The Ultimate Guide to Guest Posting in 2021
If you are reading this guest posting guide, there are two possibilities:
Possibility 1: You already know that guest posting still matters. And you want to know how it works exactly.
Possibility 2: You want to know does guest blog posting still matter? If yes, how?
You are going to find answers to both these questions in this blog.
After reading this blog, you will find out:
- Basics of guest blogging
- Google’s take on guest posting in 2021
- Why guest posting is going to work until there are blogs
- The role of guest posting for SEO
- How to do guest posting the right way
- How to build guest blogging strategy
- Guest post blogging hacks no one talks about
- Important guest posting guidelines, tips, and a lot more
- Bonus tip: How to outreach contributors
In other words, this blog is going to answer all possible questions regarding this important marketing technique that you had in your mind (ever since you knew about it).
So why wait? Let’s solve this puzzle right away.
Why do you need to read this guest posting guide?
The answer is simple:
If you are in the SEO business, it is hard that you wouldn’t have heard about guest posting.
Some marketers would have tagged it as the worst SEO practice; others would have sung songs to praise it.
Some others would have given you sneaky looks that would have left you thinking: Eh? Are there horns on my head?
Don’t get dazed by all this mess surrounding guest posts because:
You are going to hear about it more!
It is better to know about it at the beginning of your journey so that you can get the best out of it without:
- Getting influenced by any rumor
- Tapping on any black hat practice
BIG FAT HINT: Before beginning this step-by-step guest posting guide, let me give you a heads-up:
Guest posting is worth it (SECRET REVEALED!).
CHAPTER 1
Guest Posting Basics
Industry’s biggies call it one of the best inbound marketing techniques and the go-to-solution if you want to do personal branding – but what is the whole science behind guest posting?
Is there only one type of guest posting: creating a mass of content in the name of a blog?
This chapter is going to answer the basic questions about guest blogging that are important to kick start any guest posting guide.
Know the Basics of Guest Posting
What is Guest Posting?
Before digging out this guest posting guide 2021, you need to know what the whole mess is about.
Simply: A guest posting, or guest blogging, is a process of creating content to publish on someone else’s blog to get visibility, brand recognition, authority, or/and qualified traffic.
So here, the key focus is on two things:
- You create content.
- But post it on someone else’s blog.
But why publish guest posts?
It might sound quite silly to invest so much time and effort in creating content just to post it on someone else’s blog.
Why do all this hassle?
The answer to this question is quite resonating with your goals:
It can give you many business benefits.
This is the happy story of your end. But what about sites that accept guest blogs?
Why do sites accept guest blogs?
Publishers accept guest posts because:
- A site needs a continuous flow of high-quality content to grow and become an authority.
- Creating quality content in the form of how-to blogs, guides, listicles (everything that readers like to read) is not easy.
- Google gives importance to a site that is updated regularly.
- Readers find a site with multiple authors more trustworthy.
So:
Your guest blogging pitch is like a voice of relief or helping-hand for bloggers.
In other words:
It is a win-win situation for you and the guest blogging sites.
You can see that guest blog contributions on other blogs are not just about posting content.
It is a great marketing technique that touches the fringes of both SEO and content marketing with love.
Different Types of Guest Posting
So now we know what the whole purpose behind writing guest posts is.
Next:
What are different types of guest blogs?
Is it only about creating a mass of content with a link to your site?
Nah! It is about creating high-quality content and a meaningful experience for the readers.
That takes us to the fact that there are different types of guest posts – each focused on giving a different and valuable experience.
(Though the basic essentials of a guest posting guide remain the same for every type of guest post; however, each type still follows a different approach to content writing).
If you are really looking for the answer to the question of how to start guest posting and want to stand out with your guest posts, these popular guest post writing patterns might help you:
#1: Listicles
If you are an internet surfer, it is hard that you haven’t ever encountered listicles in your life.
Remember those:
X-list types of content?
- X-Reasons of something
- X-Characteristics of this
- X-Ways to do that
They are listicles, and they get read and share well.
Here is an example of a listicle guest blog:
In fact, this is one of the most shared types of content format.
So if you are looking to go viral with your guest posting program, this one is the way to go.
#2: How-to-Guides
People are always looking out for answers to different ‘hows’:
- How this thing happened
- How x-thing works
- How you can do that
- How to achieve something
…and the list goes on.
So as long as there are ‘hows’ in people’s minds, how-to-guides are going to be one of the most popular content formats.
Oh – actually, they are.
According to bloggers, these types of content are the most popular formats. And how-to-guides win the list of the popularity.
Source: Statista
So if you write well-researched how-to guest post that:
- Offers value
- Really grasps the whole topic
- Satisfies readers’ search intent
- Answers all possible questions
…readers will read it for sure.
#3: Data-Driven Study
What is the state of the industry? Every person wants to know about it.
- Content marketers want to know what is trending or working right now.
- SEOs are looking to know how Google’s changes are impacting the industry.
- The consumer market wants to know the behavior of consumers.
- Consumers want to know what is coming up for them.
So data-driven studies are always the cherished content for people of every section one way or the other.
Besides that, if you pitch a site for guest blogging with a well-researched study, you are most likely to get a beaming yes.
But make sure to includes these things in your post:
- Focus on one key issue
- Give a proper conclusion
- Support your points with realistic statistics
- Include tables, graphs, charts
- Give a solution to the problem
If you do this, you can easily mark yourself as an industry authority.
#4: Infographics
Visual content always wins the heart of the readers.
And this power multiplies when you combine visual content with written content.
The good thing is that if you are planning to do infographic guest posting, you can find various infographic guest post blogging sites.
It means that these sites specifically publish infographics.
Like these:
So with infographics, you can pitch more sites to publish your content:
- Niche-specific sites
- Infographic-specific sites
But make sure that you don’t create an infographic just for the sake of creating something.
Your infographic effort should be legit based on these tips:
- Pick an interesting and unique topic that people want to know about
- Keep a flow and coherence in your content
- Be precise but all-engrossing in your writing
- Take a story-telling approach rather than a random information delivery approach
- Get it designed like a touch of Picasso
- Stick with colors that speak about your brands
#5: Case Studies
Stand on the top of the stairs in a square and start speaking loudly about how awesome the artist you are.
Do you think people will pay attention to your words (even if you are telling the truth)?
A few will stop by, listen, and move on.
Others will not even bother to listen to what you say because it will be taken more like jabbering.
But what if you show up with your paintings?
People will start paying attention to you because you will have proved to sport your words.
The same is the case with creating case studies:
Case studies become the proof of your achievements, best services, and point of distinction.
Here are a few examples of case studies:
If you really have:
- A worth-telling story
- The real path you used to achieve success
- Proves and statistics to support your claims
- A flow-chart that can help others to follow the suit
…editors will definitely love to post your content.
Like this guest post contribution done on CNBC:
So you can also come up with a real story and win a place on popular and high authority guest posting sites.
#6: Ebook
Ebooks are doing great in the realm of content marketing strategies because they are:
- Amazing lead magnets
- Awesome link attractors
- Push decision-making stage
- Enhance interactive response
- Drive readers to take action
Need some proof?
HubSpot uses eBooks as lead magnets, and they do the best as compared to other formats.
So if they are that awesome, no wonder that editors also love them.
And there is a huge possibility that they can win a guest posting opportunity on premium sites as well.
(More about guest posting on premium sites coming up later in the blog – stay tuned!)
POINT TO REMEMBER
There is too much content online. So creating what everyone else is producing is not a good option.
That’s where you need to create something that not everyone else is doing.
Think out of the box…
Come up with your own guest post writing patterns…
Create a resonating impact…
…to become a successful guest blogger.
