Guest Posting vs. Other Link Building Strategies: What Works Best for Ecommerce?

BacklinksLinks from other websites pointing to your website, crucial for SEO. are a key driver of ecommerce SEO success, but how you acquire them matters. Guest posting is a well-known strategy, but it’s not the fastest or the easiest. For some businesses, alternatives like HARO, digital PR, and broken link buildingThe process of acquiring backlinks from other websites. deliver a better return on investment (ROI)A measure of the profitability of an investment, calculated by dividing the net profit by the cost o... with fewer resources.

This guide compares guest posting with other link building strategies to help you choose the one that aligns with your budget, timeline, and team capacity.

Takeaway: The best link building strategy isn't necessarily the most popular one—it's the one that aligns with your specific resources and goals.

What Guest Posting Actually Requires

Guest posting requires a significant investment of time and effort. Here’s what’s involved:

• Content ProductionThe process of creating content, including writing, designing, and editing.: Writing a high-quality article (typically 1,000–2,000 words) for another website's audience. This article must be well-researched and valuable—thin, promotional content is typically rejected.
  
• Prospecting and Outreach: Finding relevant sites with decent domain authority and pitching them takes time. On average, you’ll need to send 20–50 pitches to secure 1 placement.
  
• Relationship Building: Success in guest posting often depends on existing relationships with site owners or editors. Building these relationships takes ongoing effort.
  
• Slow Results: From the first pitch to seeing the post live with a backlink, it can take 4–12 weeks per placement. SEO results build over time, but this is not a quick traffic boost.
  

Realistic Output

Expect 2–4 quality guest posts per month if you dedicate consistent effort. If you need 20+ backlinks quickly, guest posting alone won’t be enough.

Alternative Link Building Strategies

Guest posting isn’t the only approach. Here are several effective alternatives, each with its own strengths:

1. HARO (Help A Reporter Out) / Connectively

HARO connects journalists with expert sources for quotes, and if selected, you earn a backlink from high-authority sites (DA 70+). It’s reactive—you respond to opportunities rather than create them, and competition is fierce.

2. Digital PR

Digital PR involves creating newsworthy content (like surveys, reports, and case studiesIn-depth analyses of specific instances or examples to highlight success stories or lessons learned....) and pitching it to journalists. When your content gets covered, you earn high-quality backlinks. It’s ideal for brand exposure, but requires a budget (typically $2K–$10K+/month for agencies).

3. Broken Link Building

This involves finding broken links on relevant websites and offering your content as a replacement. It’s research-heavy but can yield valuable backlinks from resource pages or roundups.

4. Product Reviews and Roundups

Getting your products featured in “best of” lists or review sitesWebsites that publish reviews of products or services, often including affiliate links to earn commi... can drive both backlinks and direct sales. These links are contextually relevant and can send purchase-ready traffic.

5. Niche Edits (Link Insertions)

This strategy involves getting backlinks inserted into existing content on relevant, high-authority sites. Unlike guest posting, you’re not creating new content but negotiating to place a link in already-indexed articles. This method is faster but requires careful vetting to avoid spammy placementsSpecific websites or locations within websites where ads can appear..

Side-by-Side Comparison of Link Building Strategies

This table summarizes how each strategy compares on key factors:

When Guest Posting Is the Right Choice

Guest posting is ideal when:

• Building long-term authority is your priority. Guest posts on authoritative industry sites position you as a thought leader, helping to boost domain authority over time.
  
• Content marketingA strategic approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content... is already a priority. If you’re already producing regular content, guest posting is a great way to distribute it further.
  
• You want to build relationships with editors, site owners, and industry peers. These relationships often leadA potential customer referred by an affiliate who has shown interest in the product or service but h... to more opportunities (e.g., podcastsAudio content distributed through digital channels, often in series format., collaborations).
  
• Your nicheA specific segment of the market targeted by affiliates to promote products or services. has active blogs accepting contributions. If relevant sites are actively seeking guest posts, the prospecting effort is lower.
  
• You have the writing capacity to produce consistent content. Guest posting requires frequent content output—ideally, 4–8 posts per month.
  

When Other Strategies Make More Sense

Consider alternatives to guest posting if:

• You need results fast. Guest posting is a long-term strategy. If you’re in a time-sensitive situation (e.g., product launch, market entry), consider digital PR or HARO for quicker results.
  
• You have budget but limited time. Digital PR agencies handle the heavy lifting, and you can focus on brand visibility while they manage content creation and outreach.
  
