As someone who is involved in blogging and all things related to it, you probably come across a lot of information from various sources. This would normally be a good thing, but the problem is that not all the information that comes your way is accurate or up-to-date.
Investment in The Coconut Industry by Nancy Cheruiyot
37 Useful Tips About Guest Blog Posts
1. 37 Useful Tips About Guest Blog Posts
As someone who is involved in blogging and all things related to it,
you probably come across a lot of information from various sources.
This would normally be a good thing, but the problem is that not all the
information that comes your way is accurate or up-to-date. As with
virtually everything related to the Web, there are a lot of
misconceptions out there surrounding blogs and blogging.
There are also plenty of lesser-known bits of information that can
affect the performance of your blog and your day-to-day activities as a
blogger. I therefore thought it was a good idea to share some of these
trade secrets in the hope of clearing up some confusion you may
have.
Secret #1: A guest blog post is a team effort
If you are accustomed to blogging by yourself, one thing that might
surprise you about guest blog posts is that it takes at least two people
to accomplish. This means you will usually have to work with one
other person and in some cases, even 2 or 3 others. Most sites will
also have a content manager that you will to get approval from, but it
is the site owner who usually has the last word. Guest blog posting
really is a team effort, and you will have to learn to work in a team
setting. In such a scenario, effective communication and flexibility are
essential skills to have.
Secret #2: Research is a must with guest blog posts
Research is an especially important aspect of guest blogging. If it is
your first time to guest blog, you will first have to determine the niches
you will want to write in. After that, you will have to look for blogs in
those niches. The next step is to figure out what type of content
attracts the most comments. Of course, you also have to make sure
that the content you post will be similar in tone and quality to the posts
on the site.
2. Secret #3: Tracking your guest blog posts is a good thing
After you have started networking and have gotten your name out
there, start up a record of all your guest blog posts. This will come in
handy when you want to expand, and it will also allow you to reference
your previous work if necessary. A record of your posts will also help
keep you organized and let you know important details such as when
certain posts are live and when you need to make a comment or
promote your posts.
Secret #4: There is no magic formula for guest blog posts
There is no set of methods or a magic formula that will allow you to
create perfect guest blog posts or help you accomplish your goals
100%. Sure there are clear cut rules, policies, and “must-do’s” when it
comes to guest blog posts, but that’s not quite the same as a magic
formula. You simply can't break it down to a formula such as: epic
blog post + A list blog = tons of traffic. The reality is that it will not
always work that way for everyone. Think about it this way: if there
was a magic formula for guest blog posting, everyone would likely use
that same method, eventually making it worthless. As it is, the only
really surefire way to success is through hard work, trial and error, and
a continuous effort to improve.
Secret #5: You need to have a strategy before you begin guest
posting.
The “shotgun” approach simply doesn't work with guest blog posting.
You will have to come up with a specific strategy and have a clear-cut
plan in place before you actually start. This will also help you stay
focused on your objective and increase your chances of achieving
your goals. If you are really serious about guest blog posting, you
simply must have a well-defined plan of attack.
Secret #6: Your work isn't done just because your guest blog
post has been accepted
3. Quite the contrary. In fact, in some ways, the real work begins after
your guest blog post has been accepted. If you really want to become
a successful guest blogger, you will have to put in the work in order to
make the experience as beneficial as possible for everyone
concerned. After the post has gone live, you will have to be proactive
in terms of actively commenting on the blog, promoting it on your
email list, and announcing it through social media channels. Don’t
forget to write a “thank you” note to your host as well!
Secret #7: Guest blog posts work hand-in-hand with social media
Social media is a highly effective tool for helping you get in touch with
a network of like-minded bloggers. You can use for it anything from
following and retweeting posts to commenting on Facebook pages, or
even posting something from your own blog. Social media also
provides a great way to break the ice and let other bloggers know who
you are. In fact, social media can help you start communication with
other bloggers, helping you avoid the awkwardness of asking for a
guest blog post. Social media will also help you promote your post
once it’s published.
Secret #8: An eye-catching title can really sell a guest blog post
First impressions count when making a blog post, and making a good
impression is often dependent on the title of your post. When pitching
your guest blog post, you must have a catchy headline that makes
people want to click on the post and read the rest of the article. Many
site owners will actually use the title as the sole basis for accepting or
rejecting a guest blog post. You might only have one chance at
making a good impression, so make it count!
