1. Decide what you want outsourced
Write down whether you need prospect discovery, outreach, content production, publisher negotiation, placement, reporting or all of the above. Comparing services is easier when the deliverable is clear.
2. Ask how publishers are selected
A service should be able to explain the logic behind its publisher selection. Look for topical relevance, credible audience signals and editorial fit rather than a single metric threshold.
3. Decide how much approval control you need
Some buyers want to review domains before publication; others prefer a fully managed workflow. Neither model is automatically better, but the approval process should be clear before payment.
4. Compare commercial terms
- Content scope and revisions
- Turnaround expectations
- Publisher/domain approval
- Replacement or removal terms
- Reporting and communication
- Refund or cancellation terms
5. Understand link-policy implications
Google explicitly addresses paid links in its spam policies. Ask how sponsorship and link qualification are handled instead of assuming a purchased placement should pass ranking credit.
6. Vet the actual placement
A reputable provider can still propose a publisher that is wrong for your subject. Use the publisher vetting process before approval.