Alright, so it’s 2025, and you’re still hearing about guest posting, right? Maybe you thought that whole thing died out a while back, but surprise! It’s still a big deal if you’re trying to get more eyes on your website or just make your brand look more legit online. And honestly, for sniffing out places to put your words, Ahrefs? That’s like, your secret weapon. Forget all the old, clunky ways. Ahrefs, even now, makes finding spots to write for other sites way less painful.
What’s the big deal with guest posting, anyway?
Look, even though the internet’s changed a ton, some things just stick around because they work. Getting your articles on someone else’s popular site means their audience sees you. That’s good for getting your name out there, for sure. Plus, when a solid website links back to yours, it’s like a little nod from them saying, “Hey, this place is worth checking out.” Google sees those nods, and it helps your site show up higher in search results. It’s pretty simple when you think about it. It’s not rocket science, just smart moves for your website. I’ve seen this play out for years, and it keeps delivering.
Wading into Ahrefs: Your Guest Post Compass
Okay, so you open up Ahrefs. Maybe it looks a bit much at first. It’s got a ton of stuff, but we’re just gonna focus on a few key tools to find guest post homes. It’s kinda like a treasure hunt, but instead of a map, you got Ahrefs.
Peeking at What Your Rivals are Doing
This is where a lot of people start, and it makes sense. Your competitors are probably doing some guest posting already, right? Why not check where they’re getting their links from? It’s not cheating, it’s just being smart.
1. Spot a Competitor: Pick one of your main competitors. Someone who’s doing pretty good in your space.
2. Plug ’em into Site Explorer: Go to Site Explorer in Ahrefs. Type in their website address. Hit search.
3. Check Their Backlinks: On the left side, you’ll see “Backlinks” under “Backlink profile.” Click that. This shows you all the websites that are linking to your competitor.
4. Filter for Gold: This list can be huge. You gotta narrow it down.
Look for sites that are actually blogs or news sites, not just directories or weird spammy places. Ahrefs sometimes tells you the “type” of link, which is handy.
Think about the “DR” (Domain Rating). You probably don’t want super low DR sites, but also, don’t get hung up on only going for the biggest ones right away. Sometimes a slightly smaller, really relevant site is way better than a massive, general one.
What’s interesting is, you can sort these by “New” backlinks too. That lets you see where they’ve been getting links recently, which means those sites are still active and probably accepting new content. This is a biggie, actually.
I remember this one time, I was looking for places to write about coffee gear, and I saw a competitor had gotten a link from a super niche blog that reviewed grinders. I would’ve never found that blog just by searching Google, but Ahrefs laid it out clear as day. It was a perfect fit.
Content Explorer: Your Idea Machine
Content Explorer is like Google on steroids, but just for articles that performed well. You can use it to find topics people are talking about and the sites that published those talks.
1. Hit up Content Explorer: Go to Content Explorer.
2. Type in Your Keywords: Think about what you want to write about. So, if you sell fancy dog treats, maybe you type in “healthy dog snacks” or “dog training tips.”
3. Filter, Filter, Filter:
You can set the “Language” to English, obviously, or whatever you need.
“Publish Date” is good. You probably want recent stuff, like published in the last year or two, so you know the site is active.
Then, you click on “One page per domain.” This is super important. It stops Ahrefs from showing you 20 articles from the same website. You want unique websites.
What you’re really looking for here are sites that published articles on your topic and got some decent traffic or social shares. That means they’re active, and their content gets seen.
4. Eyeball the Results: Look at the websites that pop up. Do they seem like places that might take guest posts? Are they relevant to what you do? This isn’t a direct “guest post” finder, but it’s a brilliant way to uncover sites that are creating content your audience would like, which makes them prime targets.
Sometimes, I’ll find a site through Content Explorer, and it’s not immediately obvious they do guest posts. But then I’ll look at their articles, see they publish a lot of different authors, and think, “Huh, maybe they’re open to it.” It’s kinda like detective work, right?
Hunting for “Write for Us” pages
This is a pretty direct way to find guest post opportunities. Many websites that accept guest posts will have a specific page telling you how to submit.
1. Ahrefs Site Explorer (again!): Go back to Site Explorer.
2. Search Specific Phrases: Here’s the trick. You can search within sites or for sites that contain certain phrases.
You can use something like site:.com "write for us" in the Keywords Explorer or Content Explorer.
Or, if you’re already in Site Explorer looking at a specific competitor’s backlinks, you can sometimes use Ahrefs’ internal filters or even export the list and use a simple text editor search for common guest post phrases.