Secret #9: Building a solid portfolio requires a broad range of
sites
I always hear of people starting off by targeting just the high-profile
bloggers, most of whom are recognized authorities in a niche, or host
4. blogs with high rankings. Although you do want to connect with these
bloggers eventually, don’t underestimate the value of smaller blogs at
the start of your career. Posting in such blogs will help you learn the
ropes of guest blog posting and are great for building your portfolio.
Most established bloggers won't even consider hosting your guest
blog post unless you have a respectable portfolio so get started with a
few small blogs first!
Secret #10: A guest blog post is not a cure-all
Guest blog posts by themselves can be effective, but you really need
to go beyond that. Guest blog posts alone won't increase traffic to
your site, raise your visitor count, or add to your sales. Of course,
guest blog posts can help you build traffic, establish backlinks, and
possibly even attract visitors to your blog. Just like everything else
however, it would be more beneficial to adopt a balanced approach. It
is when you implement guest blog posts as part of your overall plan of
attack that you will see its full potential.
Secret #11: Content is the driving force behind guest blog posts
When it comes to guest blog posts, the importance of content simply
cannot be overestimated. You could have a quick pitch, but if your
content is worth reading, many blogs will be happy to post it. Of
course, coming up with good content is an ongoing process, and you
will have to constantly figure out what sticks out and attracts readers.
Don’t neglect the benefits of outsourcing your writing either. In some
cases, this might help you generate new content or out a fresh spin on
a familiar topic.
Secret #12: Never submit guest blog posts out of the blue
I would say that 95% of the time, searching for someone online and
getting in touch with them out of the blue won't get you a response.
“Cold submitting” to relevant sites is a common mistake that many
newbies make, and it often leads to rejection and disappointment.
5. Secret #13: Getting guest blog posts accepted is hard work
Don’t let anyone tell you that guest blog posting is simple and doesn't
take much work. One oft-neglected aspect of guest blogging is that
the harder you work, the more likely you are to reap the benefits. Sure
it is easy enough to post in a few small blogs at the start, but things
quickly become more work intensive and time consuming when you
work your way up to the mid-level blogs. This is when the demands of
maintaining standards and doing research start to require more and
more time and effort. Not to scare you away, but guest blogging is
hard work and it will really take your all to make it work.
Secret #14: Guest blog posting only works as a long-term
strategy
If you try guest blog posting only once or twice, you probably won't
see any significant results in terms of increased traffic, more sales, or
even a higher ranking. The key to success is being consistent and
formulating a long-term strategy. Start out by doing 2 or 3 guest blog
posts per month and slowly increase your output if you feel you have
the hang of it. The most important is sticking with it for the long haul.
Secret #15: There is no real guarantee with guest blog posts
An increasingly-common–and yet totally bogus–claim is that guest
blog posts guarantee results. The fact of the matter is that there is no
foolproof strategy that will “guarantee” you specific results. Sure there
are absolutes and tactics that are clearly better than others, but none
of them will get you guaranteed results.
Secret #16: Think of others’ needs first when guest blogging
Don’t let others make-do with your leftovers; always give out only your
best work. This means anything and everything from offering only your
best posts to promoting other blogs as if they were your own. Also
strive to be helpful as possible. Showing your gratitude and having the
6. right attitude is just as important as the technical aspects when it
comes to communicating with other bloggers, so always give before
you receive.
Secret #17: Be persistent in guest blog posting
Building a solid guest blog post portfolio is going to take a lot of work,
considerable amounts of time, and plenty of persistence. You will also
need to grow a thick skin, and don’t take it personally if you are asked
to change something or if your work is rejected. You should also be
prepared to provide more work if asked. On the plus side, you can
take comfort in the fact that all your hard work will pay off in terms of
results.
Secret #18: No response isn't necessarily a bad thing
I have had several occasions when I emailed someone and never got
a response. Don’t be discouraged if you experience this scenario
yourself, and don’t think that it means a “no” either. There could be
many reasons for not getting a response. One approach that I found
works more often than not is to give it some time, build up better
credentials, and then try emailing that person again.
Secret #19: Follow all rules, policies, and guidelines posted
There is a reason for all the rules, policies, and guidelines set up for
that blog you want to submit to. Take the time to fully read,
understand, and abide by all those rules. As simple or silly as some of
them might be, you will have to play by the rules if you want your post
to get published.
