- What is a Guest Post?
- What are the benefits of Guest Posting?
- Is Guest Posting worth it?
- Is Guest Posting important for SEO?
- How to do Guest Blogging?
- How can you find blogs that accept guest posts?
- How do you submit a guest post for a blog?
Today, we will cover everything you need to know about the Guest Post concept and answer any other questions you may have on this topic.
What is a Guest Post?
The Guest Post (or Guest Posting or Guest Blogging) is a term used to describe an article written and published on someone else's website or blog. When you write something on your own blog, it's just a regular 'post,' but when you write for someone else's blog, it is called a 'guest post.'The owner of the new website or blog seeks related websites with similar content to publish on them.
The main benefits of Guest Posts are as follows:
- Marketing the new website or blog to reach people interested in a specific field.
- Increasing traffic to the new website.
- Building relationships with peers.
- Getting backlinks for SEO purposes.
In other words, Guest Posts are a means to promote a new website or blog by publishing articles on related websites, achieving benefits such as attracting more visitors, acquiring backlinks, and building relationships within the industry.
Is Guest Posting Worth It for Building Backlinks and Increasing Domain Authority?
Guest posting is indeed one of the reliable and legitimate methods to acquire external links for a website or blog, aiming to increase traffic to the newly established site. Additionally, guest posting helps boost the domain authority of the website and supports its control over specific keywords.In any case, if the goal of using "Gest Post" is to get backlinks, you must do so logically and without spamming. Ensure that you obtain backlinks from websites relevant to your website or blog content.
Is Guest Posting Important for SEO?
Guest posting can be good for SEO when used properly. However, if guest posts solely aim to build backlinks without adding value to the host website's content, they become detrimental. Google has stated that such practices are not helpful and may lead to manual penalties.Google's Stance and SEO Experts' Opinion on Guest Posts
A survey conducted by Dr. Marie Haynes titled "Do guest post for SEO reasons?" showed that 31.8% of respondents answered "Yes," while 43.9% responded with "No." Approximately 24% had differing opinions.
Barry Schwartz commented:
I am a bit surprised because in 2014, Google claimed guest posting dead for SEO reasons and has penalized many guest posting networks since. Even in 2021, Google said it has many methods to detect and not count links from guest posts, warning SEOs to nofollow those links and that those links have no value.
A
Google employee's 2014 post advised against using guest posting solely
for link acquisition, as it had become a spammy practice.
Can you
imagine? This was back in 2014, and here we are nearing 2024, with many
people still using guest posts to improve SEO, most of which are simply
copy-pasting with excessive link and keyword stuffing - something that
search engines do not like.
Another Google employee
confirms that Google may take manual actions against websites that do guest posts solely to increase the number of links
leading to their site.
By the way, this video is from 2013, and it's well known that Google's ranking systems have evolved significantly since then, with a stronger focus on such matters.
In summary, guest posts can be beneficial for your website if they are used for logical purposes. However, if the sole intention behind a guest post is to gain backlinks, it will have a negative impact on the overall SEO of the website.
How to Find Suitable Guest Post Opportunities for Free
Method 1. Use Google Search
Using Google Search is a great way to find guest post opportunities. You can use these keyword searches to find blogs that accept guest blogging. Just replace the keywords with ones related to your industry (e.g. PET FOOD write for us).
"keyword write for us"
"keyword guest post"
"keyword guest post by"
"keyword accept guest post"
"keyword guest post guidelines"
These searches will show you Blog Posting Guidelines pages, Guest Post Submission pages, or actual guest posts by other writers from different blogs. It's an easy way to discover places where you can write guest posts.
Method 2. Find Where Renowned Bloggers in Your Niche Post
Do you know any popular bloggers in your field?
Reading enough blogs in your industry (which you should do) will introduce you to recurring names that contribute to others' content. Noteworthy individuals in internet marketing circles include Gregory Ciotti, Danny Iny, Leo Widrich, Neil Patel, Marcus Sheridan.
Use Google search to find well-known guest bloggers in your field, using the phrase "guest post by THE BLOGGER'S NAME" This will show all the blog sites where these guest bloggers have published. These blogs would be an excellent opportunity. If you already know someone who does guest posting in your field, they can introduce you to blog owners where the guest has published.