CHAPTER 2
Google’s Guidelines About Guest Posting
You might have heard a lot that guest posting is dying, or Google is doing a crackdown on guest posting networks.
So all guest posting guides are incomplete without discussing this important point: Is it true? If not, then what’s the deal?
This chapter will cover:
- What are Google’s guidelines about guest blogging
- Is guest posting white hat technique or not
- Is guest posting still relevant
What Google Thinks About Guest Posting?
When Matt Cutts published the blog in 2014, titled: The decay and fall of guest blogging for SEO…
…it seemed like the end of good days of guest posting SEO.
It hits you hard when you have spent money to hire guest posting services, and you get to read:
“Okay, I’m calling it: if you’re using guest blogging as a way to gain links in 2014, you should probably stop.”
The worst?
Well, that’s not the only times when Matt Cutts came out to speak about the negatives of guest posting (and blew the minds of marketers).
He has also talked about it on Twitter conversations.
And every time he strengthened the speculations that:
Guest Posting is NOT DYING; it is ALREADY DEA…D!
Like this one time, he said…
“If you’re providing the content/the links, then those links shouldn’t be passing signals & should have the rel-sponsored / rel-nofollow attached.”
It means that the problem is not guest content writing itself.
The issue is with:
How to do guest posting?
Google wants you to avoid:
- Link schemes based guest posting methods.
- Excessive do-follow links from a similar method.
So you shouldn’t be:
- Buying or selling links
- Exchanging things (services, good) for links
- Sending favors to get your content published to get links
- Doing large scale guest posting campaigns to get links
These were the don’ts of guest posting, according to Google.
Then what are the dos?
Here is your answer:
#1: Create High Quality Content to Avoid Panda’s Wrath
It’s been a decade that we heard about the Panda boy, and it still remains relevant – with more force.
Panda update focuses on quality content. That’s what it means:
“Avoid duplicate; thin content created just as a filler without any purpose of providing value to readers.”
Check out this video to know more about thin, value-less, and poor content:
When you create content, read it, and ask these questions:
- Is it offering real value to the readers?
- Does it sound like many other articles present online?
- Is there something worth reading in this content?
- Does it cover all possible dimensions of the topic?
If you find the answer to all these questions as ‘yes,’ your guest post is just like many other high quality contents that Google loves to welcome.
Quality is the top parameter in every guest posting guide.
To achieve all these ‘goods’ in your content, develop a robust SEO-boosting guest posting strategy to stay winning.
#2: Focus on the Search Intent To Stay Relevant
You have created awesome content. Great!
You ‘think’ people will love it. Sure!
Content is also unique and interesting. Amazing!
In other words, your content fulfills the parameters of quality content.
But what if the searcher is not looking for this kind of content. In other words, it doesn’t fulfill the search intent of the searcher?
Will it still count? Not really!
That’s where focusing on search intent comes into a guest posting guide.
With the BERT Model, Google is focusing more on understanding the query by considering every single word in it (including prepositions):
To determine if your content fulfills search intent, focus on these questions:
- What are the needs and pain points of your targeted audience?
- What searchers want to accomplish through the search?
- Is my content laser targeted to fulfill the particular needs of the searchers?
#3: Fulfill E-A-T Criteria to Qualify the Quality Parameter
Google eats on E-A-T.
Google’s Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines are all about E-A-T.
E-A-T stands for expertise, authoritativeness, trustworthiness. And it is not just a fancy word, but what Google actually considers to check the quality of content.
Here is the proof.
Google mentions a high E-A-T level in the list for quality content’s parameters:
Whereas for low quality content, a low level of E-A-T is one of the parameters:
Here are the parameters of high level E-A-T:
- The creator of the content is an expert on the topic.
- The content is accurate, and the information is taken from a trusted source.
- The given information covers the whole subject to establish authority.
If you are doing these guest blogging best practices that don’t include any of the fishy practices, then:
Guest posting is still alive for you.
And…
It is still relevant.
Let me give you some proof.
Does Guest Posting Still Work?
The simple answer to this question is:
Yes!
Guest blog posting still works, and even big marketers are doing it.
Larry Kim has a big fat name in the industry.
His website gets quite good backlinks and handsome organic traffic.
But…yes, he STILL does guest posting on niche-specific blogs.
Here is the proof:
That’s a guest blog by Larry Kim on a high-quality blog that has 1.4M traffic.
And when did he post this guest post? On August 11, 2020. A few months ago.
Do you really think that if there hadn’t been any guest post blogging benefits, he would have invested time to make a high-quality guest post over nothing?
No, right?
That’s enough to prove that guest blog writing:
- Still works (the answer can’t be any simpler than this!).
- Is way more than just a link building
You might have been stuck right now on the second point:
What does it mean that guest blogging is more than just a link building method?
That takes us to our next chapter of this guest posting guide.
CHAPTER 3
Benefits of Guest Blogging
What are the benefits of guest blogging? It’s complicated to answer this than you think.
Its benefits are divided into four scenarios:
- The way it is written and published
- How it touches different dimensions of digital marketing (SEO, content, and PR)
- The way it covers a broader spectrum of the business benefits
- How readers interact with it
This chapter is going to talk about exactly that.
What Makes Guest Posting One of the Most Powerful Inbound Marketing Techniques
If you have been thinking of writing a guest post just for link building, you have missed the core idea of it.
It is way more than just a backlink provider for your website.
Let’s see some case studies to understand this.
Guest Blogging Case Studies
Here are a few guest posting case studies to know the whole saga behind guest blog submission.
CASE STUDY 1: Buffer Grew Customer Base from Zero to 100K
Buffer is a software application that helps to manage and schedule social media posts.
It is a paid tool, and people buy it.
In fact, as the title says, Buffer has more than 100k customers.
GREAT! But how did they do it?
Guest posting is the answer.
Leo Widrich, the co-founder of Buffer, decided to guide the train of Buffer when the app was new in the game.
He wrote around 150 high quality guest posts, and within 9 months, Buffer had around 100k customers.
What did the guy do?
He:
- Targeted smaller guest posting sites.
- Kept the focus on writing quality content.
- Had a focused goal, i.e., to increase sign ups
Result?
Slowly his name got bigger; he started getting the opportunity to write on good blogs, and finally, he managed to achieve the goals.
Why did it happen?
Because:
He knew how to write great guest posts. So he wrote them and let the heavens work in his favor.
CASE STUDY 2: HelpScout Grew the Email List to Over 36k in 14 Months
HelpScout offers email support software for customer service.
Just like all other startups, HelpScout faced issues in establishing customer awareness.
So Gregory Ciotti, the marketing strategist for HelpScout, started guest posting to push the game.
Within 14 months, he was able to grow the email subscribers from zero to 36k.
Here are the important guest posting tips by the man himself:
Don’t pick topics randomly: Choose the right topics that cater to your subject, audiences’ needs, and guest posting site’s requirements.
- Be smart and get the best out of your efforts by repurposing the content
- Place the right call-to-action on the right place to get the desired action
- Make sure you get your call-to-action to the audience
- Focus on creating content that keeps on driving valuable results for a longer time
CASE STUDY # 3: John Jantsch Marketed His Book Successfully
John Jantsch is an SEO consultant, marketer, and speaker. And besides that, he is also a best-selling author.
And do you know what played its role in making him one of the best authors in his industry?
Guest posting!
He thought to publish guest posts on high authority blogs to get the initial kick for his book Duct Tape Selling.
It was just a matter of seven guest blogs on high authority sites, and he got the kick.
Most of the time, he placed the link in his author’s bio instead of placing it within the content, but still, he managed to get the right awareness and credibility.
Because he:
- Selected high authority blogs that have a well-established market reputation
- Targeted the blogs with the right audience who is likely to be interested in the book
- Created interesting content that gets read and engages
So things worked out for him.