Common phrases to look for:
“write for us”
“guest post”
“submit an article”
“contribute to our blog”
“become a contributor”
“guest article guidelines”
What’s cool about Ahrefs is how it lets you play around with these search operators to really narrow things down. It’s way faster than just doing a bunch of Google searches yourself, though you can do that too, of course.
Sorting Through the Sites: Are They Any Good?
So you’ve got a list of websites. Now, you can’t just pitch any old place. You gotta make sure they’re worth your time. This is where Ahrefs helps you qualify them.
Domain Rating (DR): This is Ahrefs’ measure of a website’s authority. Higher DR usually means a stronger, more respected site. I don’t typically go for anything under, say, DR 30 or 40 for most client work, but for a smaller niche, maybe lower is fine. It really depends on your goals.
Organic Traffic: Does the site actually get visitors from Google? Ahrefs shows you this. If a site has a high DR but no organic traffic, what’s the point? You want people to actually see your stuff. Look for steady, decent organic traffic.
Traffic Value: Ahrefs estimates how much money it would cost to get that site’s organic traffic through paid ads. A higher number usually means they rank for good keywords.
Relevance: This isn’t a number in Ahrefs, but it’s super important. Is the site actually related to what you do? If you sell gardening tools, you don’t want to guest post on a tech review site, even if it has a high DR. It just wouldn’t make sense, would it?
Think about it like this: you’re not just trying to get any link. You want links from sites that make sense for your business, sites where people who care about your stuff hang out. It’s about quality, not just quantity.
Just Finding Ain’t Enough: The Next Step
Okay, so you’ve got your list of prime guest post targets from Ahrefs. That’s a huge part of the battle. But finding them is just the first hill. The big mountain is getting them to say yes to your article idea. You’ll need to:
Find their contact info: Usually an email address. Ahrefs doesn’t do this directly, but once you have the site, you can usually find it on their contact page or an “about us” section.
Craft a killer pitch: Don’t just send a generic email. Show them you read their stuff. Suggest a few unique article ideas that fit their blog and that you know a lot about.
Write something amazing: If they say yes, you gotta deliver. Make your article super good.
In my experience, the more specific and thoughtful your pitch is, the better your chances. Nobody wants a generic email. They want someone who gets their vibe.
FAQs about Ahrefs and Guest Post Hunting
You probably have some questions kicking around in your head. Let’s tackle a few common ones.
Can I really trust Ahrefs’ DR metric for guest posting?
Yeah, for the most part, you can. DR is Ahrefs’ way of saying how strong a site’s backlink profile is, which usually means it’s got some authority. It’s not the only thing to look at, though. Always check organic traffic too. A super high DR site with no traffic isn’t gonna send anyone your way. But it’s a solid starting point, for sure.
Is it possible to find free guest post opportunities with Ahrefs?
Absolutely! Ahrefs is a tool to find the opportunities. Whether they charge for guest posts is something you figure out when you actually reach out to them. Most reputable blogs that accept guest posts don’t charge; they’re looking for good content. If a site tries to charge you, it’s probably not the kind of guest post you want anyway.
How often should I use Ahrefs for guest post research?
It’s not an everyday thing for most people, I don’t think. You might do a big sweep once a month or once a quarter to refresh your list of targets. But if you’re always publishing new content, you could do a quick check weekly to see new backlinks your competitors are getting. It really just depends on how aggressive you wanna be with guest posting.
What if I find a perfect site, but Ahrefs says its organic traffic is super low?
That’s a tough one, right? If the traffic is really low, it might not be worth your time unless that site is extremely specific to a tiny niche you’re trying to dominate. Sometimes, a site has low traffic but really engaged readers. But usually, if you’re looking for a boost in visibility, decent traffic is a must. If it’s super low, move on. Plenty of fish in the sea.
Can Ahrefs tell me the contact email for guest posting?
Nah, Ahrefs itself won’t usually spit out email addresses for you. What it does is give you the domain. Once you have the domain, you then go to that website and look for their “contact us” page, an “about” section, or sometimes even a “write for us” page that lists an email. There are other tools that help find emails, but Ahrefs isn’t typically one of them for direct contact info.
So, guest posting in 2025 is still alive and kicking, and honestly, Ahrefs makes finding those spots way less of a headache. You just gotta know where to click and what to look for. It’s not some magic button that does everything for you, but it sure helps you get your ducks in a row. Go on, give it a shot. What have you got to lose?
