If you've been running your blogs on your own, you've probably been writing like mad. Blogging requires a lot of time, and unless you're Taylor Swift, you can't just sit back and wait for traffic to come to your website. You have to work hard for people to see your blog posts.
Guest posting is a content marketing strategy that involves writing and publishing an article on someone else's blog or website. The goal of guest posting is to provide valuable and informative content to the host website's audience, while also building exposure and credibility for the guest writer and their own brand or website.
Guest posting can be an effective way to reach a new audience, build relationships with other industry professionals, and improve search engine rankings. However, it's important to approach guest posting with a strategic plan and follow best practices to ensure a successful and beneficial experience for both the host and the guest.
What is a Guest Post?
In its very essence, guest posting (or guest blogging) is the act of writing content for another website, obviously, other than your own. For the most part, guest bloggers thrive because:
- Guest blogging attracts traffic back to the website (like what was previously mentioned)
- Guest posting offers benefits for both the guest blogger and the blog owner
- Guest blogging bridges peers within the same industry and creates meaningful relationships
It's always a two-way street. Should you decide to write guest posts, you should consider accepting guest posts and publishing them on your blog too.
Why is Guest Blogging Important?
If you are a guest blogger, you share your expertise with people outside your audience. Doing this establishes yourself as an expert--an authority--in your particular industry. This will, in turn, help you expose your brand to a broader and entirely new audience.
On the other side of the spectrum, if you welcome guest posts on your blog, you also give your audience fresh new content and a different perspective on what they care about the most.
We're all guilty. We've fallen into the blogging routine and often need help to develop relevant content for our audience. Publishing guest posts solves that problem and keeps your audience engaged.
Benefits of Guest Blogging
You don't get paid for guest posting, so why do it? The answer is simple: you get a byline.
Bylines aren't just important in newspapers. It's also crucial in the online world. When you get a byline, you can add a number of links--to your website, your LinkedIn profile, your Twitter account, and more. Most bylines also include a brief introduction of the author, so you get more exposure. For some company websites, guest bloggers also get their own dedicated page for their guest blogger bio.
Here are other benefits of guest blogging:
Benefit #1: Pushes your brand forward
Image taken from Strikingly User’s Website
Brand recognition is vital, but getting people to notice your brand takes time and effort. And if people start noticing you, it will take more effort and time to convince your audience to stay and make them feel you're worth their attention.
Guest posting on other websites can be a game changer. If you write something insightful and authoritative and people already trust the website where you guest post, you'll get people to start noticing and trusting you.
Benefit #2: Generate more relevant traffic to your website
If you write something really good that amazes readers, they'll definitely scroll down (or up, as the case may be) and look for your bio. They want to know who you are, what your experience is, and what you've previously written--and they'd probably land on your website.
You will get meaningful and relevant traffic, and it will help you gain more exposure for yourself and your brand.
Benefit #3: Improve your domain authority
Google is getting smarter by the year. The algorithm has changed over the years, so you must be very careful when guest posting. Do not guest post like crazy.
If Google notices you've been all over the blogosphere to build linkbacks to your website, you'll get penalized. Focus your strategy on writing relevant and meaningful content for a handful of high-quality and authoritative websites within your niche or industry.
Domain authority is built if you have links that go back to your website only from high-quality websites. Take care of your domain authority and only choose to guest post on websites with high domain authority.
How to Guest Post for Other Blogs
Photo by Nick Morrison on Unsplash
Here are some key things to consider when you're planning a guest posting campaign and before you look for guest blogging opportunities:
1. Identify target websites and blogs: The first step in any guest posting campaign is to identify the websites or blogs you want to target. Look for blogs or websites relevant to your industry or niche, have a strong following and engagement, and accept guest posts. You can use tools like Ahrefs or BuzzSumo to find websites with high domain authority and traffic in your industry.
