price ÷ estimated monthly organic visits = cost per visitor
- Cross-check with Ahrefs, Semrush or Google Search Console for traffic estimates before buying
What good looks like: Named site in public catalog, editorial review, one dofollow link in body content (not sidebar/footer/author bio), live URL delivered with verification, link checked monthly, replacement offered if it disappears.
What bad looks like: Anonymous site lists, no preview of editorial standards, "dofollow" promised but no verification process, links placed in boilerplate footers, no replacement policy.
Bundles and reseller pricing
Most platforms offer volume discounts. altpr.io gives agencies 28% off list price through their reseller program (/agencies), which provides unbranded client pages. Bulk orders typically unlock lower per-link rates, but verify each site individually — a cheap bundle full of low-quality sites hurts more than it helps.
Price drivers: authority, traffic and niche
Three factors move the needle on guest post prices most: domain authority, real traffic, and niche demand. Let's unpack each.
Domain authority (DR) vs. real traffic
Quick check: Does the site rank for its own niche terms? Does it appear in Google News or have recent indexed pages? If not, the DR is a vanity metric.
Niche risk and demand
Google's spam policies explicitly cover paid links—sites that sell links without proper disclosure risk algorithmic penalties. Publishers in YMYL niches (your money or your life) face higher editorial scrutiny. Crypto, CBD, forex and gambling sit in categories where Google applies extra manual action risk. That risk translates to higher prices: our crypto, CBD and forex posts range $30-$600 (median $60), while casino and betting posts run $30-$900 (median $75), compared to general posts at $15-$100 (median $40).
Judging value per visitor
Checklist before buying:
- Verify the site has not received recent manual actions
- Check if linking pages actually index (site:domain.com "target keyword")
- Confirm the publisher uses proper rel="sponsored" or nofollow on paid links (or none at all—we sell only dofollow links, meaning links without nofollow, sponsored or ugc attributes)
- Ask for monthly traffic estimates on the specific linking page
Reseller and bulk pricing
Agencies working with multiple clients get 28% off our list price through the reseller program at /agencies, which provides unbranded client pages. This makes bundling orders across several sites far more cost-effective than buying singly.
Why crypto and casino cost more
Crypto, CBD, forex and casino niches cost more because they carry higher risk, not because the work is harder. Here's what drives the price gap:
- Risk premium: Google's spam policies explicitly target manipulative paid links in "money" niches. Sites that accept these placements face stricter scrutiny. Publishers charge more to offset potential ranking penalties or manual actions.
- Limited inventory: Fewer editorial sites accept crypto, casino or CBD content. Those that do carefully vet requests. This scarcity drives prices up.
- Demand exceeds supply:SEO agencies serving these verticals compete for the same limited spots. Publishers can name their price.
- Ongoing verification: These niches see more frequent link removal, noindex switches or attribute changes. Our team at altpr.io re-checks every link daily and replaces any that fail within 12 months—this costs more to maintain.
What you get for the higher price:
- Editorial sites willing to publish in your niche (they exist, but they're selective)
- Active monitoring with replacement guarantees
- Links that stay clean—no sudden nofollow additions after publication
If a publisher charges casino rates but offers no link monitoring or replacement guarantee, you're paying for risk without protection. That's a bad deal.
Sites you can see before you pay
Real sites from our catalog with DR, traffic and a fixed price. Nothing is charged until we confirm.
Bundles, reseller and bulk pricing
What good bulk pricing looks like:
- Clear volume thresholds published upfront
- No hidden fees for "processing" or "management"
What bad bulk pricing looks like:
- Price only revealed after you submit your anchors
- Discount requires a 12-month commitment upfront
- "Bundle" includes sidebar, footer or author-bio links (these pass little to no link equity)
Quick checklist before you buy bulk:
- Verify each site in the bundle has a real traffic estimate (check Ahrefs, Semrush or Google Search Console)
- Confirm the link placement is in the article body, not a widget or sidebar
- Ask if the provider daily-checks that the link is still live and dofollow
- Check replacement policy—altpr.io replaces free within 12 months if a link disappears or gains a nofollow tag
If you are placing 10+ orders per month, the 28% agency discount typically outweighs generic "buy 10 get 1 free" offers from other vendors—especially when those vendors bundle low-authority sites with premium ones at the same price.
Red flags in cheap offers
When a guest post deal looks too cheap, it usually is. Here is what to watch for:
Links outside the article body
- Sidebar, footer, or author-bio links carry little to no SEO value
- If the price is $15 but the link sits in a site's footer, you are paying for nothing
- Legitimate publishers place links in-context within editorial content
No dofollow guarantee or verification
- Cheap sellers often drop a nofollow or sponsored tag on your link to dodge Google's paid-link policies
- If they cannot confirm the link is truly dofollow before you pay, walk away
No replacement policy
- Links disappear. It happens — pages get deleted, sites go down
- If a seller offers no free replacement window, you lose your money when the link vanishes
- altpr.io re-checks links daily and offers free replacement within 12 months — that is the baseline you should expect
Suspiciously high authority for the price
- Real editorial sites with real traffic and authority charge accordingly
- If the math does not add up, the site is not real
No transparency on the exact site
- If they refuse to name the site before payment, you cannot verify traffic, relevance, or authority
- You should always know exactly which site you are buying — no surprises
No verification that the page is indexed
- A link on a noindex page does nothing for your rankings
- Cheap providers often do not check whether Google can even see the page
Checklist before you buy:
- Is the link in the article body, not a sidebar or footer?
- Can I see the exact site and URL before paying?
- Is there a free replacement policy if the link disappears?
- Will the seller confirm the link is dofollow (no nofollow/sponsored/ugc)?
- Can I verify the site gets real traffic and is indexed?
If the answer to any of these is "no," the cheap price is not a bargain — it is a risk you will pay for later.
Frequently asked questions
What determines the price of a sponsored guest post?
Three main factors drive pricing: site authority (measured by metrics like Ahrefs DR), niche difficulty, and the publisher's typical rates. Crypto, CBD, forex and gambling niches command higher prices because fewer sites accept these topics. High-DA sites in competitive niches cost more than lower-authority publications in general categories.
Are dofollow guest posts worth the investment?
Dofollow links pass link equity to your site, which can help improve search rankings. Our inventory shows 58 editorial sites with median DR 39. You get a real editorial link in body content (not sidebar, footer or author bio), which search engines value more than site-wide or profile links.
How does the guest posting process work?
You browse our public catalog, select named sites, and add your target URL and anchor text. We confirm availability and final price before payment. You supply the article or topic. After placement, we send the live URL by email and on your order page. Typical go-live is 2 days.
Do you check that guest post links are actually dofollow?
Yes. We check daily that the page loads, the link is present, it has no nofollow/sponsored/ugc attribute, and the page is not noindex. If any issue appears, we provide a free replacement within 12 months. This manual verification protects your investment.
What payment methods do you accept?
We accept credit/debit cards and PayPal only. For agencies, the 28% discount applies through our reseller program at /agencies, which provides unbranded client pages. The discount is not automatic—you must sign up through the agency program.
Prices and numbers in this guide come from the live altpr.io catalog on the date above. Read how we vet sites and who we are.