What is Guest Post? Understanding & How to Use it – Guest posts are content written by bloggers to be published on other people’s blogs. In the world of marketing, guest blogging is a strategy for the following:
What is Guest Post Understanding & How to use it 2024
- Build domain authority in your niche
- Expanding the network of audience and bloggers
- Increase website traffic
However, how do you make an effective guest post so that your writing can be posted on other people’s blogs?
So, this time we will explain a complete guest blogging guide, starting from how to write a guest post for novice bloggers, finding guest posting partners, and steps to optimize the content. Let’s get started right away!
What is the Function of Guest Posts?
Especially for novice bloggers, the benefits of guest posting are:
Improve SEO and Website Authority
Guest posts can maximize website SEO in two ways, and the first is the number of backlinks.
Backlinks are links that point to your website or blog, placed on other people’s websites or blogs with the aim of increasing the website’s ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs).
Guest post authors are usually allowed to insert one or two of their website links into the guest post content or author bio. This step is commonly done as a way to get quality backlinks.
Google will read these links as ‘references’, which means the author’s blog will be considered a trusted website. As a result, Google will consider it a credible source, providing opportunities to increase website traffic.
According to Ahrefs, the number of website backlinks will contribute to the amount of organic traffic the website gets. That is, the more backlinks, the greater the number of website visits from Google search results.
Besides backlinks, another function of guest posts is to popularize your brand on the internet.
For example, your blog has a business theme and you often write guest posts on websites like Forbes. The more often your name appears on websites that are relevant to your niche, the more likely it is that Google will consider it an expert in a particular industry.
However, you can’t write as many guest posts as you want. Google will detect too many guest posts as a link manipulation scheme. So, just do it in moderation.
For WordPress users, optimize your WordPress website so that website ranking and traffic continue to increase.
Reach More Target Readers
You can invite other blog readers to your own blog via guest post content. If done correctly, referral traffic and conversions will also increase.
There are also many big brands that prove it. SaaS startup Groove claims that they are visited by more than 1 million readers with guest blogging. Help Scout also managed to get 36,000+ new newsletter subscribers this way.
To expand the target audience on your blog, try to collaborate with websites that have the same target audience, both in terms of interests, habits, and demographics. They will likely become loyal readers after reading your guest post.
Expanding Business Network
Another benefit of guest posting is that it provides an opportunity for you to build relationships with fellow bloggers and brands.
The more you provide content ideas and publish articles on other blogs, the more you will be recognized in your niche. It’s even possible that there will be offers of cooperation from well-known brands or bloggers!
But you need to be selective in choosing a website that will become a partner.
Don’t just be tempted by the number of 100,000+ monthly visitors. Also, make sure that the websites where you write guest posts both provide quality content and have a good level of audience interaction.
Avoid blogs that have spammy and low-quality content to maintain your online reputation.
Promoting Products or Services
If you already have an eCommerce website and start selling online, you can market your products and services through guest post content.
Most blogs allow guest post writers to promote their products or services. An example is Elna Cain who wrote the following guest post on Blogging Wizard :
Sometimes, you can also clearly state the name of your product or service if it is still relevant to the topic of the article and the partner’s website.
Let’s see the content of the Ahrefs guest post about increasing blog traffic below. The author introduces his agency, Growth Machine, to describe the success of the strategy he wrote.
While it doesn’t directly promote the writer’s business, the content briefly informs potential clients of the services their agency provides.
Remember, most blogs don’t allow the overt promotion of products and services in guest post content. So, don’t intentionally write selling content, and read the guide from the blog owner to find out what is allowed and what is not allowed.
Make Money from Blog Content
Freelance writers and bloggers can make money blogging through guest posts. Some blog owners provide a commission for each guest post content published. However, written content usually has more specific requirements.
The price for each content varies. Most popular blogs pay ±$75/post, depending on word count and content topic.
How to Make an Effective Guest Post
The guest blogging journey usually starts with finding blog partners to write, conveying content ideas to site owners, submitting content, and promoting your posts so that visitors read them.
So, below we have a complete guide on how to write an effective guest post with some great tips that you can try right away. Check it out!
#1. Find a Blog for Guest Posting
The first step in starting a guest post is to find a website that can be used as a partner in the same niche.
After having a list of several potential partner blogs, look for guest posting information on the websites About Us, Contact, or FAQ pages.
