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.
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.
Define the Prospect Profile
Specify relevant topics, audiences, geographies where applicable, minimum editorial standards and disqualifying patterns before collecting URLs.
Use Multiple Discovery Sources
Search, competitor analysis, industry directories, author research, communities, partnerships and marketplaces surface different prospect pools. Combining them reduces dependence on one database.
Qualify in Layers
Use metrics for fast triage, then manually review the remaining sites and pages. Record why a prospect passed so another team member can audit the decision.
Preserve Institutional Knowledge
Keep accepted and rejected prospects, notes, contacts and outcomes in one system. A mature database prevents teams from repeatedly researching the same weak sites.