Here are a few more success stories of guest blogging:
- John Morrow made his blog Mirasee, a multi-million dollar company, by posting content on other’s blogs.
- Neil Patel used guest posting to grow his blog QuickSprout
- John Gannon successfully grew his email subscribers
These are just a few stories, but they are enough to tell that if you are reading this blog on guest posting guide, you are on the right track.
How Guest Blogging Boosts Your Business?
Based on these case studies, we can safely say that guest posting on other’s blogs can bring up some really mind-blowing benefits for your business in the form of:
- Brand Awareness
- Authority and Credibility
- Qualified Traffic
- Higher Engagement
- Build Relationship
- Develop Influence
But what about its role in SEO for ranking higher and lead generation?
Does it help to boost search engine rankings?
Answer: Yes.
Here is a more elaborative answer.
How Guest Posting Helps in SEO?
Guest posting in SEO is a very controversial subject.
There are realities, myths, speculations, and a lot more to make things worse for the marketers.
Do people use guest posting for link building?
Yes, they do.
Does it work?
Depends.
In response to a Tweet about guest posting, that’s what John Muller replied:
It might show that guest blogging for SEO is no more the case.
This is true if you are doing guest posting to get links.
But it is not true if your focus is to create high quality content (no matter what is the title of the content).
The case study of Silvio Porcellana is proof.
Silvio Porcellana is the CEO of Mob.is.it, an app used to create a fast and better mobile web experience.
He used guest posting to drive organic search traffic to his site through guest posting.
What happened when he followed the perfect guest posting guide?
It increased his rankings that improved his search visibility, and drove organic traffic to his site.
Do you think that it happened all because of the link?
Nah, you need to think again.
When you follow the best practices of guest posting, you automatically start fulfilling many steps of how to do SEO.
#1: Signal of Popularity
When you secure a BRAND MENTION on a high authority site, Google starts giving importance to your site.
Because:
It tells Google that your website is popular in the industry.
#2: Reduced Bounce Rate
Highly qualified traffic comes to your site that is interested in your product.
It reduces your BOUNCE RATE that shows Google that you are fulfilling search intent.
#3: Supporting Content Quality
If someone is linking or mentioning your site, your site definitely has something worth showing to others in the form of high quality content.
And you know Google loves high quality content.
#4: Strengthening Site Authority
No one gives a link to your site if your site is of low quality or authority.
But if someone mentions your site, it indicates the authority of the site in the subject matter.
So Google starts considering your website and content as authority to show in the related search results.
That’s how guest posting works to support SEO.
POINT TO REMEMBER
FOCUS ON PROVIDING VALUE!
The problem with most guest blog post guidelines is that they focus more on techniques than the process when defining how to start with guest blogging.
The benefits of guest blog posting are unleashed when you focus more on providing value than on where to place links and who is doing what.
CHAPTER 4
Guest Posting Guidelines
In this chapter, you will find guest blogging tips on:
- How to find sites that accept guest posts
- Criteria to select the best guest blog posting opportunities
- Tips for building a relationship with bloggers
- How to pitch an article to a website
- How to write a guest blog
- What to do once your guest post gets published
In short, you will find here every possible detail on building viable guest blogging strategies for taking guest posting campaigns at scale successfully.
Everything You Need to Know to Get the Best Outcomes
You just can’t get up one day, thinking that okay fine, from today, you will start doing guest posting.
You first need to know how things work in the realm of this world to make it work in your favor.
So this ultimate guide is going to do exactly that for you: give the right guest posting strategy to get data-driven results.
Step # 1: Define Your Goal
Most of the guest posting guides begin with finding guest blogging opportunities.
Or they tell you how to write the best guest post.
That’s great!
Both of these things are important components of getting the most out of your guest post efforts.
But before all this, don’t you think that it is important to determine your goal first?
You need to ask yourself two important questions:
- Why do you want to do guest posting?
- What do you want as the end result of all your efforts?
Obviously, you won’t gift someone your awesome piece of content (that you created after actually burning the midnight oil) out of nothing.
You definitely need it to achieve guest blogging goals.
If you think that the sole purpose of guest post submission is to earn links, you are way behind the game.
Here is what industry experts are talking about this practice:
So you have to first set your goal (besides guest posting for backlinks).
Here are some possible goals that you might want to achieve:
- Enhance brand awareness: Let more, and relevant people know about your brand.
- Increase brand exposure: Get recognition by building a distinguished identity.
- Get high qualified traffic: Increase brand visibility by capturing a prominent position that wins more eyeballs.
- Establish credibility: Mark trust with a strong voice and industry position.
- Become an authority: Deliver your thoughts on an important industry subject to let others see you as an expert.
- Grow social media profile: Expand social media engagement and get good social signals.
- Increase your revenue: Generate convertible leads by reaching out to new people.
Whatever is your goal, it will guide your whole guest blog posting journey.
Your goal sets the base for building a robust guest blog posting strategy that delivers desired results.
So defining a clear goal should be the first step of a guest posting guide.
Step # 2: Criteria to Find Blogs Accepting Guest Posts
Once you know your goals, the next important step is to find:
What are the criteria to find guest posting opportunities?
Obviously, you can’t randomly pitch every site to guest post on.
You can’t go all out, knocking mailboxes of every site owner, saying:
Hey, I have written an awesome guest post. Will you accept it?
And there are two reasons for this:
Reason 1: Not every site is worth guest blogging for.
Reason 2: Not every site accepts guest posts.
It means that you have to consider these two points while targeting guest blogging sites:
- Is this site worth submitting guest blogs?
- Is this site accepting a guest post?
Let’s solve the equation of reason number one:
How to decide what are the best guest blogging sites?
Here is the answer:
#1: Choose High Domain Authority Sites
Domain authority is an important metric to determine the quality and authority of a site.
And why do all blogs on a guest posting guide ask to pitch high quality guest posting sites?
Because:
Google doesn’t consider all links as equal.
A link coming from a high authority site is more powerful than many links coming from low DA sites.
Yes, that’s how important is the quality of the linking site for Google.
The reason is simple:
Backlinks are like votes.
Links from high authority sites = High-value votes
Links from low authority sites = Low-value votes
It is as simple as that.
So no matter why you are going to submit a blog post, always go for high-authority sites.
It will unleash the true potential of guest blogging for your site.
But unlike people’s popular perception, you shouldn’t stick to just this one criterion.
Check out other factors as well.
Like these…
#2: Go for Niche-Relevant Sites
If you want to do grocery, you definitely don’t go to a barber’s shop.
Similarly, if you run an online boutique, you will like to get exposure to the targeted audience by publishing the blog post on self-improvement, fashion, and other related blogs.
Can you guess where we are going?
Right on the doorstep of the niche-relevant sites.
Choosing niche-specific sites is essential due to two reasons:
- To prove Google that your guest post is not a black hat practice
- To get access to the targeted audience
Google is smarter than you think.
It has established parameters to determine if a guest post is legit or not.
And one of these parameters is definitely that the link should be coming from a relevant site.
Obviously, someone will link to your site only if your site has anything to do with its content.
You can’t expect a technology blog to have any connection with the dessert recipe.
So always search out the relevant site if you don’t want Google to tag your guest blog as a sneaky practice.
Besides that, your purpose of guest posting is also to expand your reach to the targeted audience.
It’s a no-brainer that your target audience will be present on relevant sites, not on irrelevant sites.
So don’t just stick to the DA of the site.
It’s useless to post your content on a site if it has nothing to do with your website.
In a tough market where every second counts, you don’t have time to waste on useless things, right?
So choose relevant sites rather than struggling to make a connection between marketing blog with your home décor business…just because of the DA.
