Guide
How many do-follow links and how fast: what site owners told us
What a guest post usually includes and how quickly it is published, from owners we asked directly.
What this is
When we ask site owners about a guest post, two questions come up every time: how many do-follow links does the post include, and how long does it take to go live after the article is approved? This page summarises the answers we collected. No site or owner is named.
Do-follow links per post
| Do-follow links included | Owners | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 58 | 45% |
| 2 | 61 | 48% |
| 3 or more | 9 | 7% |
128 owners answered. One link and two links are almost equally common. Three or more is rare. If a post includes two links, check whether the second one is in the author bio or in the body, because the two are not equal.
Turnaround after you send the article
| Time to go live | Owners | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Within 24 hours | 48 | 43% |
| 25 to 48 hours | 45 | 41% |
| 49 to 72 hours | 16 | 14% |
| More than 72 hours | 2 | 2% |
111 owners stated a turnaround. About 84% said a post goes live within two days. When an owner gave a range, we used the upper end of it, so these times lean slow rather than fast.
What you can take from it
- Ask about the link count before you pay. Whether you get one link or two changes what the placement is worth.
- A stated turnaround is a promise, not a measurement. Treat it as the owner's estimate and confirm the live URL yourself.
- Quick turnaround is not a quality signal. Fast sites are common. Judge the site first, then the speed.
The limits, plainly
- Only owners who answered. These are the owners who replied with these details. Owners who did not reply, or did not say, are not in the numbers.
- What they said, not what we measured. We did not time every placement. The figures are the owners' own statements.
- Sample sizes. 128 owners for links and 111 for turnaround. That is enough to see a pattern, not enough to describe the whole market.
Period and method
The answers come from owners we contacted between 24 August and 9 October 2026. Do-follow counts are as the owner stated them for a standard guest post. We will update this page when we have more answers.
Next
See what sites quoted us for a guest post, by DR band, read the guest post checklist, or order a guest post and get each site's numbers before you decide.
Order a guest post
Send your website and niche. We reply with a shortlist you can check yourself.