Unmasking a guest-post network from footprints

Unmasking a guest-post network from footprints
Word is a vendor sold the same 'premium placements' to half your niche. The footprint gives them up. Here's the unmask sequence:
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Pull referring domains across three competitors who used the same agency. Intersect them — shared 'guest contributor' sites surface fast
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Visit those sites and check the author bylines. A rotating cast of generic names with identical bio templates = a sold network
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Look at the 'Write for us' page age in Wayback. Sites that flipped to accepting guest posts on the same month belong to one operator
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Check outbound dofollow density per article — three or more money links per post is a paid placement signature
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Note the price tier from the DR band; vendors cluster their inventory
Multiple profiles show the same 'editorial' sites recycling across rivals. Once you see the cast list, every placement reads as an ad. Watch this space.