GlossaryOutreach and PR
Sponsored post
Also called: Advertorial · Paid post
A sponsored post is content a brand pays a publisher to run. Google asks that links in paid content use the sponsored or nofollow attribute.
A sponsored post is an article or feature published because a brand paid for it. It may be written by the brand or by the publisher. Many outlets label these clearly as sponsored or partner content, and some regions require disclosure by law or by advertising rules.
From a search point of view, Google says links in paid content should carry rel=sponsored or nofollow. Buying links to pass ranking signals goes against its guidelines. That doesn't make sponsored posts worthless. They can reach a real audience and send referral traffic, so judge them as advertising and PR.
Practical point: be clear about your purpose. If it's exposure, choose publications your customers read and check their audience. If it's search value, be aware of the guideline and the risk. Ask how the post will be labeled and which attributes the link will have, and check after it goes live.
Links you can check.
Every link we place comes with a receipt. The free link plan shows the pages worth pushing and what the links would cost.