Originally published January 23, 2022

It's easy for blogging to feel like a solo operation—just you, your computer, and the people in the comment section. In reality, blogging has a thriving community, and networking is as important as in any other industry. 

Writing guest content on other websites is a fast and easy way to expand your reach and audience and establish yourself as an authority.

What Are Guest Blog Posts?

The concept behind guest blogging is simple. You reach out to a blogger or website in your industry and contribute a post to their website.

Ideally, it works out for everyone: they get exciting new content from a different voice, and you get to build your brand and improve your SEO. Guest blog posts also have the effect of combining your audiences, creating a pathway for readers to explore sites in the same vein.

Why Should I Care?

In recent years, guest blogging hasn't been pushed as much after a Google employee said cheap attempts at link building through guest blogging weren't helping people's SEO. 

Many seemed to miss that guest posting wasn't the problem.

The actual issue is a lot of people try to game the system by writing terrible content for the sole purpose of inserting their links. 

This is what search engines have said for years: there is no substitute for quality content.

The reality is guest blog posts are still one of the best ways to link build. It’s more organic and authentic than paying for links. If you can put in the time and energy, you too can reap the benefits of guest blogging.

Tips for Guest Blog Posts

Instead of relying on black hat SEO, it's time to figure out how to write guest blog posts and do it right. Here are some tips to get you started on creating your guest blogging strategy. 

1. Do your research

The first step is figuring out precisely who you want to write for. You may already be familiar with some blogs you'd like to write for, but you can also browse social media or see who pops up for searches related to specific keywords. 

Next, make sure they accept posts from guest bloggers! A lot of websites will have specific places to apply for guest posting. If you aren't sure, send them an email to find out before you make a pitch. Don't miss out on a good guest posting opportunity!

After you've found some options, you need to go through and evaluate if you want to send your post material to them. There are a few criteria for a good website:

• Their website focuses on content similar to yours

• They have an audience you'd like to attract

• Their blog is well written, and their audience engages with their content

The last step in choosing the websites that you want to pitch to is to check their domain authority—a score of how likely they are to rank for searches. The higher their rank, the better for your content marketing scheme. 

If there’s a big difference between their domain authority and yours, you may have to pay a fee. But it can be worthwhile when you’re starting out. Especially since it will raise your website’s domain authority.

2. Figure out what they're looking for

Assess the blog to see what content they publish. What kind of tone do they use? What's their target audience? What level of expertise do they write for? What have they already covered? This will help you figure out the best topic for your guest post pitch.

Most blogs that accept guest bloggers will also have some criteria for the posts they accept. Some want completed articles, and others are happy with ideas. Don't waste their time (or yours) by not following directions.

3. Sell yourself 

The email you send should convince the blog owner that you are someone they should feature on their blog. 

The first thing to do here is to make sure you're tailoring your email to the site owner in particular. If you send them an email that's clearly a form letter, they're going to assume you haven't put in the time to make sure you'd be a good fit. So instead, address them by name and show that you're familiar with their content. 

Give them some examples of your work and an elevator pitch on yourself. If you have any connections, this is the place to mention them.

4. Follow through

Now that they've agreed, it's time to pull out all the stops and write the best post you can. Make sure you follow all their directions and hit deadlines. They may offer more guest posting opportunities in the future!

Takeaway

Guest blogging gets your name out there and helps you make connections in your industry and reach a new audience while improving your domain authority. All it takes is doing your homework on where and what you should submit!

Keeping up with a blog can take up a lot of your time and energy, but we can help! Click the button below to get content that fits your brand and converts leads to customers.

Related Articles