✍️The Guest Post Guide for 2024 | James Dooley & Karl Hudson Discuss Ranking Factors for 2024 ✍️
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What Does “✍️The Guest Post Guide for 2024 | James Dooley & Karl Hudson Discuss Ranking Factors for 2024 ✍️” Talk About?
In this episode of the James Dooley Podcast, James Dooley sits down with Karl Hudson, founder of Search, to provide a comprehensive breakdown of guest posting as an SEO tactic in 2024. The conversation covers what a guest post actually is, how it differs from niche edits, where it fits within a broader link-building strategy, and why topical relevance remains a critical factor when selecting sites for placement. James and Karl also discuss the typical cost range of guest posts, which falls between $150 and $400 depending on the niche, and walk through Karl's three-step system for producing and placing guest posts, including content creation, client approval, and site matching.
The episode goes deeper into advanced techniques such as powering up guest posts with tier-two backlinks and requesting internal links from existing pages on the host site to boost the new post's page-level authority. Karl explains the concept of relevance sculpting optimization and why branded anchor text should dominate early in a site's link profile. James and Karl also examine how guest posts fit alongside other link types including citations, press releases, forum links, and pillow links to form a diversified, blended strategy. The discussion wraps up with a practical look at the most common mistakes buyers make, including placing links on orphaned pages with no internal links pointing to them, which can prevent indexation and render the link useless.
“People don't check whether the guest post is orphaned—meaning no internal links point to it. Without internal links, it might not get indexed.”
— Karl Hudson
Who Are the Guests on “✍️The Guest Post Guide for 2024 | James Dooley & Karl Hudson Discuss Ranking Factors for 2024 ✍️”?
Karl Hudson is the founder of Search, an agency specializing in link-building and SEO strategy. With deep hands-on experience in building link profiles for websites at various stages of growth, Karl brings practical, data-driven insights to topics like guest posting, niche edits, anchor text strategy, and tier-two link building. His agency maintains a heavily filtered database of sites and uses the same links internally, which reflects his commitment to quality over volume.
James Dooley is a well-known SEO practitioner and entrepreneur who hosts the James Dooley Podcast, where he regularly interviews industry experts to unpack actionable strategies for digital marketers and business owners. Known for his direct questioning style and focus on real-world application, James brings clarity to complex SEO topics and helps listeners understand how to implement strategies correctly and safely.
What Are the Key Takeaways From “✍️The Guest Post Guide for 2024 | James Dooley & Karl Hudson Discuss Ranking Factors for 2024 ✍️”?
Here are the key points discussed in this episode:
- Guest posts are most effective when used alongside a diversified strategy that includes citations, press releases, forum links, and niche edits rather than as a standalone tactic.
- Topical relevance matters significantly when choosing sites for guest posts, and the content can be sculpted around exact target keywords to maximize impact.
- New websites should prioritize guest posts with branded anchor text before moving to niche edits, as this builds a safer and more natural-looking link profile.
- Guest posts on new pages should be powered up with tier-two backlinks and internal links from existing pages on the host site to strengthen their page-level authority.
- One of the most common and costly mistakes when buying guest posts is failing to check whether the post will be orphaned, meaning no internal links point to it, which can prevent indexation entirely.
“We often request internal links from existing pages to the new guest post and build Tier 2 backlinks to the guest post to strengthen its page-level authority.”
— Karl Hudson
Is “✍️The Guest Post Guide for 2024 | James Dooley & Karl Hudson Discuss Ranking Factors for 2024 ✍️” Worth Listening To?
This episode is worth listening to because it strips away the confusion around guest posting and replaces it with a structured, practical framework that SEO practitioners at any level can apply immediately. Karl Hudson does not speak in generalities — he covers specific details like anchor text strategy, the role of guest posts at different stages of a site's growth, realistic pricing, and the technical pitfalls that make many purchased guest posts a waste of money. The three-step system Karl outlines for approving content and selecting sites is especially useful for anyone working with an agency or managing their own outreach.
What sets this conversation apart from typical SEO content is the emphasis on integration rather than isolation. James and Karl make a compelling case that guest posts are only as powerful as the broader strategy they sit within, and that ignoring indexation, crawlability, or internal linking can completely undermine the investment. Whether you are new to link building or have been buying links for years, the practical checklist of mistakes to avoid alone makes this episode worth your time.
Who Should Listen to “✍️The Guest Post Guide for 2024 | James Dooley & Karl Hudson Discuss Ranking Factors for 2024 ✍️”?
This episode is ideal for:
- SEO professionals and link-building specialists looking to refine their guest posting strategy and avoid common technical pitfalls.
