Hello Hackers,
Guest posting! I think it's not a new term for you. However, let me tell you, it's a decade-old phrase.
When a writing enthusiast writes blogs for websites other than their own, this process is called guest blogging or guest posting. Because the author is a guest for other's websites.
But, as the world evolved, human intelligence evolved, and brands started using this strategy to rank higher on search engines.
Let me show you a clear picture of how guest posting has been helping in SEO for decades. In this article, you will also read about the future of guest posting.
Your popularity is counted by the number of people who know you. For example, actors are more popular because many people know and talk about them. Learning from this, Google, in the early stage, launched its algorithm 'PageRank', which ranked websites based on the number of websites that were talking about or pointing to your website.
The guest posts links that lead back to your site are referred to as "backlinks" in the SEO industry. It has subsequently become one of the most significant aspects of rankings. Now that you know what guest posting is, you can understand the significant part it plays in increasing a website's backlink profile and, by extension, its search engine rankings. Companies have been employing this technique for quite some time now.
But, as we know, search engines change their algorithm frequently to give users the best search results. They are integrating AI, ML, NLP, and many technologies to find the worth of a website for readers. So, the big question is, will guest posting still be worth it in the coming years?
Please read carefully; I have answered it below. Before going further, let's understand the basics of guest blogging.
The Modern Definition of Guest Posting
When a writer writes content for another person's website or blog with the consent of the website owner, this is known as guest posting. A guest author writes content based on the target website's niche. Every website has its audience who wants content specific to the niche they like to read. So, the guest author writes as per the niche mentioned.
For instance, if you have a marketing blog, you could write a guest post for a website specializing in marketing-related topics such as social media marketing, advertising, etc. After writing the content, the author can add a link back to their website, which will create a signal for support in the eye of search engines.
Besides link building, guest blogging is also an effective way to connect with other bloggers and site owners, which can help you create your brand's online visibility and exposure. Guest posts expose your work to a new and broader audience, which can aid in the growth of your brand's blog or website.
More Reasons to do Guest Blogging
There are numerous benefits to guest blogging. I've mentioned five of them below:
- Improves Your Network of Collaborators
Guest posting will always benefit your network of authors and site owners. You can make your product launch reach a wider audience, boost an event, or do many other things. Guest posting simplifies the process of establishing networks and relationships. Networking aids in the search for partnerships, opportunities, and influencers for the long term.
- Improves your social media presence
Guest blogging increases the number of times your content is shared on social media. When you contribute to a reputable blog, you allow them to vouch for your brand. They let you connect your social media accounts when joining the team. As a result, it makes your social media account more accessible, trustworthy, and appealing.
- Boosts your backlink profile
Guest posting helps to strengthen your backlink profile. Guest posts typically allow contributors to leave one link to their website. This is extremely beneficial to your SEO. Search engines can easily access these backlinks. To build relevancy, one must remember to target websites in their niche.
- Enhances Online Authority
During this global pandemic, authority is everything in online marketing. It is all about persuading your regular customers to pay for their readings. As a result, ask them to subscribe to your website's blogs and posts.
Writing for other companies allows you to demonstrate your credibility. Thus, your audience will gain trust in you and begin paying for your articles.
- Immediate Traffic
Contributing to other websites piques the interest of the audience. You should expect a lot of traffic from guest blogging if you are a good writer with many quality posts.
Where to Look for Guest Blogging Opportunities
You can find these opportunities in a variety of ways. In the following sections of this article, I'll list and explain four of the most popular strategies for locating prospects and persuading them to let you publish your content on their website. Let's get this party started:
- Standard Google Search
This strategy is based on utilizing the power of search engines to your advantage. The rules are simple: keep combining the right keywords until you've exhausted all relevant queries.
For example, if you want to find sites where you can publish SEO-related content, your first step should be to search Google for phrases like "SEO write for us," "SEO guest blogging," or "SEO writer guidelines."
- Competitor's backlinks
Strong competitors allow you to study their work and replicate their successful methods, especially if you're looking for new ways to improve your SEO and link-building strategies.
Many backlink analysis tools can help you see the number and type of links pointing back to specific key players' web addresses. This will give you enough valuable insight into a list of blogs and domains where you can publish your content to see a noticeable improvement in your rankings.
- Image Reverse Search
Another technique that heavily relies on spying on your competitors. This strategy is based on locating people in your niche or market who frequently use guest blogging to generate high-quality backlinks for their websites.
The procedure is as follows:
- Find your target, copy their headshot link, and paste it into Google's reverse image search:
- After that, the engine will provide you with a killer list of sites where that specific person's photo has been published. This list will give you enough information to create your guest blogging strategy by simply following in the footsteps of your prospect.
- HARO
HARO, or Help a Reporter Out, is a growing community that brings together experts from various industries. It now has over 800,000 sources and 55,000 journalists and content creators.
What's the appeal? It is a valuable ally for finding guest post opportunities, connecting you with relevant knowledge leaders, and anyone can join for free.
Furthermore, it can amplify your public relations efforts and assist you in more effectively testing your company's or personal brand on the market.
So, what is the best way to maximize the HARO platform's potential?
- You must first register with the platform. After signing up, you will be prompted to select a field of interest. Once you've finished configuring everything, HARO will begin sending you relevant emails based on the information you've provided.
- Each email will include the most recent list of topics you can pitch your solution to and apply to contribute your expertise.
While HARO is a fantastic tool, you must be aware of the high level of competition. Many well-known experts are active on the platform as contributors and content creators, giving them an advantage over the smaller fish in the industry.
What is the key to standing out? Be creative with your questions, try looking at a problem from a different perspective, and ask something intriguing and unique.
To Summarize
We can say that guest posting is still a viable SEO strategy that can help your website's ranking and drive traffic. However, keep in mind that quality always trumps quantity. So, concentrate on writing high-quality, keyword-optimized guest posts that give readers something unique.
What are you waiting for if you haven't started guest posting yet? There is no better time to begin than right now.