#3: Select Sites with High Organic Traffic Flow
Okay, high DA is oh-so-good. But ignoring high organic traffic flow metric is not-so-good.
That’s one of the most underrated points in most guides on guest posting.
Having high organic traffic is an indicator that:
Google loves a site and considers it credible and trustable.
To understand it, let’s decode this formula:
- Key Point 1: High organic traffic goes to only high ranking sites.
- Key Point 2: It is not easy to grab top-ranking positions. You have to fulfill many (more than you know!) criteria to rank higher.
- Key Point 3: If you have ranked higher, it means you have fulfilled those criteria.
- Key Point 4: First, congrats! Second, it indicates that you have become an authority in the eyes of Google.
Conclusion: If a site is getting high organic traffic, it is an authoritative site. And if it has given a link to a site, it transfers its authority to the linking site as well.
So:
The linked site also becomes authoritative for Google.
And…
It also drives qualified traffic to your site because you pitch relevant sites for guest blogging that have a new but targeted audience.
Data Source: Luca Tagliaferro
The best part?
You just have to search such niche-specific, authoritative sites with high organic traffic.
After that:
You happily get to enjoy a free ride on the hard work of the guest posting site.
Cheers!
#4: Check Readers’ Engagement
Social signal is important for your website because:
For certain good (or not-so-good if you still don’t know the importance of social media) reasons, social signals are ‘somehow’ part of Google’s ranking algorithm.
Social signals means:
- Total number of likes, pins, tweets, votes
- Social media visibility of the brand
- Number of times a URL is shared on social media
When you submit a guest post on a site with higher engagement, you can leverage three benefits:
- You don’t need to worry about promoting guest post because readers will do it themselves
- Your guest post will perform well on SERPs
- Your chances of meeting socially active people increase, so it can be good for your brand as well
There are two ways to check the level of readers’ engagement with the blog.
- Check the number of social media shares
- See the number of comments
For example:
Here is what it means to have social engagement:
You can see that this blog’s number of social media shares is HUGE.
This site doesn’t accept guest posts, but Backlinko is a perfect example to show what readers’ engagement seems like.
Now you might be thinking, what does readers’ engagement have to do with the guest posting guide?
Well, there is another formula behind the connection between doing a guest blog posting on sites with higher readers’ engagement.
But let’s cut it short and come to the point:
Blogs with higher readers’ engagement give a sign that their readers are active, not passive.
Guest blog posting on sites with high organic traffic, but the passive audience also doesn’t do much to send your site awesome referral traffic.
Because:
Passive readers’ reading habits are different from active readers’.
So which types of readers do you want to encounter?
I hope now you know why you should go for guest posting sites with high readers’ engagement.
In case you end up meeting passive dudes, they might not even bother clicking your link.
You don’t want this to happen, right?
#5: Select Guest Posting Sites Offering Contextual Links
Google likes links that are editorially placed within the content.
It means that the placed link is surrounded by relevant content that gives the placed link thrust and meaning.
Forced, shoved, and randomly placed links are just too obvious to be not caught by Google.
So if you are placing contextual links, that’s great.
But here is a problem:
Some sites that accept guest posts don’t allow you to put in contextual links.
They either ask you to put a link in the sidebar or the author’s bio.
Google doesn’t give value to both these types of links.
So:
Don’t throw link randomly in the content if you want to:
- Get the maximum SEO benefits
- Avoid possible Google’s disliking or penalty
Always pitch sites that allow placing editorial links.
Otherwise, the whole effort is just useless.
#6: Find Dofollow Guest Posting Sites
You might have heard about spammy links, natural links, high quality links, and a lot more.
In case you don’t know, there are also dofollow, and nofollow links, and any guest posting guide is incomplete without mentioning what they mean.
When you add ‘nofollow’ link attribute in the HTML code, you tell Google:
- This link is not worth giving attention
- You are not transferring link juice through it
- It is also not a vote of confidence
In other words, you tell Google that it should ignore it.
When you say so, Google does so.
So what is the use of it from the SEO point of you?
Eh…nothing!
In some cases, it might impact, but that ‘some’ is very some-some.
So you should find sites that give dofollow links to leverage SEO marketing benefits.
Step # 3: Find Guest Blogging Opportunities
Now you already know what kind of sites are worth targeting.
But things don’t end here in our guest posting guide.
Your next struggle is related to guest blogging outreach:
How to find guest posting opportunities?
Finding the ‘best guest blog posting sites’ is itself a whole lot of struggle (and actually time taking!).
But I have made things easier for you.
Here are some techniques to find guest posting sites:
Method # 1: Use Google Search Strings
Google search strings are marketers’ saviors on so many levels.
And searching guest posting sites is a part of them.
The trick is simple, use:
“Keyword” + “Google Search Strings”
Here I have made things simpler for you.
Keyword “guest post opportunities” | Keyword “contribute to our site” |
Keyword “contributing writer” | Keyword “pitch guest post contribution” |
Keyword “guest blog writing opportunity” | Keyword “submit an article” |
Download the full list:
These strings are my favorite technique in how to find guest blogging opportunities tips.
Because:
They help you find some real gems and meet people who are looking for guest bloggers.
Like this:
Or check this:
You can see that using different search strings gives you different results.
So just imagine how many opportunities you can find for blog post submission with only this method.
And it is just one method. Many more are in the way.
Method # 2: Take Help from Google Search
Besides advanced search strings, you can find a huge list of guest posting sites by using simple keywords as well.
Type:
Your niche + guest bloggers
For example, I searched for travel guest bloggers…
… and I got a lot of helpful resources.
It includes:
- Curated list of sites accepting guest posts in the selected niche.
- Guest blogging guidelines page of different guest posting websites.
You can get a few more gems to add to your list of sites accepting guest blogs.
Method # 3: Take Help of Industry Tools to Find Prospects
You can use tools like Ahrefs to find different guest blogging prospects.
The good thing about these tools is that, unlike Google, they give a more vetted list of sites.
In other words, where Google gives you a list of sites in hundreds (that are not always relevant when you dig out SERPs deeper), these tools give you a highly targeted list of sites.
You can follow simple steps for this:
- Step 1: Go to Content Explorer and put in your URL
It will give you a list of sites and blogs that have been written in your niche.
But the number of results is huge.
It takes us to the next step.
- Step 2: Filter the results to get a more refined list.
You can apply different filters to the result to narrow down the list.
Here are some factors that you can use to filter the list, like:
- Domain ratings
- The time when content was published/republished
- Language
- Author of an article
- The number of words
- The number of social shares
- Referring domains
- The amount of traffic
That’s how the end result looks like:
Using a filter gives you a more relevant and refined list.
- Step 3: Do some manual labor to find sites that accept guest posts.
The best thing?
You can see important metrics besides every website to determine if the link is worth clicking or not.
Method # 4: See Where Your Competitors are Posting
If your competitors are doing well in terms of rankings and getting traffic, it means that they are doing something good.
And that good can be: their right guest posting strategy.
So why not see where they are doing guest posting?
And this ain’t difficult.
Here are some methods that can help you sneak into your competitors’ digital marketing game.
#1: Go for Reverse Image Search
In the previous method, you spied on your competitor’s backlink profile.
Now it’s time to use their image to find their guest post footprints.
Seriously, that’s one of the most amazing (and magical!) methods in a guest posting guide to find guest posts.
Find out a well-known guest blogger in your niche.
Right-click on their profile picture and hit ‘Search Google for Image.’
It will take you to the search result where they have posted content with their images.
And many of them are guest posts.
So…yeah, the floor is all yours!
#2: Use Name of Competitors to Find Sites
The image search technique was too fancy, right?
Next, you can use a simple technique to spy on your competitor: Google the name.