Alternatively, go to Google and type site:websitename.com guest post or site:websitename.com write for us. The results will show websites that contain these keywords. Or, use the Indonesian guest post keyword to see a list of websites that accept guest post content.
In addition, try the alternative keywords below. Be sure to replace “ keywords ” with terms related to your target industry or niche.
- “keyword” + “guest posts”
- “keyword” + “write for us”
- “keywords” + “guest post guidelines”
- “keywords” + “guest blogging guidelines”
- “keywords” + “guest posting guidelines”
- “keywords” + “contributor guidelines”
- “keyword” + “guest post submissions”
- “keyword” + “accepting guest posts”
- “keyword” + “submit guest post”
The following is an example of the search results for the word “tech” + “write for us”:
Then, you can also look for guest blogging opportunities on Twitter. In the search field, enter keywords related to your niche + guest post terms. Here’s an example of search results on Twitter:
Then you can see competitors’ backlink profiles and find websites where they have created guest post content. Use Ahrefs’ backlink checker feature to do this.
Please note that not all websites include information about guest blogging. But that doesn’t mean the blog doesn’t accept content from third parties.
You can save the email of the owner or editor of the blog. Later you can contact them to promote your guest post idea.
Don’t forget to always check every target blog too. Make sure you write content for blogs that are legal, safe, and credible. You can focus your choice of blog targets by evaluating the following:
- target audience. Are they the segment of readers you want to reach? Do they have the same interests or demographics as your blog readers? Will they be interested in visiting your website after reading your guest post content?
- Engagement. Check content performance by looking at comments and how many times your guest post content has been shared. Also, check the blog owner’s social media to see if they are promoting content from their contributors on their social platforms.
- Credibility. What is the reputation of the blog? So, check with the Ahrefs backlink checker tool and find out their DR (Domain Rating). Target websites with a DR score between 20 and 50 first. Even though they lack authority, usually websites like this are more open to collaboration with new bloggers.
Next, choose a blog that best suits your needs, then proceeds to the steps below.
#2. Brainstorm Guest Post Content Ideas
Start thinking about blog content ideas that you will write for partner blogs. Remember, posts must comply with the website owner’s terms and conditions, be able to answer reader questions, and discuss new topics that have not been written in other guest posts.
Some blogs usually have a guest post guide that covers the topics the blog owner needs and the format. Use this guide to help your brainstorming process.
Then, you should also find out the most popular content on partner blogs to see the audience’s interests. Use the Ubersuggest tool to find out the most popular pages on any website.
In addition, look at the latest posts to find out the content strategy that the blog owner is implementing. Your writing is guaranteed to be more easily accepted if it matches the goals and objectives of the current blog owner.
Here are tips you can try to brainstorm guest post content ideas:
- Choose an idea that showcases your skills. Personal experiences, success stories, and evaluations of your mistakes can make articles appear more credible, unique, and interesting to readers.
- Look for trending blog topics in that niche. Use Google Trends and BuzzSumo to see what trends are currently popular with readers.
- Offer to rewrite guest post content that doesn’t work out. Take advantage of SEO tools to find out which articles haven’t been able to get a lot of traffic. Then, identify things that can be optimized, such as whether the content is up-to-date, complete, and well-structured.
From here, choose the two to three blog topics that have the greatest likelihood of being accepted by the blog owner.
#3. Submit Guest Post Content Ideas
Now we’ll help you craft a good email to submit a guest post topic to partner blogs.
Remember, there are some blogs that immediately ask for the full article rather than just the idea. So it’s best if you’ve read their entire guest posting guidelines before doing this step.
Also, make sure you have the right contacts. Content ideas should be submitted to the content editor team. Do not let you send the wrong email to the Customer Service team.
It’s also a good idea if you can get acquainted with the blog owner or editor before sending an email. With them knowing you as a fellow blogger, your email opportunities to be opened and read will certainly be bigger.
So, try PDKT first by commenting on their latest blog posts, sharing their articles on your platform, or interacting on social media. Try doing all of this a few weeks before submitting a guest posting offer.
Below are some tips for promoting guest posts:
- Create email content that feels personal. Don’t use the same message for all potential partners. Mention the blog owner’s name in your message, and include the posts you like. Demonstrate your research skills via this email.
- Use an interesting email subject. Don’t just write “guest post offers”. Try mentioning your content idea as well as the email subject.
