Is That Guest Post Request a Scam? What to Know Before You Reply

Is That Guest Post Request a Scam? What to Know Before You Reply

Learn how to identify and protect your site from scam guest post emails. Understand common tactics like SEO backlink abuse, phishing, and low-quality AI content.

As a blogger, you’ll likely come across emails that look like generous offers to collaborate—often from someone claiming they’d love to publish an article on your website. At first glance, it might seem flattering, especially if you're just beginning to see steady traffic or if your site has started to gain credibility in your niche.

I remember the first time I received one of these messages. It felt like validation—that my work was being noticed. The email was polite, well-written, and full of positive energy. It mentioned interest in contributing a guest post and offered to “create something remarkable together.” For a moment, I even felt excited.

But over time, as I received more of these emails, I started to notice something: they all sounded strangely similar. The names and email addresses changed, but the format, the tone, and even the vague language remained the same. There were no clear article proposals, no links to past work, and no explanation as to why they had chosen my site specifically.

Eventually, it became clear: these were not genuine collaboration requests—they were part of a larger pattern of spam or even phishing scams. Many of these so-called “guest post offers” are simply attempts to gain backlinks for SEO manipulation, distribute low-quality or AI-generated content, or worse, trick you into sharing access or clicking harmful links.
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For bloggers—especially those who are just beginning to build their audience and reputation—recognizing these red flags early can protect both your website and your credibility. In this post, I want to share what I’ve learned about these misleading outreach emails: how to spot them, what to avoid, and how to respond (or not respond) when they land in your inbox.

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Name
Maya Martinez


Email
[email protected]


Comment
Hi,

I hope you are doing well.

I want to publish my article on your site.

If you are interested. Please let me know. I hope you accept my offer.

Let's collaborate and create something truly remarkable together!

Thanks and Regards
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1. Backlink Manipulation (SEO Abuse)

• The sender wants to publish an article on your site that contains hidden backlinks to external websites.
  
• Their goal is to artificially boost search engine rankings for their own or their client’s sites.
  
• This can harm your site’s SEO reputation and even lead to penalties from search engines like Google.
  

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2. Phishing or Malware Distribution

• The sender may include links or attachments containing malware, tracking scripts, or phishing attempts.
  
• Clicking the links could compromise your login credentials or website access.
  

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3. Money Requests or Fake Services

• They may start with a “free” offer, but later ask for a posting fee, editing fee, or publishing cost.
  
• In other cases, the initial message is a funnel into trying to sell you unnecessary services like SEO packages or content “partnerships.”
  

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4. AI-Generated or Low-Quality Content

• The submitted article may be poorly written or generated by AI, often irrelevant or off-topic.
  
• Publishing such content can damage your site’s credibility and search engine visibility.
  

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In Summary:

​Messages like this are not legitimate collaboration requests—they are attempts to leverage your site’s trust, visibility, or authority for their own benefit.
If the email lacks:

• Specific article topics
• A clear connection to your site’s audience
• Real author identity or examples of past work

…it’s best to ignore, delete, or mark it as spam.