Simple put the name of the author and write guest posts/blogs, something like this:
In fact, you might land on the portal of these guest contribution sites where you can meet other ace bloggers, and:
Continue exploring guest contribution efforts of other bloggers.
#3: Use Tools to Spy on Competitors
Tools can also become an important source to unearth your competitors’ guest posting strategies.
You can use Ahrefs to find what your competitors are up to.
Go to Ahrefs’ Site Explorer, and put in your competitor’s URL.
…and click.
It will take you to a magical land of your competitors’ backlink profile.
You have found 2,112 linking sites. GREAT.
But here is a thing. Not every site is a guest posting site.
And not every guest posting site has a ‘Write for Us’ page.
So you might have to vet this list carefully.
But once you invest time in carefully implementing these guest posting guidelines of a blog, you will find some real gems. It will be worth the effort!
Two good things about this method?
- You get a proven and tested list of guest blogging sites because your competitors have already worked with them.
- Get the opportunity to meet bloggers who accept guest posts but don’t have a write for us page on their site.
#4: Take Help of Author’s Bio
Author bios are marketers’ favorite because they give a brief introduction about you. So it is like free promotion.
So no wonder that your competitor is also flaunting the author bio in every guest content contribution.
Good for them. But it can become super good for you.
Just pick up the author’s bio…
…paste it into the search result.
And you get a pretty cool list of the sites.
Wao!
Method # 5: Check Out Social Searches
Social media is a powerful platform to enhance user engagement and get your voice out.
So no wonder that most bloggers use it to inform people about their new posts and to drive traffic.
That’s where you can find your broad color strokes for guest post blogging opportunities.
For example, I simply typed in ‘interior décor guest post,’ and I got a good chunk of relevant guest posting sites.
Within a few seconds, you can get a handful of high-quality guest posting sites.
Not all sites will be worth pitching, not all results will take you to the blogs that allow guest posts, but some will definitely kick in the right chords for you:
#6: Take Help of AllTop.com
AllTop.com is a place where you can find the top blogs of different industries in one place. And the listed sites are all-top.
That’s how the site looks.
The home page gives out the general guest posting sites.
If you want niche-specific guest posting sites, select them from the menu bar.
Like, if you want business blogs that accept guest posts, you will find them on AllTop.com in the finest possible form.
These simple methods show that finding high quality sites that accept guest posts is not a hard nut to crack.
But here are a few important tips to remember:
- Collect as many sites as you can
- Make a well-managed spreadsheet that includes all found sites
- Mention important metrics of the sites in the spreadsheet
Don’t know which information to preserve in the spreadsheet? Here is the sample for you:
GUEST BLOG SUBMISSION TRACKING SPREADSHEET
Websites’ URL | Editors’ Name | Contact Information | Guest Blogging
Guidelines Link |
Popular Topics | Social Handles | Pitch Idea | Domain Authority | Traffic | Social Engagement |
- All the listed sites are worth pitching
- You will get answers from all of them
Because finding sites is not the only headache you have to go through.
You also have to:
- Find the best sites to pitch for guest posting (yeah, I know: ‘the best’ is like a frequent guest in a guest posting guide.)
- Convince them that you are the best writer alive in this world, and THEY NEED YOU.
And this point takes us to our next step.
Dive Deeper: To know more about finding guest blogging opportunities, check out our Top 10 Ways to Find Guest Blogging Opportunities with their pros and cons.
POINT TO REMEMBER
Local guest posting demands a geo-target guest posting approach.
So if you are looking to boost your local business through guest posting, you need to pitch local sites.
In geo-targeted blogger outreach, from…
- Finding the sites that accept guest blogs
To:
- Chalking out a site selection criteria
…you have a LOCAL INTENT.
For more details, check out this guide on How to Do Geo-Targeted Blogger Outreach in 2021.
Step # 4: Prepare to Secure a Guest Post on Top Sites
Having a list of sites for guest posting is one thing; hitting the best sites and getting accepted by them is another.
This step paves your path towards moving the needle for you.
Obviously, you can’t jump to post writing right after selecting sites.
If you need to get your proposal accepted and want to drive the maximum benefits, you need to work on this step really hard.
Homework # 1: Vet the Selected Sites
Yes, I said collect as many sites as you can.
But definitely, every single site is not going to be your dream site.
Even if you have selected only good sites, still, some factors make one site better than the other.
You need to look out those sites with those ‘some factors’ that give the site an edge in the market.
You have to shed extra fats to get the fine meat to make steaks.
For this, step # 2 is going to help you.
Select sites based on:
- High root domain authority
- Relevancy to your site
- High organic traffic flow
- Higher reader engagement
- Strong social media following
- Offering in-content links
- Can drive high referral traffic
Remember that you are not doing guest posting just for the sake of doing posting on someone else’s blog.
You want to achieve goals and drive results; that’s why choosing the best sites for pitching is your way to go.
POINT TO REMEMBER
When you are looking for top quality guest blogging sites, PBNs are definitely a big no in this equation.
PBNs (or Private Blog Networks) are a network of websites that are built just for the sake of link building. They have nothing to do with the quality or any other quality website’s standard.
Here are some signs of a PBN; you need to know to avoid it at all possible cost.
Link Profile: Every site should have a unique link profile. If it links to only a few sites in every content, you need to be cautious because it is not normal at all. Something is fishy, and that fishy can be that this site is a part of a PBN – meant to give links to others. Avoid it!
Ownership: A site should have a clear about us page that tells about the ownership of the website. But if a site doesn’t have a considerable ownership page or many sites are owned by the same person, it could be a sign of a PBN.
Content Quality: PBN sites are mostly filled with duplicate, poor quality content with many possible grammatical mistakes. The only purpose of these sites is link building, so they give little to no attention to what goes on to the site in terms of content.
Site Design: PBNs are like a factory of mass production of links. They can’t wait or invest time in developing and managing an awesome site design. Result? PBNs mostly consist of sites with mediocre and similar designs.
Visual Content: Creating unique images, infographics, and videos is time-consuming, expensive, and needs resources. So PBNs don’t invest resources in creating unique visual content for different sites.
Hosting: It is a no-brainer that PBN blogs are hosted on the same server. As the last stroke, you can check the IP address of the fishy sites. If it is the same, save your neck.
Try to avoid tapping on such poor blog networks to save the health of your link profile.
Homework #2: Check Blogger Guidelines
Influential bloggers don’t let anyone and everyone post content.
And they also don’t post every type of content.
They have strict criteria for guest post-selection, and that’s what makes them authority.
So make sure to read their guidelines.
Here is a sample of a guest post submission guidelines that talk about how to submit a guest post.
These are the basic guest post guidelines that you will find on almost every guest posting blog.
But some sites have different guest post blogging guidelines than others.
Like high authority websites have detailed and stricter guidelines than low authority sites.
For example, HuffPost is an authority site with 80+ DA.
Can you guess it’s ‘How to Pitch Huffpost’ guide’s number of words?
Well, around 1091. They are huge for just a ‘write for us’ page.
But they are HuffPost, and they have to keep their legacy intact.
So they have jotted down every minute requirements, even for How To Write A Perfect Guest Post Pitch.
So always check out what guest blogging sites want from you and what are their guidelines for guest blogging.
It is important if you really want your post to get accepted.
Homework # 3: Read their Content
Check out the content of the site you want to outreach for guest blogging
You need to read the content of the blog due to two reasons:
Reason # 1: Every blog has its own writing style and tone.
A blog is known by the way it caters to its content. And its style and tone are among the important factors that define the blog.
So good blogs always try to give a distinct touch to their content.
At least, high authority sites definitely do,
A few common writing styles are:
- Informative
- Witty
- Persuasive
- Guiding
- Creative
Sticking with the signature writing style is the key that makes a blog authority and brand.