- Short and clear. Introduce yourself, explain your purpose, and convey your guest post idea. The ideal email length is between 50 and 125 words.
- Include writing examples. Show off your writing skills and experience, as well as tell them what kind of writing you’ll be writing. If you already have a guest post on another blog, you can also put the link in the email.
- Correction and proofread the contents of the email. Check the grammar of your email message again to make it look more professional.
- Enable email signature. Include your full name, website title, and social media accounts. Give the blog owner access to find out more about yourself.
- Have someone introduce you first. If you know a blogger who has guest posted on that blog, try asking them to recommend you. Blog owners usually accept bloggers more quickly than recommendations from authors who have worked with them.
- Use a special email. Use a professional and credible email to avoid being mistaken for spam or fraud. You can create a domain email with Hostinger’s Indian email hosting service.
If you’ve never sent an email like this before, don’t worry, we’ve prepared an email template for you.
Subject: Tasty Fast Food Guest Post: Fried potato recipe without oil
Hello Devina,
I’m Indah, a blog writer on Indonesian Home Cooking.
I often try some of your recipes, for example, low-calorie chicken nuggets they turn out so good! Thank you for the recipe. I want to provide some guest post content ideas that are still related to healthy food:
- Fried potato recipe without oil
- 10 recipes for vergan burgers
- How to make sugar-free ice cream at home
Here is an article I wrote about the best low-fat milk for food blog Good Food. The article has been visited by 5000 people and shared 250+ times on Facebook.
Thank You.
Greetings,
Beautiful Full Moon
Foodies and bloggers at Indonesian Home Cooking
#4. Write Quality Content
Once your idea is accepted, it’s time to write content!
While every blog has its own guidelines, here are some of the best guest post-writing tips you can try:
- Understand the reader’s search intent. Approximately, what is the purpose of readers reading your content? Make sure to answer all their main questions through your writing related to the topic.
- Create unique and different content from competitors. Provide updates, look at a topic from another perspective, or share tips that readers can try right away.
- Include expert quotes. Professional quotes make your posts more informative and credible. Visit HARO or Help a B2B Writer if you write for the business niche.
- Don’t promote yourself. Most websites definitely reject guest post content that explicitly markets the author’s product or service in their content. Cite your product or service as an example only.
- Include keywords for SEO. Use enough keywords with correct grammar.
- Adjust the style and format of the writing with the previous post. At a minimum, your writing must match the structure, language, and description of other content that has been published.
- Make sure the content is easy to read and understand. Use simple language and terms, active sentences, short paragraphs, and clear, uncluttered lists of content.
#5. Give an Interesting Title
What is a good post without an interesting title? So, arrange the words in the title carefully so that it can invite readers to click on the article from the homepage or search results.
Some things to consider when coming up with title ideas include:
- Show that the article is able to answer readers’ questions. Readers tend to click on interesting article titles and answer their curiosity.
- Include numbers when appropriate. It turns out that titles that include numbers are clicked more often by internet users. Use this trick for guide articles and listicles.
- Use questions. 8% of searches on Google use questions. Use this format to indicate that your article will answer potential visitors’ questions.
- Title optimization for search engines. Google can only display 70 characters in a title tag. So make sure your title doesn’t exceed this limit and include keywords.
- Avoid clickbait titles. Don’t exaggerate the content of the article or promise discussion that isn’t in your article.
If you need inspiration, visit Databox for examples of the best blog titles. There is also a free blog title-maker tool from Zyro, you just need to enter a keyword to get the article title option automatically.
#6. Include Internal and External Links
Not only does it help maximize the target website’s SEO, internal links also show that you understand the partner’s blog content so they are likely to publish your guest post.
But don’t just choose the link. You should always choose blog post links that fit the context and topic of the article.
The quickest way to find internal links is to enter site:websitename.com [keyword] in Google. The results will only show pages on websites that use that term.
Also, use contextual anchor text so search engines and visitors know what source you’re citing.
You can also add external links to your own blog to drive referral traffic. However, make sure it is in accordance with the topic discussed.
Always check the guest posting guidelines or ask the blog editor to find out the number of links that may be included in one article. We recommend that you only enter the blog content link, not the homepage or sales page so that it doesn’t become promotional content.