• Your products are reviewable. For ecommerce, product reviewsCustomer feedback on products, which can influence purchasing decisions and build trust. and roundup placements often drive more immediate value than guest posts. A backlink from a “Best Running Shoes 2025” list can send highly motivated, purchase-ready traffic.
  
• You’re a recognized expert. HARO works best for those with genuine expertise. If you can provide credible commentary, you can earn high-quality backlinks from journalists with minimal content creation.
  
• Your niche has limited guest post opportunities. Some industries have few guest post opportunities. If your prospecting efforts are yielding low returns, consider broken link building or niche edits for more efficient link acquisition.
  

Tradeoffs and Hidden Costs

Every strategy comes with downsides that should factor into your decision-making:

Guest Posting Tradeoffs

• High rejection rate: Expect 70–90% of your pitches to be ignored or rejected. Volume is key.
  
• Content production load: Each post requires 4–8 hours to research, write, and edit.
  
• Slow compounding: SEO benefits take months to materialize, so guest posting isn’t ideal for quick fixes.
  
• Quality variance: Not all guest post sites are equal. Low-quality placements can waste effort or harm SEO.
  

HARO Tradeoffs

• Reactive, not proactive: You respond to opportunities rather than create them, and some weeks may have no relevant queries in your niche.
  
• Fierce competition: Popular queries can receive hundreds of responses. To stand out, your responses must be fast and high-quality.
  
• No guaranteed links: Journalists choose their sources at their discretion, and some great responses may still get passed over.
  

Digital PR Tradeoffs

• Significant budget required: High-quality agencies charge $2K–$10K+ per month. Cheaper agencies often deliver lower-quality results.
  
• CampaignA set of ad groups sharing a budget, targeting options, and other settings. variance: Some campaigns go viral, others don’t. Results aren’t guaranteed.
  
• Less control: Your success depends on agency execution and journalist interest.
  

Broken Link Building Tradeoffs

• Tedious research: Finding relevant broken links takes time and tools.
  
• Low response rates: Many site owners ignore outreach requests, even when you offerThe specific product or service being promoted by affiliates. helpful replacements.
  
• Content requirements: You need replacement content that matches or exceeds the quality of the original link.
  

5 Questions to Ask Before You Choose

Consider these questions to decide which strategy is best:

1. What’s my content production capacity? If you can produce 4–8 posts per month, guest posting is viable. If content is a bottleneck, consider HARO or digital PR.
   
2. How fast do I need results? If you need links within 90 days, prioritize digital PR or product reviews.
   
3. Do I have outreach skills or tools? Guest posting and broken link building require proactive outreach. If your team lacks these skills, HARO (reactive) or digital PR (outsourced) may be more efficient.
   
4. Is brand authority a priority? If building industry authority matters, guest posting and digital PR are best. For link building without brand exposure, consider broken link building or niche edits.
   
5. What’s my link building budget? Guest posting is time-heavy, not costly. Digital PR requires a significant financial investment. Choose strategies based on your budget and available resources.
   

Decision Checklist

Use this checklist to guide your decision:

Choose guest posting if:

• You have writers or budget for consistent content production.
  
• Building industry authority is a priority.
  
• You can commit to a 6–12 month timeline for results.
  
• Your niche has active blogs accepting guest contributions.
  
• You value relationship-building alongside backlinks.
  

Choose HARO if:

• You or your team have genuine expertise to share.
  
• You can respond quickly to journalist queries.
  
• You want high-authority backlinks with minimal content creation.
  
• Your budget is limited, but you have time for outreach.
  

Choose digital PR if:

• You have $2K–$10K/month for link building.
  
• Brand awareness is equally important as acquiring backlinks.
  
• You need faster results than guest posting allows.
  
• You can create newsworthy content for journalists.
  

Choose broken link building if:

• You have existing content that can replace broken links.
  
• Your niche has resource pages or link roundups.
  
• You’re comfortable with research-heavy outreach.
  
• Brand exposure isn’t a priority—just getting backlinks.
  

Conclusion

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to link building. Guest posting builds long-term authority but takes significant time and effort. HARO rewards reactive efforts with high-quality backlinks. Digital PR offers fast results at a higher cost. Broken link building works quietly behind the scenes.

The most successful ecommerce brands combine 2–3 strategies based on their resources and goals. For example, guest posting for authority, HARO for opportunistic wins, and product reviews for purchase-intent traffic.

Takeaway: Match your link building strategy to your resources—time, budget, skills, and timeline. When you're clear on your priorities, the right approach will be clear.