A link insertion means adding a link to an article that is already published. A guest post means publishing a new article on a website and adding the link within the body of the article.
An existing article already has authority, search visibility, backlinks, and traffic. A newly published guest post does not have the authority of an established, aged article. This is one of the main points to consider when comparing the two.
What Is a Link Insertion?
A link insertion adds a link to an article that is already published.
For example, suppose a website has an article about office relocation. The article includes a section on planning the move, and you have a detailed guide on office relocation. You can insert a link to your guide in that section.
Before requesting the link insertion, check the article, the section where the link would be inserted, the outbound links on the page, and the page’s organic traffic.
What Is a Guest Post?
A guest post is a new article published on a website.
The website is reviewed, a topic is selected, and it is sent to the blogger for approval. Once the topic is approved, the article is written and submitted for publication.
For example, a cybersecurity company has a guide on securing remote employees. After reviewing a technology website, the agency selects a topic related to remote-work security and sends it to the blogger for approval. Once approved, the agency writes the article and includes a link to the cybersecurity guide.
The article is written specifically for that publication, with the target page linked from the article.
| Factor | Link Insertions | Guest Posts |
|---|---|---|
| Article | Existing article | New article |
| Link added | After publication | During article creation |
| Content | Existing content | New content |
| Research | Existing article and website | Website and proposed topic |
| Outreach | Publisher outreach | Publisher outreach |
| Main review | Existing article and link location | Website and proposed article |
| Writing | Usually no article required | New article required |
The quality of the link matters more than the method used to obtain it. A link from an unrelated or low-quality page does not become a good link just because it was placed through a guest post or link insertion.
When to Use a Link Insertion
Use a link insertion when an existing article already covers a subject related to the target page.
For example, an article about choosing office furniture may have a section about ergonomic chairs. If the target website has a detailed guide about ergonomic chairs, a link to that guide can be inserted in that section.
Before requesting the link insertion, review the actual article.
Check:
- What does the article discuss?
- Which section is relevant to the target page?
- What does the surrounding paragraph say?
- Is the target page relevant to the content around the link?
- Does the article receive organic traffic?
- What outbound links are already in the article?
- Does the website regularly publish articles on unrelated commercial topics?
- Is the article indexed in Google?
The decision should be based on the specific article, not only the website’s domain rating.
When to Use a Guest Post
Use a guest post when the website does not have an existing article relevant to the target page, but the topic can be covered in a new article.
For example, a software company may have a service page about customer data management. A technology website may publish articles about data management, but it may not have an existing article relevant to that service.
In this case, the agency can select a related topic, send it to the blogger for approval, and write a new article once the topic is approved.
Before pitching the article, review:
- recent articles
- topics covered by the website
- target audience
- article format
- author information
- editorial requirements
- existing external links
- publishing frequency
- organic traffic
- Is the article indexed?
The topic should match the website’s theme.
What to Check Before a Link Insertion
A domain’s DR, DA, or other third-party metrics do not tell you whether a particular article is suitable for a link insertion.
Review the article itself.
1. Article Topic
Check what the article is about and which section is relevant for the link.
2. Text around the link
Read the paragraph where the link will be inserted. Check whether the content of that paragraph is directly related to the page you want to link to.
3. Existing links
Check the links already present in the article. If the article contains several unrelated commercial links, review the website and the article more carefully before requesting a link insertion.
4. Organic traffic
Check whether the article receives organic traffic and which search queries bring traffic to it. A domain can have a high authority metric while some articles receive little or no organic traffic.
5. Publishing frequency
Check what the website publishes regularly and whether it frequently publishes unrelated commercial articles.
What to Check for a Guest Post
A guest post requires a different review because the article has not been written yet.
Start by reviewing the website.
Topic coverage
Look at recent articles to see which topics the website regularly covers.
Editorial requirements
Check whether the website provides contributor guidelines. Review the topics, article length, formatting, external links, author information, and submission requirements.
Existing articles
Review similar articles to see whether the topic has already been covered and what type of content the website publishes.
External links
Review links in existing articles. Check what types of websites they link to and whether commercial websites are commonly linked.
Website traffic
Check the website’s search visibility and traffic to its existing articles instead of relying only on domain metrics.
Can You Use Both in One Campaign?
Yes.
Both methods can be used in the same campaign. Some links can be secured through guest posts, while others can be added to existing articles.
For one website, an existing article may already contain a relevant section for the link insertion.
For another website, there may be no existing article relevant to the target page. If the website accepts new articles on related topics, a guest post can be used instead.
The choice depends on whether the website already has an article relevant to the target page or whether a new article needs to be published.
Which Method Should You Choose?
Choose a link insertion when an existing article already covers the subject of the target page.
A guest post is a better option when no existing article is relevant to the target page, but the website accepts new articles on related topics.
First review the target page and the publisher’s existing content. Then decide whether a link insertion or guest post is the better option.
If an existing article already covers the subject of the target page, there may be no need to publish another article.
And If no existing article is relevant to the target page, a new article can be published on the subject instead of adding the link to an unrelated article.
For SEO agencies, reviewing the website and the existing article helps decide whether to use a link insertion or a guest post.