- Digital marketing agency owners and consultants who manage link-building campaigns for clients and need a reliable, scalable framework.
- Website owners and entrepreneurs who are actively trying to improve their organic search rankings and want to understand how to invest in links correctly.
- Content marketers and bloggers who use guest posting for exposure and want to understand how to extract maximum SEO value from their placements.
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What Are Listeners Saying About This Episode?
“The breakdown of why guest posts get orphaned and fail to index was something I had never thought about before. Karl's explanation was clear and immediately made me audit every guest post I had purchased in the last year. Really eye-opening content.”
“I appreciated how Karl explained the difference between using guest posts on new versus established sites. The advice on starting with branded anchor text and building up from there is exactly the kind of foundational guidance I needed. Practical and well-structured episode.”
“The section on powering up guest posts with tier-two links and requesting internal links from the host site is gold. I have been buying guest posts for two years and never thought to ask for that. James asks exactly the right questions throughout.”
James Dooley (0:00): So I’ve got Karl Hudson here, the founder of Searcher, and we’re here to talk specifically about guest posts. For anyone who doesn’t know—within a link-building strategy—what is a guest post? Karl Hudson: A guest post is where you publish a post on another website within your industry. Either you write the post or the site writes it about your topic, and it links back to your website. What is a Guest Post? James Dooley: So with guest posts, are the backlinks generally do-follow or no-follow? Karl Hudson: Most people prefer do-follow, especially if you’re actively seeking links. But personally, I don’t really mind whether it’s do-follow or no-follow. James Dooley: Do you find guest posting an effective SEO strategy for improving rankings? Karl Hudson: Yes, definitely. James Dooley: Would you prefer to have a guest post over a niche edit—or a niche edit over a guest post? Karl Hudson: It depends on where you are in your backlinking process. If the website is new, I always recommend starting with guest posts rather than niche edits. If the site already has some age and a backlink profile, then I’d use a mix of niche edits and guest posts. Cost of Guest Posts James Dooley: If I want to acquire a new guest post, how much does it typically cost? Karl Hudson: Guest posts tend to be more expensive because of the writing time involved and ensuring the content can rank. They usually cost $150 to $400, depending on the niche—sometimes more. The Importance of Relevance (RSO) James Dooley: Some people talk about “RSO”—relevance sculpting optimization. Do you believe relevance is important when choosing guest posts? Karl Hudson: Absolutely. You’d be mad not to use relevance, especially since you can write and sculpt the post around the exact keywords you want. Ranking Guest Posts James Dooley: Would you ever try to rank your guest posts? Karl Hudson: Yes. Ranking guest posts is powerful—any form of traffic to the post helps improve the value of that link. How Long Guest Posting Takes James Dooley: When I purchase a guest post from your agency, how long does the full process take? Karl Hudson: We have a three-step system: We write the content. You approve the content. We find suitable sites that match your customer profile. Then you also approve those sites. After that, it takes up to four weeks for publication. James Dooley: So I can decline content or decline sites? Karl Hudson: Yes. If you decline a few, we replace them. If you decline a huge number, we step in and analyze why—because our database is heavily filtered and we use those links ourselves. Where Guest Posts Fit in a Link Building Strategy James Dooley: As a professional link builder, where do guest posts fit in the strategy? Do you start with them? Karl Hudson: Before guest posts, I start with foundational links: Citations Press releases Forum links Pillow links If I add guest posts early, they are mostly branded anchor posts. Powering Up Guest Posts James Dooley: Since niche edits sit on established pages and guest posts are new pages—even on high-authority sites—should I power up guest posts with tier-twos? Karl Hudson: Yes. We often: Request internal links from existing pages to the new guest post Build Tier 2 backlinks to the guest post to strengthen its page-level authority Guest Posts vs. Niche Edits James Dooley:
Do you have a preference: niche edits or guest posts?
Karl Hudson: I always recommend a blended approach to avoid penalties. But if I had to choose, I lean slightly more toward guest posts. Common Mistakes When Buying Guest Posts James Dooley: What common mistakes do people make when buying guest posts? Karl Hudson: A big one: People don’t check whether the guest post is orphaned—meaning no internal links point to it. Without internal links, it might not get indexed. We also look for: Sites that hide guest posts (bad sign) Sites with poor crawlability Sites not linking within their natural hierarchy Some webmasters try to reduce risk by hiding guest posts, which makes them useless. Summary on Guest Posts James Dooley: So in summary, guest posts are great because: They provide relevance You can rank the guest post They give do-follow links You can power them up with tier 2 links They work well in a blended strategy with niche edits, citations, and pillow links Would you agree? Karl Hudson: 100%.
Creators & Guests
Host
James Dooley is a UK entrepreneur.