2. Build relationships: Before pitching your guest post idea, it's crucial to establish a relationship with the host website or blog. This can be done by commenting on their articles, sharing their content on social media, or reaching out to them directly to introduce yourself and your brand. Building a relationship with the host will increase the likelihood of your guest post being accepted and can lead to future collaboration opportunities.
3. Pitch your guest post idea: Once you've identified target websites and established a relationship with the host, it's time to pitch your guest post idea. Keep in mind that the host's audience is the primary focus, so your guest post should provide value and be relevant to their interests. When pitching your idea, be sure to provide a clear and concise summary of the post, outline the main points you'll cover, and include any relevant links or resources.
4. Create high-quality content: Once your guest post has been accepted, it's time to start writing. Be sure to create well-researched and well-written content that is informative and engaging. Use examples and case studies to illustrate your points and include any relevant statistics or data. Don't forget to proofread and edit your work before submitting it for publication.
5. Promote your guest post: After your guest post has been published, be sure to promote it to your own audience and network. Share the post on social media and your own website, and consider reaching out to industry influencers to share the post as well. This will help drive traffic to the host website and increase the visibility of your guest post.
In addition to the above tips, it's important to follow best practices when guest posting to ensure a successful and beneficial experience for both the host and the guest. Some key best practices include:
- Disclose any affiliations or biases: If you have any personal or professional connections to the host website or the topic of your guest post, be sure to disclose this information. This will help maintain transparency and trust with the host's audience.
- Follow the host's guidelines: Each website or blog will have its own guidelines for guest posting, so be sure to read and follow them carefully. This includes guidelines for length, formatting, and any specific content requirements.
- Use original content: Plagiarism is a serious offense and can damage your reputation and the credibility of the host website. Be sure to use original content in your guest post and properly cite any sources.
- Link back to your own website: While the primary goal of guest posting is to provide value to the host's audience, it's also an opportunity to promote your own brand and gain more audience. Don't forget to add relevant links to your bio, especially your website or your blog.
Create Your Blog with Strikingly and Build Your Authority
Image taken from Strikingly
Strikingly is a popular website and blog builder that is known for its simplicity and ease of use. It is designed to be user-friendly, even if you have no coding experience. It offers a range of templates and design options to help you quickly and easily create professional-looking websites. We have 200+ templates that you can choose from and an intuitive website editor.
Strikingly's Simple Blog offers the following features:
Image taken from Strkingly
- Easy blog posting. You don't need to learn code to build a website or write a blog. Our website and blog editor is super easy to work with. How easy? A blind man once created a website with us and wow-ed his interviewers. Yep, he got the job.
- Scheduled blog posts. If you don't have time during weekdays to write and post your blogs, you can write all of them over the weekend and schedule your blog posts to get posted whenever you want.
Image taken from Strkingly
- Comment section. You can add a comment section to create your blog post more interactive with your audience. Encourage your audience to react to your post or ask them a question.
- RSS Feed. RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds are important for blogs because they allow readers to easily subscribe to and keep track of updates to the blog. When a blog has an RSS feed, readers can use an RSS reader to subscribe to the feed and receive updates whenever new content is published. This saves the reader from having to manually visit the blog to check for updates and allows them to easily stay informed about new content.
- AMP Pages. AMP is particularly useful for blog posts because it can help to improve the performance of pages with long, text-heavy content, which can be slow to load on mobile devices. By activating AMP for your Strikingly blog posts, you can ensure that your blog posts load quickly and smoothly on mobile devices, improving the user experience and potentially increasing traffic and engagement.
That's a Wrap!
In conclusion, guest posting is a valuable practice that can help you to increase exposure, improve your search engine rankings, establish your authority and credibility, and build relationships with other bloggers and industry professionals.
By following best practices, such as researching the host site, following the host site's guidelines, writing high-quality content, and promoting the post, you can maximize the benefits of guest posting and ensure a positive experience for both you and the host site.
Whether you are just starting out or are an experienced blogger, guest posting can be a powerful tool for growing your audience and advancing your career.
