The site publishes everything

Extreme topical randomness can suggest the domain is serving placement buyers more than a coherent readership.

The pitch is only a metric

“DR 70” does not tell you whether the site is relevant, read by anyone, editorially selective or a sensible place for your content.

Traffic has no context

A single traffic number without trend, geography or ranking-page context can mislead. Ask what creates the traffic and whether it belongs to the publication's subject.

Commercial anchors are everywhere

Repeated keyword-rich links to unrelated businesses across recent posts deserve investigation.

Terms are vague

Clarify the proposed site, deliverable, content responsibility, replacement terms and what happens if the placement changes.

Ranking guarantees

No seller controls Google's rankings. Treat guaranteed outcomes from a purchased placement with skepticism.