Method 3. Analyze your Competitors Backlinks
Have you analyzed your competitor's backlinks for your search engine optimization campaign? It's likely that some competitors have backlinks from guest posts they've written. Use tools like our tool
"High Quality Backlinks" to can check your competitor's backlinks and identify blogs they've contributed to.
Method 4. Use Social Media Search
Many bloggers and guest bloggers share their latest posts on social networks. The easiest method for search is Twitter or Facebook. Try searching for the "main keyword guest post/s" or "main keyword guest blogging" (e.g. Training Horses guest posts) to find recent tweets and posts about guest posting opportunities.
Method 5. Use MyBlogGuest Community
Lastly, we have MyBlogGuest, a community of guest bloggers. Join for free and search for blogs that accept guest posts. Even better, share your information to let others know you're looking to write guest posts on specific topics. This way, blog owners can find you!
The Essential Criteria That the Host Blog Must Meet
When searching for a suitable blog to post your article, it is essential to check if the blog is following these criteria:
1. Content Relevance:
Focus on blogs that cover topics directly related to your industry or niche.
For example, if you sell seeds, target gardening blogs with engaged gardeners.
2. Google Penalty Check:
Verify that the website has not been penalized by Google, and its articles are indexed on Google SERP.
3. Domain Authority:
Ensure the website's domain has a high authority within its niche. Aim for blogs with a domain authority score of 20 or higher out of 100. To check the domain authority, you can use our tool specifically designed for this purpose.
4. Spam Score Evaluation:
Before posting your article, examine the target site for any spam indicators to guarantee its quality and the benefits of your guest post. A spam score of 1%-30% is considered low, 31%-60% is medium, and 61%-100% is high. However, note that a high spam score doesn't automatically mean the site is spammy. To check the spam score of a website, you can use this free tool.
5. Check Private Blog Networks (PBN)
Watch out for Private Blog Networks and dropped domains, as they can be spammy. Use the Wayback Machine to check domain history.
5. Audience Interest:
Ensure the blog's audience aligns with your content's interests and will find value in it.
6. Reader Engagement:
Prioritize blogs with an engaged readership that actively shares and comments on the blog posts.
7. Avoid Paid Guest Blogging
Some may ask for payment to host your content, but this could violate Google's policies and lower your search rankings.
By adhering to these criteria, you can identify a blog that offers a relevant audience, high domain authority, low spam score, and an engaged readership, increasing the effectiveness of your guest post.
Key Steps to Ensure a Successful Guest Blogging
Note that finding guest post opportunities is not the only step when connecting with blogs. There are certain things you must do before proposing a guest post to a site you just found.1. Get to Know the Blog's Content
Understanding the content of your targeted blog is key. You already know they have content around the keyword you searched for while looking for guest post opportunities. But you need to know more about this content, such as:- What is the audience level they write for? (beginners, intermediate, or advanced)
- What type of audience do they cater to? If your business deals with corporate transactions, you'd want the guest blog's audience to consist of corporate guests, not just regular consumers.
- What type of content do they write? Is it mostly general concepts or specific and detailed tutorials? Do they like lists?
2. Look at Other Guest Posts
While the blog may have guest posts, the question is, are they of good quality? Do guest posts on the site receive engagement on social media? Some sites may accept guest contributions, but if the audience only follows the blog owner's posts, it won't be beneficial if your goal is to drive traffic to your website.3. Check Who the Guest Bloggers Are
Some blog owners may accept guest contributions from specific types of individuals. Browse a few guest posts on the blog to see if they accepted bloggers, freelancers, consultants, or business owners, and so on. This will be important when presenting yourself to the blog owner.How to Build Trust with Blog Owner to Get Guest Post Approval
If you want to ensure your guest post gets accepted, follow these steps to gain the blog owner's trust.1. Be an Active Member on the Blog:
To increase your chances, engage with the latest blog posts, leave insightful comments, participate in discussions, and professionally answer readers' questions.2. Share Blog Content:
Share relevant articles from the target blog on your social media accounts and tag the blog's owner on platforms like Twitter or Facebook. This way, they can see your shares.3. Submitting the Guest Post:
After establishing a positive presence within the blog's community, send your article via email to the blog's contact address for review and publication.How to Email a Blog Owner for Guest Posting
When you've been actively engaging on the blog for some time and want to submit a guest post request, it's essential to do so professionally. Here's how you can ensure effective communication:
1. Before reaching out to the blog owner, carefully read the Guest Post guidelines, if available. Understand whether they prefer an idea pitch or a complete post submission and the desired format.
