Guest Posting Sites: A Simple, Practical Guide for Beginners and Bloggers
Content Marketing | May 2026 | 10 min read
Guest posting is one of the most simple ways to grow your blog, build backlinks, and get your name in front of a new audience. The idea is simple — you write a useful article for someone else's website, they publish it, and in return you usually get a link back to your own site and some exposure to their readers.
But knowing where to submit is half the battle. There are hundreds of sites that accept guest posts, and most beginners waste weeks pitching the wrong ones. This guide will help you find the right platforms, understand what they expect, and give you the best chance of getting published.
What is guest posting?
Guest posting (also called guest blogging) means writing and publishing an article on someone else's website or blog. You are the author, but your site hosts the content. Most websites that accept guest posts will allow you to include one or two links — either in the body of the article or in your author bio — pointing back to your own website or blog.
People do guest posting for a few different reasons:
- To earn backlinks that help with SEO
- To reach a new audience and grow brand awareness
- To build credibility in their niche
- To drive direct referral traffic to their site
Donate well, a single guest post on the right website can bring lasting benefits. Done badly — meaning low-quality content on irrelevant sites — it can actually hurt your SEO. So quality and relevance always matter more than quantity.
How to Pick the Right Guest Posting Site
Before you pitch anywhere, ask yourself three questions:
- Is this site's audience the same kind of people I want to reach?
- Does this site publish content that is well-written and genuinely useful?
- Does the site have real traffic and a decent Domain Authority (DA)?
A DA of 30 or above is a reasonable starting point. Anything over 60 is excellent. But DA alone does not tell the full story — a site with DA 40 and real engaged readers can be more valuable than a DA 70 ghost town that nobody actually visits.
Use free tools like Moz, Ahrefs (limited free version), or Ubersuggest to check a site's DA and estimated monthly traffic before spending time on a pitch.
Top Guest Posting Sites — General (Any Niche)
These platforms accept contributors across a wide range of topics and are good starting points if you are new to guest posting.
Medium — Medium is one of the easiest platforms to get started with. You can publish directly without pitching, or submit to curated publications within Medium (like The Startup or Better Marketing) for a wider reach. It is great for building an audience and practicing your writing, although links from Medium to your site are nofollow, meaning they have limited direct SEO value. DA 95+, free and open to all.
Vocal Media — Vocal Media lets anyone publish dozens of topic categories covering lifestyle, tech, culture, and business. It is beginner-friendly and you can even earn a small amount based on reads. It is a good place to get comfortable writing for an audience before approaching more competitive outlets. DA 70+.
Business2Community — B2C has a contributor program that accepts pitches from writers with experience in business-related topics. Their editorial bar is professional but not intimidating. It is a good stepping stone before going after bigger publications like Entrepreneur or Forbes. DA 72.
Lifehack — Lifehack accepts guest contributions focused on practical advice for everyday life — productivity tips, habit building, time management, mental health, and similar topics. They want content that is actionable and specific, not vague self-help advice. If you can write practical how-to content in this space, they are worth approaching. DA 79.
Guest Posting Sites by Niche
Technology and Software Development
Dev.to — Dev.to is a free, open community for developers. You can publish tutorials, opinion pieces, project showcases, or technical deep-dives without needing anyone's approval. The community is active and supportive, and good posts can get hundreds of reactions and shares. Ideal for developers at any level. DA 84.
Smashing Magazine — One of the best-known publications for web designers and developers. They pay contributors and maintain high editorial standards. If you have deep expertise in CSS, JavaScript, accessibility, or UX design, this is worth pursuing. Expect multiple rounds of editing and a thorough review process — but the exposure is outstanding. DA 88, pays $200–$350 per article.
HackerNoon — HackerNoon is a popular tech publication with a very active contributor community. They publish a wide range of tech-related articles — from coding tutorials to startup stories to opinions on industry trends. The submission process is simple and they have a relatively fast review turnaround. DA 82.
Digital Marketing and SEO
Search Engine Journal — One of the most respected names in the SEO and digital marketing world. They have a contributor program, but getting accepted usually requires some existing reputation or experience in the field. If you have practical SEO knowledge and can back it up with data or real examples, it is worth applying. A published article here carries real weight in the marketing industry. DA 89.
Moz Blog — The go-to resource for SEO education. Their guest contributor program values original research, experiments, and data-backed insights above everything else. If you have run an SEO test, built a new process, or have something genuinely fresh to contribute to the field, this is the right place to pitch it. DA 91.
Social Media Examiner — A well-established resource for marketers who want practical, step-by-step social media advice. They accept contributor pitches and prefer detailed, how-to style articles based on first-hand experience. Their audience wants content they can apply immediately, so specificity matters. DA 85.
Business and Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneur.com — Entrepreneur has a formal contributor program. Once accepted, you can publish regularly under your own byline, which builds credibility over time. They look for founders, executives, and practitioners who can speak from real experience. Personal stories combined with practical takeaways tend to perform best here. DA 91, 20M+ monthly visitors.
Inc.com — One of the most trusted names in business media. Like Entrepreneur, they run a contributor network and look for people with relevant credentials and real experience. Getting in takes effort, but the credibility that comes with an Inc. online is significant, especially for business owners and executives. DA 92.
Health and Wellness
Healthline — One of the most visited health websites globally. All content is medically reviewed, and contributors are expected to have genuine expertise or professional credentials in the health field. If you are a healthcare professional, dietitian, therapist, or certified fitness expert, this platform can significantly raise your profile. DA 90.
MindBodyGreen — Publishes warm, accessible wellness content written by experts across health, fitness, relationships, and sustainability. They value contributors who can blend personal experience with evidence-based insight. The tone is approachable rather than clinical, which makes it a good fit for wellness coaches, nutritionists, and practitioners who can write in a reader-friendly way. DA 81.
How to Write a Guest Post Pitch
A pitch is a short email or message you send to an editor asking if they would be interested in a specific article idea from you. Most pitches get ignored because they are too vague, too long, or show no real understanding of the site they are pitching to. Here is what a good pitch includes:
- A specific article idea with a working title — not "I'd like to write about marketing," but something concrete like "Why Most Small Businesses Are Wasting Money on Facebook Ads (And What to Do Instead)."
- A brief outline or summary — two or three sentences explaining what the article covers and who it helps.
- Why you are the right person to write it — your relevant experience, credentials, or perspective.
- Two or three links to your published writing — ideally on comparable websites.
Keep the whole pitch to three or four short paragraphs. Editors are busy. If they have to read six paragraphs just to understand your idea, they will move on.
Always read the site's guest post guidelines before pitching. Most sites publish them under a page called "Write for Us" or "Contribute." Ignoring these guidelines is the fastest way to get rejected.
Things to Avoid
- Pitching a topic the site has already covered extensively without a fresh angle
- Submitting the same article to multiple sites at the same time — always pitch one at a time for exclusive content
- Writing an article that is mostly a promotion for your own product or service
- Using too many self-serving links inside the content — one or two natural links is the standard
- Targeting sites with no real traffic just to collect backlinks — Google can identify and discount these
- Sending a generic pitch that could apply to any website — always personalize it
Final Thoughts
Guest posting works best when you treat it as a genuine contribution, not just a link-building tactic. The sites worth being on have real editorial standards because they care about their readers. When you match that care — by writing something truly useful, relevant, and well-crafted — the results tend to follow naturally.
Start with two or three sites that are a realistic fit for your current level of experience and expertise. Write something you are genuinely proud of. Then build from there. Over time, a consistent guest posting habit can become one of the most reliable pillars of your online presence.
Sources: https://www.agicent.com/blog/guest-posting-sites/