McDonald’s has a particular tone and style. You watch their ads, and you know: Okay, yeah, it’s their ad.
That’s what authority sites want.
So if you want to get your guest post published on authority blogs, you need to read their content and analyze their tone and style.
Need some understanding?
Let’s dissect the writing style of a few authority bloggers.
See?
There is a huge difference in each blog’s style.
So you should come up with content by following the writing style of the selected blogging sites.
Reason # 2: You need to come up with a different idea.
Feeding blogs with content is important to keep it relevant among readers and for Google.
But the key is to feed fresh, new, and unique content.
So:
If you end up creating something that has already been covered on the blog, without any doubt, the blogger will reject your pitch.
It is always better to go through the content list of the site to avoid creating something that is no more than clutter for the blogger.
You should do detailed homework if you want to develop content with higher chances of getting approval.
Reason # 3: Study The Best Performing Content
Every blog has a popular and top performing article. It means article that:
- People are reading
- Has a low bounce rate
- Is getting good backlinks from different sites
- Has a high traffic flow
This all is possible only if the content of that article is good.
You need to find that article on your target site and read it.
The good thing is that most websites mention such sites clearly and separately.
Like Search Engine Journal has a separate section for popular sites.
Similarly, you can also find such a section on your selected site and read out the content.
It will give you an idea:
- What type of content the audience of the site likes
- How should you approach a topic
- What should be your writing style
It will enhance your chances of writing a winning post that vows the heart of the editor and readers.
Homework # 4: Get On the Radar
How many gigs do guest posting sites get, any guess?
Well, more than you can imagine.
There are so many companies offering guest posting services, and their outreach team is all the time busy finding new prospects.
Besides that, some solo bloggers are willing to do guest posting to boost their authority and ranking.
So authority bloggers and sites accepting guest posts are all the time flooded with gigs from different people.
In this deluge of emails, what are your prospects to catch their attention?
Quiet thin, right?
So it is always better to catch the eyes of blog owners before bombarding them with your gigs.
In other words, you should first build a relationship with bloggers so that they start knowing you before you start pitching for a guest blog.
These are some tips on how to build relationships with bloggers:
- Comment on their blogs: Appreciate or share your thoughts.
- Share their posts on social media: Tag them with some nice words.
- Follow them on social media: Try to comment as well.
- Email them: Praise their work and tell them how you benefited from their content.
Here is an example.
This guy has shared SEMrush’s blog.
Good!
But if you think that he only shared this post just because he felt like doing it…nah, not the case.
Check out this dude’s Twitter bio, and you will find the right answer.
He is a marketer and…you know what it means.
You should also do what he did.
Invest only a few seconds to get the attention of the bloggers, and you can:
Save your gigs from becoming a blink and miss case.
Homework # 5: Find the IRRESISTIBLE Topic
Once you know what you should not be writing.
Your next step is to know what you should be writing.
And this is not an easy task. Well, not easy enough that you search a few related keywords and land on a topic.
Because:
- You have to satisfy the blogger’s audience.
- You have to deliver your message, as well.
- You have to come up with an innovative topic.
- You have to create atopic that works.
Here is how you can come up with a topic that satisfies all these points:
Technique # 1: Check Out the Most Happening Posts
First, check out the taste of your targeted audience.
You don’t need to work much to find it.
Head to the site’s blog’s main page, and see the most popular posts on the site.
Here is an example:
It gives you an idea of the best hits on the blog.
Technique # 2: See Top-Ranking Articles of Your Keyword
Next, find the top ranking sites for your targeted keyword.
If you are targeting niche-specific sites for guest blog posting, it means your audiences are the same.
So the site’s audience is also likely to like what is ranking high for your keyword.
For instance, I searched for ‘guest blogging marketing’…
…and I found top-ranking blogs on different topics related to the keyword.
It can give you a pretty good idea about the topics people like and… different dimensions associated with a keyword.
So it’s a double jackpot!
Technique # 3: Take Help of Ahrefs to Find Top Content
If you don’t want to do some manual labor, Ahrefs Site Explorer can help you here.
The trick is simple:
#1: Put the URL of the target site in the search bar.
#2: Select the Top Pages from the menu.
#3: You will get a list of top-performing content along with important stats.
It cuts down your hassle to half because you don’t have to search for the related stats manually. They come along with each result.
Technique # 4: Use BuzzSumo to Find Popular Topics
Popular content is doing well for a reason:
Because people like it.
Wouldn’t that be great if you can find out the most popular content in an industry?
Oh, wait, you can.
BuzzSumo is the tool that does exactly that: it helps you find the most popular content of a blog.
So instead of doing the guesswork, you get proven and tested result along with the important stats, like:
- Social media engagement
- Number of backlinks
- Content quality score
Once you have a sample in your hand, you know what you should and shouldn’t do to get an even better version of the content.
POINT TO REMEMBER
Obviously, you don’t want to write content that has already been published.
And you definitely want to create something different, something groundbreaking.
That’s great!
But don’t become too overwhelmed and end up creating something that nobody likes or needs to read.
Still, feel like giving an edge to your content?
Here is the trick:
- Write a better version of a popular topic than others
- Add a new point that others have never mentioned before
- Create engaging and valuable content with a different writing style
It will do the work for you.
STEP # 5: Send a Compelling Pitch
Once you have done your homework, in other words, you know…
- What are the guest blog posting guidelines
- What blogger’s audience wants to read
- What is trending in your niche
- What type of topic you should choose
…it is time to take the bull by the horns: Pitch your idea to the blogger.
Believe me; this is the most difficult part.
It is just like:
You have to ring the bell, make it heard in the buzz of already ringing bells, and convince the owner to open the door only for you.
Sounds tough?
Well, it really is.
That’s why you have to be very careful.
From your subject line, selection of words, the way you pitch your idea, and close your email, each and everything matters a lot.
Here are some things that bloggers hate the most about the pitches they receive:
Source: PointVisible
- Grammar mistakes
- Use of common email templates
- Poor online presence
- Poorly structured and formatted email
- Bad given samples
- Irrelevant niche
- Not facilitating to find the required information
- Bad self-introduction
If you avoid these things, still it is difficult to come up with the best sample for:
How to write a perfect guest post pitch.
But still, we know a few things work better than others.
To ease out things, here is a sample guest post email template for you:
Hi [insert name],
I have been reading your blog [insert site’s name] for a long time, and I must say that you are really doing a great job.
Considering the standard of your blog, I would love to contribute a guest post on your site.
For that, I have thoroughly read your guest posting guidelines and come up with a few awesome topics. Don’t worry; they are unique, and your audience will love them.
[Idea # 1]
[Idea # 2]
I will make sure that I abide by your standards and provide super valuable content to readers.
To give you some idea of my content style and approach, here are links to some of my published guest posts on authority sites [URL # 1] and [URL # 2].
Let me know if you are interested. I am already working on them, so I am all set to show you how I can bring value to your blog.
Cheers,
[insert your name]
Download: THREE GUEST BLOGGING TEMPLATES + 1 BONUS TEMPLATE
Writing a compelling pitch sounds difficult, with no clear answer to how to write a pitch email. Get three guest blog pitch templates that are based on different scenarios (+ 1 bonus template).
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Can you point out the key features of this guest post pitch email?
It…
- Has personalized content
- Contains subtle selling pitch or tone
- Is to-the-point and comprehensive
- Touches emotional appeal
- Shows what you have got
- Gives a guarantee of your experience
Obviously, you will customize it as per your requirements.
But this guest posting pitch template at least gives you an idea of how to ring the bell that convinces the blogger to open the door for you.
How to Write a Perfect Guest Post Pitch?
