Start with Relevance
Ask whether the website and the specific page make sense for the audience you want to reach. A numerically strong domain can still be a poor placement when the topic, readership or editorial context is unrelated.
Create an Approval Standard
Write down the minimum information a strategist needs before a prospect reaches a client: relevance rationale, traffic/metric context, sample content quality, link terms, price, target page and any known risk flags.
Use Metrics as Evidence, Not Answers
DR, DA and estimated organic traffic are useful screening signals, but they are third-party measurements. Review trends, topical footprint, recent content and the actual site before accepting or rejecting a prospect.
Inspect the Editorial Footprint
Read recent posts. Look for coherent categories, useful writing, sensible outbound links, identifiable editorial standards and content that appears created for readers rather than only for placement buyers.
Review the Exact Placement Terms
Confirm what content is required, who writes it, expected turnaround, link attributes, number of links, editing rights, permanence or replacement terms, and the final URL you will receive. Save those details with the campaign record.
Measure What Matters
Record the placement and monitor whether it remains live, but do not treat a single link as the sole cause of ranking movement. Referral traffic, brand exposure, relevant mentions and business outcomes provide additional context.
Report the Placement Clearly
Record source URL, destination URL, anchor/citation, publication date, link attribute, status, publisher topic, cost where appropriate and the reason the prospect passed QA.
Avoid Vanity-Only Reporting
A report made only of DR or DA can hide relevance and editorial quality. Add the qualitative rationale so clients can understand why a placement was selected.
Placement Record
For each completed item, capture source URL, destination URL, publication date, citation or anchor, link attribute, status, publisher topic and relevant commercial terms.
Quality Rationale
Include a short explanation of topical and audience fit. This is more useful than presenting DR or DA as the reason a link was acquired.
Outcome Layer
Where data is available, add referral visits, conversions, brand mentions or other meaningful outcomes. Avoid promising that an individual placement will produce a specific ranking movement.
Status Maintenance
A report should distinguish live, changed, removed and replaced placements. Periodic verification keeps historical totals from overstating what still exists.