How to Become a Successful Guest Blogger
Are you hoping to work as a guest blogger? Whether you are a blogger or website owner, you have a lot to gain from posting valuable content on other people’s websites. Guest blogging enables you to expand your audience and establish solid relationships, build authority, create high quality backlinks, and discover new business opportunities.
Despite all these benefits, only 6% of bloggers publish most of their unique content as guest posts, according to an Orbit Media survey. If you want to gain a competitive edge, you should make guest blogging a part of your marketing plan.
“As with anything, you don’t want to be out there trying willy-nilly to get your posts on every blog for the sole purpose of building (probably bad) links,” says top SEO blog, MOZ. “It’s important to have this tied to your business and marketing goals, as you would with any other tactic. SEO is only one piece of the larger strategy.”
Here is a really simple guide to becoming a successful guest blogger in just 3 easy steps
Ready to spread your ideas, writing and blog style web-wide? There are 3 essential factors you’ll need to consider first. Let’s break things down to make guest blogging easier, especially if you’re just starting out. However, if you’d like more tips, head to my post Blog writing tips: 10 essential steps not to miss!
Choose the Right Target Blog
What are you really trying to say? What is your main motivation? Before anything else, you should spend some time finding the right website for guest blogging. Make sure you choose a blog that belongs to the same niche as you, if you can. Narrow your search down.
The target blog (and you as a writer/guest blogger) should at least share the same basic audience or some interests that appeal to that audience. In addition, you have to find out if the target blog is set up correctly and worth writing for. Check the domain authority or DA of the blog. Here’s a free domain authority checker.
Guest blogging requires considerable time and effort, and you do not want to waste your time writing for a blog with sub-par readership. Ideally, look for a target blog that has high quality content, an authoritative link profile, and the potential to generate targeted traffic.
Post Relevant Content
In order to get the most out of guest blogging, your guest post has to be interesting to both the target blog’s audience and your own audience. Make sure you have a well-chosen topic and catchy title, because it can help you attract more readers at the target blog and drive traffic to your blog or website. Of course, the results you get from your guest blogging efforts depend on the quality, engagement levels, and value of your posts. To decide on a great title, use both your intuition, and a free headline checker tool, for best results.
Contact the Editor
Editors can be very selective when it comes to selecting guest bloggers, especially those who run popular websites. Before you write to the editor of the target blog, you should evaluate the website and find out more about the type of content that is being posted there, including appropriate topics and style of writing. In your letter to the editor, talk about how your post can benefit the blog ad provide a list of topics that you wish to write about. Make sure the letter is clear and concise.
…and you’re ready to go!
Guest blogging requires more than just good writing skills. Finding the right target blogs and being able to adapt to different audiences are key to successful guest blogging. Follow the 3 main steps above and get your work and your blog noticed more quickly. Remember – authenticity is the key.
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