Based on the above example, we know a bit about how to write a pitch email for an article.
Though there is no such thing as the perfect pitch because different editors have different preferences, still:
Some elements work better than others – like these:
#1: Write a Clickable Subject Line
Before deciding the body of the email, you should think about how to convince the editor to open your email.
It all starts with a subject line: the line that shows up in the email.
You can write a subject line with three different approaches:
- A direct approach with no beating the bush and explicitly mentioning the purpose
- A creative approach with an interesting selection of words to create curiosity
- A simple approach based on following the guest posting guide of the blogger
So there is no specific rule to write a guest post email subject line.
But I personally think that a combination of different approaches can work better than sticking with only one approach.
Like instead of going with a simple ‘Guest Post Submission’ kind of subject line, combine it with the creative approach.
Here is how it works:
- Unimpressive Example: Pitch – Guest Post Contribution Request
- Impressive Example: Guest Blog Submission – Online Readers’ Attention Span is Not Equal to Goldfish (Proves Included)
You can judge on your own which subject line is more likely to get clicks.
Thinking the same as me? Good!
#2: Create a Compelling Body
Your work doesn’t end once you have managed to get a click.
Click on email doesn’t ensure that your email will also get read.
You need to write a convincing and compelling email body for that.
Here are the essential elements of an email that gets read:
- Brief Introduction – tell who you are. It’s better if you have worked on pre-outreach relationship building so that you can recall it here to create a warm feeling.
- Hook – slip to adding a hook (an interesting line; address the problem and how you can solve it; raise a scenario) that grabs attention and convinces to read on.
- Detailed Body – this is where you tell them what you need exactly, why them, detail your experience, and how you can bring benefit for them.
- Topic Suggestion – don’t build a castle in the air. Give them unique topic suggestions to give an idea of how you are going to provide value to their readers.
- Samples of Work – prove your expertise with sample work.
- Conclusion – mention the last compelling punch and establish a value factor, like you will share it on social media, etc.
Personalization is the core of a guest posting guide.
And we can’t forget this element while writing a guest post submission pitch.
Try to convince the editor with a personalized touch through the content of the email body.
#3: Give a Professional Touch with an Email Signature
53.6% of editors pay attention to emails if they are from a known brand.
And one of the best ways to bring that branding touch is to use a customized email signature.
Popular bloggers get so many guest blog post pitches every day. So you need to work on all possible ways to get their attention – writing an email signature is a part of it.
Your signature can have this information:
- Name
- Designation
- Company’s name
- Website URL
- Social media links
STEP # 6: Pen Down Your Guest Post
Let’s hope for the best that this awesome pitch template will end you up with a happy ‘yes.’
So after that, it is time: to show what you have got for them.
Don’t waste your efforts by writing a poor guest post.
Definitely, if you have claimed that you will add value to their site, you have to prove it through your content.
But here is a thing:
You can’t burn your midnight oil for every article.
For example, if you are writing for very authoritative sites like HubSpot or The Huffington Post, you can’t end things with a simple hi-bye of 500 words.
You have to come up with…
- A lengthy content of 2500+ words that provides value.
- Well-researched content that justifies the topic.
- An edge that fulfills their audience’s expectations.
- Content (charts, screenshots, tables) to support your content.
Here is an example to make things understandable for you:
If you check out this guest post, you will see that this post qualifies for all the parameters mentioned above.
- It has 2541 words = lengthy, valuable content
- It has around 12 points = well-researched content
- Bonus tips = an edge
- Screenshot = proves to support content
So it easily got placed on HubSpot, which is a high authority guest posting site.
But you don’t need to do this with your every post.
If you are initially pitching a normal DA site that isn’t considered as a premium site, you don’t have to go through all this hassle.
But make sure that you still stick to these rules:
- Create something valuable and worth posting.
- Be precise, but still justify the topic.
- Follow the blogger’s given guidelines.
- Create something that is worth including in your portfolio.
In short, never write any guest post just for the sake of writing a guest post and getting a backlink.
Your motive should be to create high-quality content and provide value to the readers – the rest will come as perks of your hard work.
POINT TO REMEMBER
Here are some tips to get your guest post right the first time:
- Carefully read out guest posting guide of the targeted sites.
- You are leveraging the space of another blogger. So respect his courtesy and avoid any negative SEO practice.
- Don’t do excessive backlinking to your site.
- Content taste of the guest blogger audience might be different than your audience. Be sure to analyze and take care of this difference.
- Ask the blogger whenever you feel any confusion on any point. It shows your deep concern and sincerity, and bloggers like it.
STEP # 7: Follow Up is a Must
Follow-up is a very important part of any guest posting campaign.
It is based on four important steps:
- Stay connected with the blogger
- Promote your content
- Enhance user engagement on the post
- Work to build a long-term relationship
Here is how each step works in the perfect guest posting guide:
#1: Remind Blogger to Publish Your Post
If you think that the blogger is all hearts and smiles to post your content, you are wrong.
Bloggers of high authority guest posting sites have many things to do to keep their blogs running in the popular sites’ list.
So don’t expect that they will see and respond to your post’s proposal right away.
Come back to reality, and let’s face it:
Any authority site has a huge pile of guest posts that are waiting to get a kind glance.
No wonder that your content might get buried in the pile of pending guest posts.
So always send a follow-up email in case your post doesn’t flash within one week.
It wouldn’t hurt to add a few more kind words to persuade the blogger. But here are some important things to remember:
- Don’t start begging; keep your sanity intact
- Avoid a desperate tone as if you are dying to get published (even if you are!)
- Don’t annoy them by continuously emailing them
A desperate tone will only devalue your authority and reputation.
Be gentle, to-the-point, and have some patience.
Here is a template that you might like to follow:
Hi [insert name],
Hope you are doing well.
Just chimed in your mailbox to remind you that I emailed you my guest post [title of the post] on [date].
I know you are busy and have many things to create (that I love to read, by the way!).
Still, I will be glad if you let me know whether you are interested in publishing my guest post.
Cheers
[your name]
This email is professional, gentle, graceful, and to-the-point.
If it gets read, it might help you push your buried content to the top.
#2: Share on Social Media
Once your post gets published, it is essential to get the words out.
And you know, nothing can be better than social media for this purpose.
So share your post on social media to get more referral traffic and get the word out about your post.
It will encourage people interested in your niche to share it with other people.
And a chain of retweets will form that will boost your post.
Like this:
#3: Don’t Forget to Reply to Comment
In today’s age, consumers of anything want a personalized experience.
They want brands to make them feel special.
Here replying to comments of the people can play the ace card.
Just like Brian Dean pretty much replies to almost all comments on his blogs.
Even if it is just a ‘Thank you’ or ‘Good to know.’
Result? He has a huge user engagement on his blog.
Like one of his blogs has 1021 shares and 212 comments.
Just imagine how many views this blog would have gained due to this user engagement.
So don’t miss out on any chance to interact with the readers.
It is a small gesture that shows that you care and value their time spent reading and commenting on your blog.
And their presence and involvement are valuable for you.
It will also be a great way to build a loyal customer base that happily looks out for your content.
#4: Send an Email of Gratitude
If you want to…
- Be remembered
- Build a good relationship with bloggers
- Remain in their good books
…then do send a thank you email once your email gets published.
This email template might give you an idea to say thank you without sounding like a hell-pleased person (even if you really are).
Hi [insert name]
I hope you are also doing well – mentioned ‘also’ because I am really doing good. All thanks to you!
I just saw that you have finally published my guest post [title of the post], and it looks amazing. From featured image to formatting, everything looks good.
I am going to share it with my followers on my social media account.
Looking forward to meeting you over some other valuable pieces of content.
Have a nice day.