2. Use a professional and courteous email. Avoid generic openings like "Dear Sir/Madam" and make an effort to find the blog owner's name for a more personalized greeting.
You might have to search for the blog owner's name on the "About Page" or on one of their social media accounts, but it's likely to be available somewhere. Find it and use it to start the email.
3. Introduce yourself and mention your interest in guest blogging. If the blog owner predominantly features guest bloggers, highlight yourself as a fellow blogger with your domain name or business blog.
4. Explain the benefits of guest blogging and provide links to your previously published posts, emphasizing those with significant social media interactions.
5. Offer valuable information that your guest post will bring to their blog and differentiate it from existing content.
6. Use the same name in the email as your guest blog account to establish continuity and familiarity.
By following these steps, your email will be concise, clear, and impactful, showcasing your professionalism and providing a compelling case for being a guest blogger.
How to Write an Article to Make Blog Owners and Their Audience Love It?
1. It's Not About You:
Remember, a great guest post shouldn't be about promoting your business, products, or services. Focus on providing valuable information instead of ads. Save business-related details for the author's bio. Use occasional examples to illustrate points, but keep the post mostly unrelated to your business.2. Consider Word Count:
One common question about guest posts is whether you should use your best content for your own blog or for guest posting.This depends on the quality of the blog where you are sending your content. If the host blog's posts are comprehensive guides (over 2000 words) with illustrative images, then your guest post should be similar. If the blog contains posts of only 500 to 1000 words with just one or three images, then your guest post should match that length.
Here are some other valuable tips to create an excellent guest post:
3. Format Like the Host Blog:
Check how posts are formatted on the target blog. Do they use lots of headings, bold texts, images, quotes, or any other specific formatting? Make sure your post includes similar elements to align with the style of other posts on the site.4. Provide Valuable Content:
Focus on adding useful and accurate information to engage the host blog's visitors.5. Include Internal Links and References:
Show your knowledge of the blog's content by linking to their top posts.You can perform a Google search using "site:domain.com intitle:keyword" to find their top posts on a specific keyword and link your guest post accordingly.
6. Encourage User Comments:
At the end of your guest post, invite readers to leave comments for more engagement.7. Engage with Comments:
Respond to comments from the host blog's readers. Interact with their opinions and offer help when needed.8. Write a Compelling Bio (About the Writer):
Write a brief and professional bio highlighting your writing talent and expertise.How to Write a Great Guest Post Bio - About the Writer
The most important part of a guest post (for you) is the "Writer Biography", "About the Writer" or "Writer Description" section. This is where you can include links to your website, blog, product, service, book, etc. What you write here will depend on your guest blogging goals.If you want good backlinks, include a link back to your website with relevant text.
If you want to redirect traffic to your website, decide where you want it to go. Send it to a specific landing page or related page based on the guest post's topic and the blog's audience.
If you want more social media followers, add a line at the end saying "Follow me on (best social network with a link)."
Keep your biography brief, relevant, and aligned with your guest post objectives. This way, you can maximize your guest post's impact and achieve your desired results effectively.
How to Benefit from Guest Blogging
Once you have found the right blog and received approval to publish your article, follow these steps to make the most of guest posting.Again, if your goal is to acquire backlinks, you should include 3 to 5 internal links with anchor texts (from your blog) using relevant keywords. These links should ideally be dofollow links.
When the objective is to attract visitors from the hosting blog, ensure that you add appealing link texts that lead readers to the desired blog or pages. In this case, it doesn't matter whether the link is dofollow or nofollow; the primary goal is to get more visits.
It is worth mentioning that the blog owner must not delete the article or remove the internal links belonging to the writer's blog/website.
