Group 1
How strong is it?
Domain Authority (Moz) and Domain Rating (Ahrefs) rate the link profile on a 1–100 scale. They estimate ranking power, not readership.
Guide
How to Pick a
Guest Post Site.
What each number on a listing means, which ones to weigh first, and how to build a shortlist you can defend before your article leaves port.
Reading a Listing
Every publisher page uses the same layout. Its figures fall into three groups, and each group answers one question.
Group 2
Does anyone visit?
Traffic and keywords come from Semrush, and homepage backlinks count the links pointing at the front page itself.
Group 3
Is it safe and active?
The Moz Spam Score flags risk signals. Registration date comes from the registry, pages and update rate from the sitemap and AI-crawler rules from robots.txt.
Short version: authority is what a link might carry, traffic is who might see it, and the spam score and update rate show whether the site is worth the risk.
The Spam Score
Moz has studied thousands of sites that search engines penalised and listed the signals they share: thin content, odd link patterns, missing contact details and more. The Spam Score is the share of those signals Moz finds on a domain.
1–30% Low Few risk signals. The usual range for a working publication.
31–60% Medium Some risk signals. Read recent posts before you book.
61–100% High Many risk signals. Check the site closely before any placement.
A live example
The lowest spam score in the directory right now belongs to mazinoukari.com, at 4%. A low score is not a guarantee of quality; it means Moz has found little to worry about, so the rest of the listing does the deciding.
Setting the Filters
The Directory updates as you change each control. Here is what each one is for.
- SearchFinds a domain by name. Handy once you have a shortlist.
- NicheThe publisher's main topic, based on what it publishes.
- Domain ageAt least 1, 3, 5 or 10 years since registration, from the registry record. A young domain has little history to judge.
- DA from / DR fromUse both. A big gap between them deserves a closer look.
- Spam scoreKeeps only sites at or under the level you choose. Right now 14 of 15 scored listings sit in the low band.
- OrderDA, DR, traffic or domain age. Filter first, then sort.
A sensible starting point: spam score up to 30%, DA from 40, ordered by traffic, which currently leaves 3 of 16 listings. There is no budget filter, since no prices are published; every listing says “Rate on request”.
Building a Shortlist
- Start with a low spam score. If Moz sees many risk signals, the other figures count for less.
- Compare DA with DR. A large gap means a lopsided link profile. Check that traffic and keywords support the higher score.
- Put relevance first. A DA 40 site your readers already visit is worth more than a DA 70 site they never see.
- Read the site. Open the domain and read two or three recent articles. If you would not want your brand beside them, move on.
- Check age and update rate. A site that adds pages every week and has a long archive is more likely to be around next year.
- Mix your niches. Many placements on near-identical general-interest sites form an obvious pattern. Spread them across different publications.
Common Mistakes
01
Buying on authority alone
DA can be pushed up with links alone. Without traffic and keywords behind it, the score says little about who will see your article.
02
Ignoring the spam score
A high Moz Spam Score is the cheapest warning you will get. Look at it before the price, not after.
03
Skipping the archive
A site that publishes little besides contributed posts is unlikely to hold readers. The sitemap and update rate show how active it is.
04
Asking the price first
Price only matters once a site passes the checks. Narrow the list on spam score and authority, then ask for current rates on what is left.
Google's spam policies describe link schemes in detail and are worth reading before any placement campaign. For how each figure here is collected, see the Methodology.
FAQ
Where does the traffic figure come from?
From Semrush, using its US database. It is an estimate of monthly organic search visits, so treat it as a guide and ask the publisher for analytics if a placement depends on it.
What does the Moz Spam Score tell me?
It is the share of risk signals Moz finds on a domain, out of the signals it has seen on penalised sites. 1–30% is low, 31–60% medium and 61% or more high. It is an estimate, not a penalty.
Does a higher DA mean more readers?
No. Moz DA and Ahrefs DR rate a link profile, not an audience. A site can score well and still get little search traffic, so read the authority scores next to the traffic estimate and keyword count.
Why are there no prices on the listings?
Rates change often, and a printed price is soon out of date. Every listing says “Rate on request” instead. Send your shortlist through the contact page and ask for the current rate on each publication.
Can a publisher pay for a higher position?
No. Ordering is never paid for. The list follows whichever sort you choose, and there is no promoted tier or featured slot.
Can I look at a publication before I commit?
Yes. Every listing names the domain, so you can open the site and read a few recent articles first. We recommend it.