Cheers
[your name]
It is not only a matter of getting published on a blog but also building long-lasting relationships with influential bloggers.
Sending a thank-you email will pave the path for you.
It will leave your good impression on them and…
…your chances of future collaboration increase.
CHAPTER 5
Guest Posting Hacks
There is no shortcut to doing the best guest posting that drives the desired outcomes. You have to follow every step of the guest posting guide to achieve the goals.
But doing somethings and avoiding others can give you a competitive edge and help your post perform better.
So this chapter is going to talk about those guest blog posting tips and hacks that can help you stand out and boost your guest blogging efforts.
Simple Guest Blogging Hacks To Get on the Right Track
Hack # 1: Master Your Author Bio
Most guest post submission sites give you an opportunity to give your bio where you can give detail about:
- Who you are
- What you do
- Where do your work
- Your online presence (URL, social profiles)
Besides that, you can also include a link back to your site.
Even if Google doesn’t give importance to these links for backlinking, such links definitely drive referral traffic and build brand awareness.
Here is an excellent example of an author bio.
This is Larry Kim’s author bio that is simple and clearly highlights the ‘high’ points of Larry.
This author bio is good because:
- You can easily find out who the author is.
- It promotes the work and services of the guest blog author.
- It establishes his authority on why you should trust his words.
So:
Begin your very first guest posting contribution with a good author bio that you can carry along for a long time.
POINT TO REMEMBER
Sticking with your author bio doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t update it with new achievements.
In fact, you should definitely update it once in a while to increase the ‘pluses’ of your author bio.
But sticking with the author bio does mean that you should keep the tone and style of your author bio consistent throughout.
You can check out famous guest bloggers and see that they mostly stick with one type of author bio throughout their guest blogging carrier that becomes their identity in the guest post marketplace.
That’s what you should do.
Hack # 2: Prefer Quality Over Quantity
Quality content takes time to come into life, but once you carve it, it can give a gist of relief to the content creator in so many ways.
Guest blog posts are also not an exception.
The guest blogging contribution is also based on content, so it should also be created with care and attention.
Unfortunately, most guest bloggers focus on creating more content rather than quality content.
Result? They get rejected.
Source: PointVisible
Remember that it is all about content, not placing a link.
So let the quality guest posts overrule the quantity guest post concept to fetch the true potential of guest blogging benefits.
Hack # 3: Research Keywords Smartly
No matter what your purpose is for guest posting. It is always good to add some additional ‘plus points’ to double the benefits.
One such example is: What if your guest blogs start ranking higher as well along with driving referral traffic?
Sounds good? That’s why you need to power keyword selection along with the guest posting guide of the site.
If you do your keyword research properly, you have great chances of ranking higher because most guest blog contributors don’t aim for rankings.
So if you start putting some efforts into keyword research, it will not only rank your guest post for the key terms but also:
- Make the blogging site owner happy
- Put in more worth to your content and give you credibility
- You start building a strong reputation
Hack # 4: Spread Link Juice Throughout the Site
One of the biggest problems with many guest blogging guides is that they talk about link building through guest posting.
But they don’t talk about exactly HOW?
So what happens is that newbie guest bloggers don’t know how to guest blog and place a link.
They end up sending most backlinks to the home page, a few landing pages, or some blogs. That’s it.
It is wrong in two ways:
- Link saturation to a few pages might give a red flag to Google of a black hat practice
- Your site authority doesn’t increase evenly due to the uneven distribution of link juice on the site
Definitely, you don’t want any of these.
Hack # 5: Make Your Post’s Link Profile Look Good
Writing on someone else’s blog doesn’t mean that you should have zero to nothing sympathy for the linking site.
It is not only about throwing content with a link back to your site on another site.
When you post content on another blog and get a link from it, your site indirectly gets tied to it.
A link from high quality and authoritative content makes the backlink more powerful than a link coming from poor quality content.
Can you tell what adds authority to your content?
- Accurate information
- In-depth and well-researched content
And…
- QUALITY LINK PROFILE
Add internal and external links to your content to increase its authority and boost SEO.
But how and which links you add matters a lot.
For external links, add:
- Links of authority sites
- Backlinks going to your other guest posts
For internal links, give:
- Links to less authority site
- Links to relevant pages
BONUS CHAPTER
How to Pitch Contributors
Getting a link from premium sites, even getting mentioned on the BEST sites, is enough to bring your business to the limelight for Google and readers.
But not everyone can become a guest contributor on these sites.
The only way is to approach their contributors manually, have something worth linking, and show them why you DESERVE a link. Still, it is difficult – very by the way.
This chapter is going to sort out this trick.
Tips to Reach Out to Premium Sites’ Contributors
Guest posting for premium blogs is HUGE.
In case you don’t know (you missed out so much then, BTW!), premium blogs are the ‘IT’ sites: the bourgeois of the online world, the best of the best.
I am talking about THESE sites:
- Entrepreneur
- Mashable
- Forbes
- Huffington Post
- LifeHack
- CNN
But unfortunately, guest posting on these sites is very difficult.
Considering the LEVEL of these sites, it is understandable because these sites can’t kill their reputation by letting everyone and anyone post guest articles on their sites.
The contributors on these sites are well-reputed people of their industry, which means you have to qualify many quality standards.
In case you lack any one of these quality criteria…
- Don’t meet the E-A-T (Expertise, Authority, Trustworthiness) criteria
- Miss out on strong social media presence
- Lack experience to write awesome content (REALLY AWESOME ONE)
- Don’t have the industry expertise
…then contributors of premium sites can be your go-to solution.
Now here is a thing:
- You can’t buy these contributors.
- You can’t ask for a brand mention if you don’t deserve it.
- So you are only left with one option: bring quality to your content/products/services.
Once you know you have the best version of content or services in your bag, the next step is to pitch premium site contributors.
NOTE: Remember that your usual guest posting guide might not work here. It all depends on two important steps:
- Quality you have to offer
- The way you make a pitch
Here is how to write emails to premium guest posting sites.
Hi [name of the blogger],
HINT: Collaboration Proposal ahead!
My name is [your name], and I am contacting you on behalf of our company [name of company] that offers [services you offer].
I’ve been catching up on your blog for the past couple of months, and I have noticed that you write great stuff on [mention niche] and everything surrounding it.
So I was just wondering would you be interested in providing a bit more value to your readers? We would be more than happy to give your readers a [offer something helpful for readers – discount, free guide, etc.] if they visit our site through your content.
We have worked with some of the big names of different industries, and we are ready to entertain your readers as well with a bonus perk.
You can get back to me anytime if you are interested in collaboration.
Have a great day!
[your name]
POINT TO REMEMBER
Before you reach out to these contributors, make sure to:
Run a pre-outreach campaign of relationship building with these folks because they might be busier than other bloggers.
(From pre-outreach efforts, you can stick with the relationship-building guidelines mentioned before in this guide.)
So you have to put in extra effort to get a response from them.
Conclusion
Guest posting is not dead. It will keep on breathing until there are people who want to read unique and fresh content.
Guest blogging is not going anywhere. It is here to stay until there are websites that want quality content from different people to boost authority.
It is you who have to learn how to get the most out of your guest posting efforts.
Once you get the hunch of the underlying trick and know the best guest posting guide, you can use it as your business booster on so many levels.
Remember that you can find a guide to successful guest blogging, but it is useless until you don’t implement guidelines of a guest posting guide properly.
The thing is:
Guest posting marketing is more about practicality and attention to detail. So if you want to drive the real results, it is time that you cut the talks and start thinking of doing things.
So what are you waiting for?
Get started because a whole new world is waiting for you!
That’s all from my end. Now it is your turn to share your guest posting journey because every guest blogging campaign is a whole new world. And it’s worth sharing.
We are ready to hear your story!