Publisher Eligibility in the Backlink Marketplace
The first publisher step and bridge from the buyer path: eligibility criteria and standards.
This is the first article in the publisher sequence (articles 91–98) and the bridge from the buyer path. It explains who can become a publisher in the Backlink Marketplace and what eligibility means in practice. If you arrived from the buyer side, this article shows you the standards your placements must meet; if you are considering publishing, it tells you whether you qualify.
Who can publish
A publisher is a site owner or editor who offers publishing opportunities — space for sponsored or contributed content — through the marketplace. Eligibility is based on the site's topical focus, content quality, editorial control, and compliance with marketplace policy and Google's guidelines.
Eligibility criteria
| Criterion | What we look for |
|---|---|
| Topical focus | A clear subject area with original content |
| Content quality | Original, useful content; not scraped or spun |
| Editorial control | The publisher reviews and can reject placements |
| Transparency | A visible editorial policy and contact path |
| Compliance | No prohibited categories (see below) |
Prohibited categories
The marketplace does not accept publishers whose primary content falls into categories that violate platform policy or Google's guidelines. The full list is in Accepted Topics and Prohibited Categories for Publishers.
What eligibility is not
- Eligibility is not a ranking guarantee for the publisher or the buyer.
- Eligibility is not permanent — sites are re-reviewed periodically.
- Eligibility does not permit dofollow links that pass PageRank in violation of guidelines.
Continue with Accepted Topics and Prohibited Categories for Publishers, or read the buyer-side view in The Backlink Marketplace Buyer's Guide.
Primary sources
- Google Search Essentials — spam policies — Google Search Central (accessed 2025-01-15)