#7. Submit Guest Post
Yay! Your content is ready to be sent to the blog owner! Make sure there are no grammatical errors, spelling errors, broken links, or unclear images.
Also, don’t forget the author bio section. This is where you can introduce yourself and include a link to your website’s landing page.
Let’s look at an example from Forbes contributor Ryan Robinson. Her bio is simple, describes her work without seeming too promotional, and includes only one link to her website. He also mentions the number of readers to make it look more credible.
After sending the email, please wait a few days for a reply. Depending on the guest post they receive, usually, there will be a follow-up email to ensure the guest post is ready to be published.
If your post has been published, maintain a good relationship with the owner or editor of the blog. That way, you can get more opportunities to write back on their blog.
Send thank you emails and promote your articles on social media. Reply to all reader comments to build a relationship with the audience and showcase your skills as the person who wrote the content.
Website Recommendations for Guest Posting
Here are some recommendations for various niche websites that accept guest blogging.
Travel and Lifestyle Blogs
If you like traveling and have travel tips or holiday destination recommendations, try writing content on a travel blog.
There are many niches that you can try, from backpacking to luxury traveling. Choose a blog that fits your traveling experience and target audience.
Some travel blogs that accept guest post content are:
- Practical Wanderlust. The blog owner is looking for informative content about travel guides for people visiting America, Canada, Mexico, and Europe.
- Global Grasshoppers. A blog that recommends good and hidden places, aka hidden gems around the world.
- Honeymoon Always. This website focuses on luxury vacation destinations for couples.
- The Blondes Abroad. A woman’s travel blog with over 1 million monthly visitors.
Marketing and Business Blogs
Business and marketing is a popular niche that is quite challenging for bloggers. Most blogs are looking for successful entrepreneurs, freelancers, or business owners to fill their blog content. When brainstorming content ideas, focus on the business areas in your excel.
Here are some marketing and business blogs that accept guest post content:
- Business 2 Community. Website to share knowledge about the B2C and B2B industry.
- Bplans. This blog focuses on planning content and how to start a small business.
- Content Marketing Institute. For professionals working in mid-sized to corporate B2C and B2B companies.
- Copyhackers. Blog marketing that focuses on the topic of copywriting.
Food Blogs
If you are currently pursuing the profession of being a food blogger, try guest posting on food blogs. Blogs like this usually look for content on recipes, restaurants, cooking techniques, nutrition, or stories about the culinary industry.
Some food blogs that accept guest post content are:
- Serious Eats. This blog is looking for experts who can write about regional cuisine.
- Menuism. Discusses topics around recommendations for places to eat, specific cuisine content, and information about the food industry.
- PaleoHacks. Accept guest posts about paleo fitness, health, lifestyle, and recipes.
- HuffPost (Food and Drink). This large media is looking for content about cooking tips and analysis of food marketing strategies.
Fashion and Beauty Blog
This niche covers all the latest trends, fashion tips, shopping guides, and product reviews. Here are some fashion and beauty blogs that accept contributor content:
- Men’s Style Fashion. The content focuses on men’s clothing and lifestyle.
- The Curvy Fashionista. Discussing fashion news and beauty tips for plus-size people.
- The Everyday Man. Online magazine portal that discusses men’s fashion, health, and fitness.
- POPSUGAR. This blog is looking for beauty product reviews and tutorials as well as clothing recommendations.
Sports Blogs
Websites in this niche are usually looking for writers who can provide the latest sports reports or are experts in the world of sports. Here are some sports blogs that are open to guest posting:
- Sportskeeda. They accept guest post content about major sports tournaments, such as NFL, eSports, and WWE.
- FanSided. This network of websites focuses on sports and entertainment news from a fan club or fan perspective.
- Off The Post. This blog is looking for sports news reports with an entertaining writing style.
- SB Nation. Similar to FanSided, they have several sports blogs where you can offer guest post content.
Medium
Medium is a content publishing platform with over 170 million members.
This platform is more like a social network than just a normal website. Each user can follow other bloggers and display posts in the feed, and there is a “clap” button for the articles they like. Medium creates an environment that makes it easy for users to interact with other users’ content.
To start guest posting on Medium, try starting with these popular publications:
- Start it up. An online space for entrepreneurs, freelancers, and company founders to share insights.
- The Writing Cooperative. A blog that discusses tips and tricks as well as guides around writing, editing, and publishing.