Secret #20: Guest blog posts should use keywords in a relevant
and unobtrusive manner
There was a time when pages of certain sites included a paragraph at
the bottom filled with several keywords. Now known as “keyword
stuffing”, this technique for attracting traffic has since been looked
7. upon with disfavor by the online community. However, this does not
mean that keywords are no longer important. While keyword stuffing
may have fallen out of favor, it is still important to include the proper
percentage of relevant keywords in your text. When someone
searches for a specific term on Google, the number of times that
particular keyword appears on your page is still a weighty factor.
Secret #21: Authorship is just important as the guest blog post
When Google first became the top search engine and everyone was
focused on site performance, PageRank became the number one
priority for every marketer. While page ranking was–and still is–the
input metric that affects ranking the most, Google personnel have
explicitly and repeatedly stated that sites are ranked on hundreds of
different metrics other than PageRank. Many site owners have
therefore stopped caring so much about PR ranking. That being said,
PageRank is still a relevant factor, and it shouldn't be neglected even
as you focus on other equally important factors.
Secret #22: Check up on your competition to see where they are
guest blog posting
This is one method that I have used when brainstorming or targeting
sites that accept guest blog posts. This is a great way to get a feel for
what’s out there and what works and what doesn't. This could be
accomplished several different ways, but my favorite tools for this
purpose are Alexax.com reputation links. This list helpfully details all
the links that your competitor site currently has set up.
Secret #23: You must have a solid foundation before attempting
to guest blog post
SEO can be considered a form of marketing, and as such, most of
your efforts will be made after the site is completed. That being said,
there are steps that you should take even before your site goes live.
For example, you should make sure you have a good layout, logical
navigation, and all the important details such as META tags, titles, and
8. so on. All these are part of SEO and should be done while you are
building the site. Also remember that search engines can find your site
as soon as it goes live, so you will want your SEO ready for when
Google first crawls it.
Secret #24: All guest blog posts are beneficial
Some people who buy bulk links or use automated methods to spam
blog posts seem to think that Google will not be able to detect such
“black hat” techniques. While it is true that Google and other search
engines may not discover these shady tactics right away, there is a
bigger risk involved. Sites in which your links have been placed will
eventually be found and removed from the index. In some cases, the
actual algorithm may even be modified in order to make those
backlinks irrelevant. When this happens, your ranking may plummet
drastically.
Secret #25: Write a killer bio
The only claim to fame that you can expect out of most guest blog
posts will come by way of your bio. This is your little bit of space to
shine, so make it count. Of course, this can be somewhat difficult
given the limited word counts and space provided for bios. But being
able to come up with a solid call to action is vital to the success of any
guest blog post. You should also make sure to link to content that is
relevant to the post.
Secret #26: “More” isn't necessarily “better” when it comes to
guest blog posts
As mentioned previously, quality is one of the most important factors
in successful guest blog posting. Sure it is a good thing to add guest
blog posts on a regular basis, since it will help you expand your brand
and increase your exposure to potential readers. However, just
because you can churn out several posts in a short amount of time
doesn't mean that you should. It is important to keep in mind that
Google prioritizes natural growth when determining ranking. You
9. should therefore take the time to build slowly, and work toward a
natural progression for your blog in order to get the best results.
Secret #27: Articles are the best type of content
Articles are considered the most effective vehicles for attracting traffic,
whether they are written for your own site or for article marketing
purposes. However, you should remember that your content will not
be seen if no one knows it exists. Although the major search engines
will probably crawl your site anyway, you still need to implement basic
SEO techniques in order to increase traffic.
Secret #28: Google still likes guest blog posts
Because of how strict Google is with guest blog posts and how closely
they monitor guest blogging practices, it is easy to get the impression
that Google doesn’t like guest blog posts and would rather have them
disappear entirely. This isn't entirely true as Google personnel have
said repeatedly, although there are right and wrong ways to post on
guest blogs. Good guest blog posts help people find the relevant
content they are looking for. On the other hand, guest blog posts
written for spamming purposes or as part of a black hat strategy are
likely to be frowned upon by Google.
