How To Outsmart Your Boss On Guest Posting
Link Building Using Guest Posts and Directories. Link building is a very effective and useful way to increase SEO, but it can be difficult to do manually. Guest posting is one of the best methods to build links, as it allows you to reach out to a larger audience and get valuable backlinks.
1. Reach out to industry influencers
Guest blogging is a great way to reach new audiences and build relationships. To maximize the process and maximize results, it is important to do extensive research before reaching out to influencers.
Create a list of blogs that accept guest postings in your niche and start reaching out to them! Be sure to send a personalized email with an attention-grabbing subject line; perhaps mentioning one of their blog posts as context could add another layer.
Your next tip should include including internal and external links as well as a bio box with your website address, helping with SEO and building authority. Incorporating nofollow tags will prevent Google from penalizing you for spammy links on your bio box.
Monitor comments and social shares after your guest post is live. Responding to reader comments shows your readers you care what they have to say; responding may lead to additional opportunities in the future! You can also track traffic from guest postings using the OptinMonster referrer detection feature within Google Analytics dashboard.
2. Find relevant blogs
Successful blogs, and the companies that support them, are interested in what their audience cares most about. They understand that audience challenges, frustrations and needs drive guest post directory traffic; additionally they know their readers don't want information delivered via blog posts - rather they want something actionable that helps solve real world issues.
When searching for websites where you can pitch guest posts, find those that are relevant to your audience. Depending on how established your brand is, tools like Ahrefs' free backlink checker may help you discover high-quality sites with relevant audiences; once found, analyze their content to determine popular topics on those platforms.
By using tools such as Oktopus and Digg, it's possible to gain insight into what types of content have proven successful in the past. Keep in mind that any writing produced must adhere to grammatically correct writing standards while providing value to readers; otherwise it would be best to forgoing guest posting altogether.
Another consideration is to ensure the website on which you're writing allows you to link out to both internal and external content pieces for more in-depth reader knowledge, but only include them if contextually appropriate.
3. Offer something in return
Submitting guest posts to other websites allows you to gain exposure in front of their audiences while also receiving a backlink that points back to yours. A quality backlink will boost your search engine rankings, and direct targeted traffic to your website. Be careful when selecting websites to submit content to.
Make sure your guest post is engaging and valuable to readers by including links or embedding videos that engage them. Your aim should be for them to share it social media or respond in comments; this will build trust between author and reader and lead to future opportunities. Include links to your contact page or any other relevant pages with more information about your company, products or services offered.
If you are unable to secure a guest post on a popular website, reach out to people you know with blogs or websites in your niche and offer something in exchange for guest blogging; such as free products or services for their backlink.
4. Reach out to blog's audience
Guest posting can be an effective way to grow your audience and expand your reach as a writer, yet before getting started it's vitally important that you research the audience of the blog where you're posting so your content resonates with readers. Be mindful of any posts which appear overly promotional as these may not resonate with readers as effectively.
A blog's acceptance of do-follow or non-follow links is also important. Do-follow links are more beneficial for SEO efforts. Semrush can provide answers if you are unsure.
When searching for guest blogging opportunities, be wary of spammy websites. Such websites will offer to publish your article for a fee, which violates Google's quality guidelines and could potentially harm your search engine ranking. Reputation X does not use such sites in its reputation management services and advises others not to either.
Once you have identified a blog which accepts guest posts reach out to the editor and introduce yourself as an author biographer. Be sure to include your name, email address and website URL - any headshot for use may also be needed!