- UX Collective. A blog focused on web and product design with over 400,000+ followers.
- The Post-Grad Survival Guide. Sharing financial, life, and career advice for readers aged 20-30.
Each publication on Medium has its own guest blogging guidelines. Don’t forget to read it first before sending the draft to the editor. Read Medium’s Special Rules on external content links and promotion.
If you are interested in writing on Medium, please read other tips and tricks in Benji Hyam’s article on how to go viral on Medium.
Tips and Strategies for Optimizing Guest Post Content
Eits! After the guest post content is published, you still have to optimize the content. You definitely want your content to be read by many visitors, right? So, below we share ways to optimize guest post content that you can follow.
Monitor Guest Post Performance
The first optimization step after publishing guest post content is checking website traffic. That way, you can find out whether the content is able to attract readers to visit your website.
To track website traffic, open Google Analytics. Login to this tool, then click Acquisition -> All Traffic -> Referrals. This section shows how much referral traffic is coming from your guest post link.
If available, you can also check how many times your post has been shared on other platforms.
Add Visual Elements
Visual elements can break up long chunks of text and make content more engaging. You can also use pictures to explain complex information.
Add infographics and charts to display supporting data. Screenshots are also perfect for displaying expert quotes, software tutorial content, or for displaying examples of specific actions.
When adding photos, choose high-quality photos so they don’t break. It is better to use personal documentation, especially if you are writing travel or food content. On the other hand, ordinary stock photos are enough to enhance content.
Add Click-to-Action (CTA)
Try ending the post with a call to action (CTA). Include a sentence that invites the reader to take the action you want, such as commenting or sharing the article.
The engagement rate is an important factor for SEO because it shows that the blog is still active and readers are enjoying the content. The time that visitors spend on the website is also included as a determining factor in ranking.
Here are some examples of CTA for blog articles:
- Let’s share your opinion about [topic name] in the comments column!
- Don’t forget to share this post with your friends who like [topic name] too.
- Have any other tips we haven’t mentioned yet? Let us know in the comments column, OK?
Promote Email List in Author Bio
Some guest bloggers put their website links in the author’s bio, while others promote their mailing lists. This mailing list strategy is suitable for those of you who want to build relationships with new audiences, not just traffic.
To create a mailing list, you need an email subscription tool that will help register new subscribers, create newsletters and campaigns, and manage email. Some examples are Mailchimp and OptinMonster.
After that, create a landing page so readers can register their email. This page design should focus on your main goal: converting visitors into customers. Do not link to the homepage as this could divert visitors from subscribing to the newsletter.
Active in Forums and Online Communities
Apart from social media, forums, and online communities are other best platforms for promoting your guest post content. Share post links on websites or groups that are relevant to your niche and target readers.
For example, if you write content about tips and tricks for using the iPhone, join the community around this Apple product. Look for threads that discuss lifehack around the iPhone, then try to share knowledge and links to the content you write.
Conclusion:
In short, a guest post is a blog post written by a blogger for another blog. Bloggers usually make guest posts to build authority, expand relationships with fellow bloggers, and reach a wider audience.
There are 7 steps to making quality guest posts, namely:
- Find blogs that accept guest posts. Look for popular websites that accept guest blogging content. Make sure the type of website resonates with your audience and the content you write frequently.
- Brainstorm interesting content ideas. Adjust the format of your writing according to the blog owner’s guidelines. Demonstrate your expertise to provide solutions that are able to address audience problems.
- Submit ideas to blog owners. Before submitting an idea, you should have interacted with partner websites first and understand the content. After that, just send your idea via email.
- Write quality content. Your content should suit the purpose of the reader and the writing style of other guest posts. Create content that is unique, easy to read, and optimized for SEO.
- Create a catchy title. Use numbers or questions to make visitors curious and want to click on your writing articles.
- Include internal and external links. Place links to other relevant posts from partner blogs so visitors can find supporting information. If you want to add external links to your content, make sure they are relevant to the guest post you are writing.
- Send guest posts. Double-check the content and create an author bio before sending the final draft to the blog owner. After the article is published, promote it on social media and respond to readers’ comments and questions.
After creating a blog and knowing how to make guest posts, it’s time to expand your blog’s reach. Visit our recommended blogs to start guest blogging.
Still, have questions? Immediately write your questions or input via the comments column below this article!
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