Most link-buying debates are framed as “which type is best?”. That’s the wrong question. List placements, guest posts and link insertions do different jobs, and a VPN brand that only buys one of them is leaving something on the table. Here is what each one is good at, where each one goes wrong, and how we’d think about the mix.

“Best VPN” list placements

A list placement puts your brand inside a ranking or comparison article: “the best VPNs for streaming”, “best VPN for travel”, “best free VPN”. These pages sit on the queries closest to a purchase decision, which is why they matter so much in this niche.

What they’re good at. Visibility at the moment of choice, and increasingly in AI answers: assistants that summarise “which VPN should I use?” lean heavily on exactly these pages. A mention on a list that ranks can also send real referral traffic, not just ranking signals.

Where they go wrong. Not every list ranks, and some exist only to sell positions. Lists also get updated, and entries get dropped. Before buying, you want to know the query the list ranks for, its current position, the traffic to the page, your position on the list, which competitors are already there and how the publisher treats links.

Guest posts

A guest post is a new article, written for a publication’s readers, with your link in context. Done properly, it’s a piece of content the site would be happy to publish anyway.

What they’re good at. Building topical authority around the problems your product solves — public Wi-Fi risks, streaming abroad, privacy laws — and pointing links at the supporting pages that rarely earn links on their own: guides, feature pages, comparison pages. They’re also the most flexible way into a new language market.

Where they go wrong. On sites that publish anything for anyone. A guest post on a “write for us” mill is a link in a bad neighbourhood with no readers. The site matters more than the article. Watch for labelling too: some publications mark partner content, and you should know before you buy.

Link insertions

A link insertion (sometimes called a niche edit) adds your link to an article that already exists. The page is already indexed, already ranking, often already linked to.

What they’re good at. Speed and inherited strength. Because the page has history, the link is working from day one, and insertions usually go live faster than new articles. They’re ideal for supporting a money page with a highly relevant sentence on a page that already gets readers.

Where they go wrong. When the page, not the domain, is weak. A strong domain can have pages nobody reads. Always check the page’s own traffic, keywords and referring domains, and read the proposed sentence in context. If it doesn’t add anything for the reader, it shouldn’t be there.

How to split the budget

There’s no universal ratio, but there is a sensible way to think about it:

  • Start with the lists that matter. Map the comparison pages that rank for your highest-intent queries in each market. Being absent from them is usually the biggest gap.
  • Use insertions for speed. Relevant pages on streaming, travel and privacy topics that already rank give you working links quickly.
  • Use guest posts for depth and new markets. They build the topical layer around your product and open publications that don’t have a suitable existing page.
  • Keep the pace steady. A consistent monthly rhythm across all three looks far more natural than bursts of one type.

Whatever the mix, the same rules apply: real readers, the right countries, a relevant topic, a clean neighbourhood, and someone who owns the relationship with the site. That’s the logic behind the Miran Gate, and every placement type we offer goes through it.

Read more about each: “best of” list placements, guest posts and link insertions — or get a free vetted site list with a recommended mix.