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.
Transparency
Know whether you can inspect and approve publishers before placement. A white-label relationship is easier to manage when the agency can explain where client links appear and why.
Quality Control
Define rejection criteria, content standards, link attributes and what happens when a publisher changes the agreed placement. Do not outsource the agency's responsibility to protect client quality.
Brand Experience
The client sees your agency, not the fulfillment vendor. Reporting, turnaround communication and remediation therefore need to fit your own service standard.