Write guest posts

The problem

You want links and exposure from established sites.

Steps

1. Shortlist sites with real traffic, a real editor and an audience that overlaps with yours.
2. Pitch a specific piece only you could write.
3. Accept a branded or natural link rather than a keyword anchor.
4. Avoid any site that advertises “write for us” to all comers.

Evidence

Google’s spam policies list large-scale guest posting campaigns with keyword-rich anchor links as a link scheme. Most sites that accept pitches openly are content farms with no traffic.