Secret #29: Guest blog posts can be used on more than just
blogs
When guest blog posting, it would be beneficial to think creatively and
“outside the box”. I understand that the term is guest BLOG post, but
you can always benefit from stepping out of your comfort zone. Why
not try submitting an article for an email newsletter, or coming up with
content for a Facebook post? As crazy as it may sound, you may also
want to submit articles to a magazine. There is a big, wide world
outside the fairly limited blogosphere, and there are always outlets for
putting out quality content.
Secret #30: It’s okay to get paid for a guest blog post
10. There is certainly nothing wrong with getting paid for high quality
content, and it is no different in the world of the guest blog post.
Getting paid–or not getting paid–will not have any significant effect on
how your content will be perceived, either by Google, the host of the
blog, or the blog’s readers. In fact, guest blog posting can open up a
nice, new revenue stream for you once you become really good at it
and have built up a nice portfolio.
Secret #31: Look for guest blog posts that allow you to have
links within the post
Far too often, people limit themselves to having a link only in the bio
section of the post. This is admittedly standard practice, and it works
well for the most part. However, don’t discount the possibility of
posting a link right in the body of the article. This technique is
especially effective when tied in with a relevant keyword. As always
however, it is important to keep structure, flow, and relevance in mind,
and not post a link wherever you want just because you can.
Secret #32: Don’t plan on getting published right away
One thing that you will soon realize about guest blog posting is that
most established bloggers are on what is called a “blog schedule” or
“blog calendar”. This means that even if your post is accepted, it will
probably be a couple of weeks before you see it online. Keep this in
mind when planning your bio links and your own blog schedule. While
you should be prepared for your blog to be published at a moment’s
notice, it is seldom that a blog post will be published right away.
Secret #33: Look for favorable opportunities
Be aware of blog schedules and plan for them. Sometimes you may
come across posts on social media networks or on the blog itself that
the owner will be attending a conference, going on vacation, or is just
not feeling well. You don’t necessarily want to take advantage of the
situation, but you may be able to use such opportunities to offer your
11. services as a guest blogger. This might just bring about a “win-win”
situation in which the blog’s host won't have to worry about content for
a while and you gain the benefit of an outlet for your own content
Secret #34: Come up with your best elevator pitch
One other important thing to realize when pitching your blog post is
that you will often have to deal with the limited time available to a busy
blogger or content manager. Before you submit your post therefore,
you should make sure that it is short, sweet, and–more importantly–to
the point. It also wouldn’t hurt to be creative and to throw in a nice
pitch with a couple of quality examples for good measure.
Secret #35: Be true to yourself, while keeping the requirements
of the guest post in mind
Just because you are blog posting doesn't mean that you have to
change who you are or modify your writing style. Although you should
be flexible in your approach and try your best to accommodate the
requirements of the particular blog, your personality doesn't
necessarily have to take a back seat. Focus on quality, consider the
needs of your target audience, and don’t be afraid to let your
personality shine through!
Secret #36: Make sure you are ready to guest blog post
Just about everyone you will submit content to will ask you for one or
more of these things: your bio, a picture of yourself, any social media
links you may have–including Twitter, Facebook, and Google+), and
an avatar picture. It is therefore a good idea to get all of these things
together long before you will need them. Don’t forget to come up with
an “about me” page either. Some blog owners may want to know more
about you before they consider posting your content.
Secret #37: Guest Blog Post is NOT dead
12. Just as there are people who automatically assume that SEO is evil
because of a few bad apples, there are those who simply assume that
SEO is dead. Although this way of thinking can be damaging to any
online marketer, it is also easy enough to prove it false. A quick look at
how large brands advertise should show you that SEO is alive and
well, and that it is still widely used. To this day, companies spend
millions of dollars tweaking their sites and launching online advertising
campaigns primarily for SEO purposes. Don’t listen to the naysayers:
SEO is far from dead and will probably remain on the scene for as
long as there are search engines.
So there you go; that’s all 37 tips! But just because I like to over-
deliver, here is a bonus tip just for my readers!
Secret #38: Think strategically when running your guest blog
posts
This should be helpful for increasing your chances of landing a guest
blog post: when you write your next post, add a links to the blog that
you want to guest in. When you then make a pitch for a guest blog
spot, show the potential host your post with their link in it. This should
give the host added incentive to take you on as a guest blogger!
AUTHOR’S BIO
Mikhail Tuknov is a president of Infatex.com, a full service Internet
marketing and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) company offering
results-driven services and exceptional customer support.