Backlink building • Guest blogging
Guest Blogging Prospects for UK Schools: Find, Vet & Win High-Fit Opportunities
Author: Paul Delaney • SEO for Schools
This is a practical, step-by-step plan to find good-fit websites, vet them in minutes, pitch useful articles, and measure outcomes. It’s written for busy school and MAT teams: simple language, clear actions, and safe policies. No link-scheme tactics—everything here aligns with Google’s guidance.
Official policies referenced: Google Search Essentials • Google Link spam policies • Google Qualify outbound links • ICO UK GDPR overview • ASA/CAP Disclosure rules.
Prospecting principles (quality, safety, impact)
Quality
Prioritise sites read by parents, carers, educators, local partners, or local media. One strong, relevant placement beats ten weak ones.
Safety
Check ownership, disclosure, safeguarding compatibility, and the absence of spam niches (casino, loans, crypto). Use correct rel attributes.
Impact
Choose topics that send engaged readers to one of your hubs (Admissions, Term Dates, Absence, SEND, Sixth Form). Measure referral traffic and CTR lift.
Where to look: 30+ source ideas (high → low effort)
Local/state sector
| LA portals & family hubs | Explain admissions timelines, attendance, SEND signposting. |
| Libraries & museums | Reading challenges, local history tie-ins, STEM workshops. |
| NHS ICB / Public Health | Attendance & wellbeing campaigns; exam stress guides. |
| Police/Fire cadets | Safety weeks, careers awareness; co-authored advice. |
Education ecosystem
| MAT partners | Cross-campus case studies; sixth form routes. |
| FE/HE outreach | Mentoring, taster days, subject enrichment. |
| Subject associations | Royal Society of Chemistry, Historical Association, etc. |
| Sports & arts charities | Clubs, festivals, music partnerships. |
Community & media
| Hyperlocal news | Results day, open evenings, community events. |
| Parish & town councils | Facilities use; joint volunteering articles. |
| Alumni networks | Interviews, careers pathways, giving back. |
| Local business forums | Apprenticeships, work experience, awards. |
Google operators & shortcuts (copy/paste)
| Query | Use |
|---|---|
site:.gov.uk "families" [town] | Family hubs and LA pages that feature local schools |
site:.ac.uk ("outreach" OR "schools") "blog" | University outreach articles |
site:.org.uk ("education" OR "schools") "news" | Charities with education news |
site:[localnewspaper].co.uk "schools" "feature" | Education features in local media |
intitle:"guest post" education -casino -bet -poker | General education sites minus spam niches |
site:[partnerdomain] ("write for us" OR "contribute") | Find contribution guidelines |
10-point vetting score (E-E-A-T & policy checks)
| # | Criterion | What “Pass” looks like | Score (0–1) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Audience fit | Parents/educators/community relevant to your town/phase | __ |
| 2 | Ownership | About page, named people, real address/contact | __ |
| 3 | Editorial quality | Plain English, dated posts, source links | __ |
| 4 | Indexability | Site: search shows content; not deindexed | __ |
| 5 | Spam-free | No casino/loans/crypto ads, no “buy links” pages | __ |
| 6 | Safeguarding fit | No risky images; privacy policy present | __ |
| 7 | Disclosure ready | Willing to label sponsored content | __ |
| 8 | Rel attribute | Agrees to sponsored/nofollow when appropriate | __ |
| 9 | Traffic potential | Active social/email; real engagement | __ |
| 10 | Longevity | Posts persist; no frequent URL purges | __ |
Tip: set a go/no-go threshold (e.g., ≥7/10). Anything lower goes to a “watch” list.
Angles that get “yes” (value-first ideas)
Local/public sector sites
Education/charity/media sites
Finding the right contact fast
Outreach pipeline, emails & follow-ups
Lightweight pipeline (sheet or Trello)
| Status | Action | Owner | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prospect | Add site, contact, angle, vet score | Comms | — |
| Pitched | Send email; log date/subject | Comms | +5d |
| Follow-up | Reply or 2nd nudge (max 2 total) | Comms | +5d |
| Accepted | Agree word count, rel attribute, deadline | Editor | +7d |
| Published | UTM link; amplify on socials | SEO | Same day |
| Measured | GA4/GSC metrics logged | SEO | +30d |
Short pitch email (copy/paste)
Subject: Useful piece for [SITE]: clear advice on [topic] for [local families]Hi [Name],I’m [Role] at [School/MAT] in [Town]. We’ve helped families with [topic] andcan share a clear guide your readers can act on today.3 headline options:• [Town] admissions timeline: dates & steps for Year 7• Reporting absence: fast routes and who to contact• Exam results day: calm next steps for parents & carers800–1,000 words, plain English, non-promotional, links to official sources(LA/GOV. UK) plus one link to our relevant hub for further reading.We’ll meet your style and deadline. Would this help your readers?Thanks, [Name], [Role], [School/MAT], [Generic inbox]Compliance: rel attributes, safeguarding, GDPR
Google policies (quick rules)
rel="sponsored" and clear on-page disclosure (ASA/CAP).rel="nofollow".Safeguarding & data
Tracking & targets (GA4/GSC)
| Metric | Where | Target | Window |
|---|---|---|---|
| Referral sessions | GA4 → Acquisition → Traffic acquisition | ≥ 50 per high-fit placement | 30 days |
| Brand queries | GSC → Performance → Query contains school/town | Up vs last matched season | Seasonal |
| Hub CTR | GSC → Page group (Admissions/Term Dates…) | +1–3 pts | 4–8 weeks |
| Assisted enquiries | GA4 events/goals | Evidence of influence | Termly |
MAT-level governance (registers & renewals)
| Control | Policy | Owner | Cadence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prospect register | Domain, contact, vet score, notes | Comms | Ongoing |
| Placement log | URL, date, author, topic, rel, UTM, expiry | SEO | On publish |
| Safeguarding sign-off | DSL check when content references pupils/images | DSL | Pre-publish |
| Quarterly audit | Broken links, disclosure present, updates requested | SEO | Quarterly |
Print-screen sprints & scorecards
Prospecting Sprint — 10 Steps
print this cardrel, disclosure.Vetting Scorecard (tick or score 0/1)
print this card| Criterion | 0/1 |
|---|---|
| Audience relevance | __ |
| Ownership transparency | __ |
| Editorial quality | __ |
| Indexable content | __ |
| No spam niches | __ |
| Safeguarding compatible | __ |
| Disclosure policy | __ |
| Rel attribute agreed | __ |
| Traffic potential | __ |
| Longevity | __ |
FAQs (quick answers)
What counts as a “relevant” guest site for a school?
Sites read by your parents/carers, educators, local partners or media—e.g., LA family hubs, university outreach, hyperlocal news, charities. Relevance beats “high DA”.
How many guest posts should we aim for?
Quality over quantity. One to three strong placements per term is plenty for most schools.
Do we need to pay?
Not usually. If money is exchanged or it’s sponsorship, use rel="sponsored" and clear disclosure (ASA/CAP).
Can we send the same article to multiple sites?
No—offer unique content. You can repurpose with a different angle or for a different audience.
What anchor text should we use?
Natural, descriptive anchors (e.g., “Admissions guidance at [School]”). Avoid exact-match keyword stuffing.
Is a follow link essential?
No. The audience you reach and the brand trust you build matter more. nofollow/sponsored links are appropriate in many cases.
How do we avoid safeguarding issues?
Use staff bios/illustrations; no identifiable pupil data/photos without explicit consent; route forms to your site under your privacy notice.
How soon should we follow up a pitch?
Five working days. One concise reminder is enough. Don’t spam.
Which hub should the link point to?
Whichever page best serves the reader’s task—Admissions, Term Dates, Absence, SEND, Sixth Form—rather than your homepage.
How do we show success to leadership?
Report referral sessions, brand query growth, CTR uplift on target hubs and any assisted enquiries, compared with the same period last term/year.
Need practical SEO support?
Speak With Paul Delaney
Paul Delaney helps schools turn complex SEO into simple, effective actions. As a guest writer for SEO for Schools, Paul shares step-by-step playbooks and evidence-based guidance that busy teams can apply immediately. With three decades’ experience working with UK and international institutions, he understands the challenges school teams face and is well positioned to offer support and guidance.
For our readers, Paul offers free 30-minute sessions for institutions exploring how to raise visibility, strengthen brand trust and streamline admissions. Sessions are practical, jargon-free and free from sales pressure. You can contact him using the buttons below—please mention SEOforSchools.co.uk.
